Someone is on your property in Mexico. Time is on their side, not yours.
I handle dispossession cases for owners who live abroad: squatters, properties taken over while the owner was away, and land that changed hands on paper without the owner knowing.
What's going on
It usually comes as a message from a neighbor: there are people living in your house, or a fence went up on your lot. Sometimes it's worse, and you learn that the property was sold or transferred with paperwork you never signed.
The instinct is to wait until your next trip and sort it out in person. Don't. Waiting helps the people in your house, not you.
The day you find out is the day to act.
How I can help
- File the criminal complaint for dispossession.
- File the civil action to recover the property.
- Use both, with full pressure. I don't pick one track and hope.
- Go after everyone involved. When a property changed hands on paper, it is common to end up filing complaints against the notaries involved as well.
What it looks like
A Canadian bought a house in Mexico for his retirement. He never moved in and never renovated it. One day the person who helped him pay the electricity bills called: there were people inside, and chains on the door.
By the time we started legal action and arrived with the police, the occupants were holding a promise-to-sell agreement signed before a notary. It was fake, but it complicated the case. It took three years to get them out.
Details are omitted to protect my client's identity. Every case is different, and this one doesn't predict yours.
Do: act immediately. Gather your deed, your fideicomiso documents if you have one, your property tax receipts, and anything that shows the property was yours and in your possession. Ask whoever told you to take photos and note dates.
Don't: wait for your next trip, or assume it will resolve itself.
Think twice before trying to remove them yourself. It can be attempted, but there are organized groups that do this for a living, and confronting them on your own can get complicated fast.
How it works
- You message me with where the property is, what you found out and when.
- We talk, the same day if it's urgent.
- You grant a power of attorney, before a notary or at a Mexican consulate, and I act for you in Mexico.
- I file on both tracks and keep you informed.
The consultation: US$100 · 45 minutes.
The case: a flat fee, quoted in writing before any work starts.
Frequently asked questions
I live abroad. Can I do this without moving to Mexico?
Yes, through a power of attorney.
A notary signed the transfer. Doesn't that make it valid?
Not if you never agreed to it. A notary's signature doesn't put the notary beyond a complaint.
How long does it take to get the property back?
In the best scenario, six months to a year. When the occupants are people who do this professionally, it can take up to three years.
The property is outside Yucatán.
I take cases anywhere in Mexico.