When you buy or sell real estate in Mexico brokers and agents sometimes tell you that everything is done differently in Mexico than in the USA. While in many respects, there are some differences, many parts of the process are remarkably similar to the USA. Therefore, you should make sure your contract contains the same protective clauses and paragraphs you will find in a US contract of sale. Using the California Association of Realtors contract as a guide is a good place to start when reviewing the contract given you by the RE agent, and making changes and improvements.
Where their may be some differences in the law, there are hugh differences in the enforceability of the contract. Why? The difference arises due to the Mexican legal systems, courts and the extremely long time in many areas of Mexico it takes to get a judgement or decision. It can easily in some areas of Mexico take 5 or more years to get a judgment and sometimes due to factors not usually encountered in the US, the decision in any lawsuit may not be the correct one.
What is the solution? Write a good contract and in the event a dispute arises, make certain it contains a mediation and arbitration provision. The arbitraion laws are excellent in Mexico and if you and the other party agree to arbitrate it is likely you will resolve your dispute within 8 to 12 months. That decision is then entered into the Court as a judgment. Most arbitration are binding and cannot be appealled ( unlike most Court judgments in Mexico which are often appealled adding many more years to the final decision).
If you want to learn more about arbitraion or mediation, the clauses to put in your next contract, and how to have a dispute arbitrated or mediated, email us a ddnelson@gmail.com If all parties agree, you can even remove your case from the Courts and have it decided by arbitration. It is even legal to have the arbitrator be a US attorney or a panel of US and Mexican attorneys with real estate experience. Due to the speed of the process, you may save a lot of money in costs and attorneys fees.
Where their may be some differences in the law, there are hugh differences in the enforceability of the contract. Why? The difference arises due to the Mexican legal systems, courts and the extremely long time in many areas of Mexico it takes to get a judgement or decision. It can easily in some areas of Mexico take 5 or more years to get a judgment and sometimes due to factors not usually encountered in the US, the decision in any lawsuit may not be the correct one.
What is the solution? Write a good contract and in the event a dispute arises, make certain it contains a mediation and arbitration provision. The arbitraion laws are excellent in Mexico and if you and the other party agree to arbitrate it is likely you will resolve your dispute within 8 to 12 months. That decision is then entered into the Court as a judgment. Most arbitration are binding and cannot be appealled ( unlike most Court judgments in Mexico which are often appealled adding many more years to the final decision).
If you want to learn more about arbitraion or mediation, the clauses to put in your next contract, and how to have a dispute arbitrated or mediated, email us a ddnelson@gmail.com If all parties agree, you can even remove your case from the Courts and have it decided by arbitration. It is even legal to have the arbitrator be a US attorney or a panel of US and Mexican attorneys with real estate experience. Due to the speed of the process, you may save a lot of money in costs and attorneys fees.
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