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Someone Used a Power of Attorney to Sell My Property

“Someone used a power of attorney to sell my property, and I never agreed to that sale — I only found out after it had already happened.”

This is a property fraud matter involving the misuse, forgery, or improper exercise of a power of attorney to transfer title without the true owner's genuine consent, which typically involves both a criminal complaint for forgery or fraud and a separate civil claim to annul the transfer and recover the property.

Finding out your property was sold without your real consent is deeply distressing, and the speed of your response genuinely matters, because a fraudulently sold property can be resold or mortgaged again before you've had a chance to act. This is treated as urgent from the moment you realise it, in every jurisdiction. LEXNOVA can help you describe what's happened and explore lawyers experienced in property fraud and title disputes — LEXNOVA cannot flag your title with the land department or file a police report on your behalf.

LAST REVIEWED 21 SEPTEMBER 2026

WHERE THIS IS HANDLED

The police and Public Prosecution for a criminal complaint of forgery or fraud; the Dubai Land Department, ADREC/DMT in Abu Dhabi, or the ADGM land registry, to be told of the disputed transfer (in Dubai, a court order is the reliable way to freeze dealings with the title); and the civil courts to seek annulment of the sale and recovery of the property.

How the answer changes by jurisdiction

  • Dubai mainland

    Dubai property titles are recorded with the Dubai Land Department (DLD). A fraudulent sale through a misused power of attorney typically involves reporting to Dubai Police and the Public Prosecution for the criminal side, notifying the DLD of the disputed transfer (a court order is the reliable way to freeze dealings with the title), and a civil claim through Dubai Courts to annul the transfer and restore your ownership.

  • DIFC

    Direct DIFC-registered freehold residential property is limited, so this scenario more commonly arises where a power of attorney was misused over a DIFC company's assets or a DIFC-linked interest rather than a residential title directly. Where that's the case, the DIFC Courts, rather than Dubai Courts, would be the relevant civil forum, while any criminal complaint still proceeds through the ordinary Dubai criminal justice system.

  • Abu Dhabi mainland

    Abu Dhabi property titles sit with the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) and the Department of Municipalities and Transport, under a genuinely separate registration system from Dubai's DLD. A fraudulent sale would involve reporting to Abu Dhabi Police, notifying ADREC/DMT to flag the title, and pursuing a civil annulment claim through Abu Dhabi Courts.

  • ADGM

    Certain Al Reem Island properties fall under ADGM's own land registry, following its land-register migration, rather than ADREC — a distinction that matters even though both sit physically within Abu Dhabi. A fraud connected to an ADGM-registered title would engage the ADGM Courts and ADGM's own registry rather than the mainland Abu Dhabi system.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NEXT

STEP 01

Report to the police immediately

File a criminal complaint with the police as soon as you discover the fraudulent sale. This isn't only about pursuing the person responsible — an active criminal complaint can also support urgent action to prevent the property being sold or mortgaged again while the matter is investigated.

STEP 02

Notify the land registry to flag the title without delay

Contact the Dubai Land Department, ADREC/DMT in Abu Dhabi, or the ADGM land registry, as applicable, to alert them to the disputed transfer and request that the title be flagged. Every day this isn't done is a day the property could potentially be sold or mortgaged again to someone else, which makes your situation significantly more complicated.

STEP 03

Gather the power of attorney and every sale document you can find

Get copies of the power of attorney allegedly used, the sale contract, the title transfer documents, and any correspondence connected to the transaction. A lawyer needs to see exactly what was used and how it was presented to the registry to understand the strength of your case.

STEP 04

Pursue the criminal and civil tracks together

A parallel criminal complaint for forgery or fraud and a civil claim to annul the sale and recover the property generally work better together than either alone — evidence from one can support the other, and the urgency of the criminal complaint can help protect your civil position while the annulment claim proceeds.

STEP 05

Seek precautionary measures to prevent further dealing

Beyond flagging the title, a lawyer can advise on urgent court measures to prevent the property being resold, mortgaged, or otherwise dealt with while your case is ongoing. This is usually one of the most time-sensitive parts of the whole process.

STEP 06

Understand the complexity if there's now an innocent buyer involved

If the property has already been sold on to someone who genuinely didn't know about the fraud, your case becomes more complex, because courts have to weigh your ownership rights against that buyer's position. This is exactly the kind of situation where experienced legal advice matters most, and it's worth raising honestly with your lawyer from the start rather than assuming either outcome.

STEP 07

Be realistic about timelines

Property fraud cases involving a misused power of attorney can take real time to resolve, particularly where forgery has to be established and multiple parties are involved. Acting fast at the outset is still the single biggest factor within your control, even though the overall process may run longer than you'd like.

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FAQ

It's genuinely possible, particularly if you act quickly, but the outcome depends on the specific facts — including whether the property has already been sold on again to someone else. A lawyer needs to review the power of attorney and sale documents before giving you a realistic assessment.

Report to the police and notify the relevant land registry to flag the title, both as soon as possible. Every day of delay increases the risk that the property is dealt with again before you can stop it.

This typically involves either a genuinely forged power of attorney that was never signed by you, or a legitimate power of attorney that was misused beyond what you actually authorised. Both situations are treated seriously, but the evidence and legal analysis differ, which is why the lawyer needs to see the actual document.

The same three tracks apply — police, land registry and a civil claim. For a Dubai property, the Dubai Land Department's register is conclusive unless fraud or forgery is proven, so a fake seller or forged deed is tested against it: check the title before paying anyone. For off-plan money, Dubai law makes an off-plan sale void unless it is entered in the interim register, requires payments to go into the project's escrow account, and makes fraudulent projects and misappropriated development money crimes; disputes with a genuine developer belong on LEXNOVA's page 'I Want to Cancel My Off-Plan Purchase and Get My Money Back'. If you paid rent to someone who did not own or control the flat, report it to the police and pursue civil recovery; for online listing scams, see LEXNOVA's Cybercrime & Digital Fraud page. Act quickly — describe what happened to Legal Connect.

Usually both, and they work together — a criminal complaint addresses the forgery or fraud itself, while a separate civil claim seeks to annul the sale and restore your ownership. Most lawyers handling these cases pursue both tracks in parallel.

This is a genuinely common scenario — an old, broadly worded power of attorney that was never formally revoked can sometimes be misused well beyond what you originally intended. Bring the original document, or whatever record of it you have, to your lawyer, since its exact wording and scope matter significantly.

This is one of the more complex questions in these cases, because courts have to weigh your ownership rights against a genuinely innocent buyer's position. There's no simple universal answer, and it depends heavily on the specific facts of how the sale happened.

Notify the land registry to flag the title as early as possible, and ask your lawyer about urgent court measures to prevent further dealing. This is one of the most time-critical steps in the entire process.

This complicates the criminal side, but doesn't necessarily stop the civil claim to annul the sale and recover your property, since that claim is primarily about the transfer's validity rather than about physically locating the person responsible. Discuss this specific complication with your lawyer.

Yes — the two emirates run genuinely separate land registration systems, DLD in Dubai and ADREC/DMT in Abu Dhabi, and you need to notify and work with the correct one for your property. Getting this wrong wastes time you may not have.

The power of attorney allegedly used, the sale contract, the title transfer documents, your original title deed if you still have it, and any correspondence connected to the transaction. Bring everything you have, even if you're not sure it's relevant.

It varies significantly depending on whether the property has been resold again, how clearly the forgery or misuse can be established, and which court hears the civil claim. Ask your lawyer for a realistic estimate once they've reviewed your specific documents.

Depending on the facts and the losses you can demonstrate, a compensation claim may be available alongside seeking annulment of the sale and recovery of title. This is worth raising specifically with your lawyer once the core ownership question is being addressed.

You can still act — reporting to the police, flagging the title, and instructing a lawyer can often be progressed remotely, sometimes with a properly executed power of attorney of your own in favour of your lawyer. Being abroad makes this harder logistically but does not remove your options.

If you have other powers of attorney outstanding that you no longer need, or that were given for a specific limited purpose long ago, review and consider formally revoking them. Your lawyer can advise on properly cancelling any power of attorney that's no longer needed.

No. LEXNOVA is not a law firm, a land department, or a police service, and does not flag titles or file reports on your behalf. LEXNOVA helps you describe your situation and explore potentially suitable lawyers; the lawyer you choose takes these urgent steps directly.

Don't wait for certainty before acting — a lawyer can help you assess the evidence you already have and advise on urgent protective steps even while some facts are still unclear. Waiting for full certainty risks losing time you can't get back.

LEXNOVA is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, legal opinions, legal representation, or legal services. Any legal advice or representation is provided directly by the independent legal professional engaged by the client.

A connection or introduction does not constitute a guarantee, endorsement, or assurance of outcome. Users should independently confirm the professional's qualifications, authorization, fees, scope of engagement, and suitability.

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