What can I do if I bought property in Lebanon with a forged deed?

Key facts#

Who owns, on paper

Whoever the Land Registry shows: ownership passes only when the sale is registered^[5]

Fraud over property

A crime under Art. 655 of the Penal Code, according to Kallas Law Firm^[3]

Penalty for fraud

6 months to 3 years in prison^[3], doubled in some cases (Kallas Law Firm)

Complaint needed?

No: fraud is prosecuted without one, according to Kallas^[3]

Limitation period

Runs from the last payment, not from discovery^[3] (Kallas). Its length is not given in our sources

Where to report

the ISF Baligh service, the ISF app or the nearest police station^[4]

Court notice on the folio

Only by decision of the civil court president, open to appeal within eight days^[6] of notification (Kallas)

State compensation fund

None, according to Kallas Law Firm: registry officials are personally liable and the State pays only if they cannot^[6,7]

What to do, step by step#

1. 1
   Stop paying. Do not send further instalments, fees or "registration costs" to the seller, the broker or anyone acting for them until a lawyer has looked at the file.
2. 2
   Get an official Land Registry certificate for the plot. Someone in Lebanon (you, your lawyer or a person you trust) asks for it at the land registry office for the property's area^[1,11]. Legalmondo says it is issued only in person^[1]. Bring the property's governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[1,8], where they apply. Read the owners, the charges and any pending actions on it^[1,2].
3. 3
   Collect every piece of evidence. Keep the sale contract, the deed you were given, copies of the seller's ID and of any power of attorney, the notary's name and office, and proof of every payment and message. If a broker handled the deal, Art. 296 of the Commercial Code requires the broker to record each transaction and to give a certified copy to any party who asks^[18]. Ask for that copy in writing.
4. 4
   Hire a Lebanese property lawyer. Ask three things. First, whether to seek a notice of a court action on the folio, which only the civil court president can order^[6]. Court actions count against third parties only once they are inscribed. Second, whether the good-faith rule helps you. Third, who could be liable for the loss, given that Kallas finds no state fund^[6,7]. If you live abroad, the lawyer can act under a power of attorney signed from abroad. You sign it at a Lebanese mission, or before a local notary, have it authenticated by the local authorities and then legalised by the Lebanese embassy or consulate^{[19,20,21,22]}. For a property POA, missions ask for the property number and location, plus a copy of the deed or a Land Registry extract^[19,21,23].
5. 5
   Report the fraud. Use the ISF Baligh service, the ISF app or the nearest police station^[4]. The ISF named these channels in March 2026; Baligh is on the ISF website (isf.gov.lb), and current contact numbers are published there. Prosecution does not need your complaint^[3], but your report gives the police the file and the evidence. Tell the notary office that handled the deed as well.
6. 6
   Keep checking the folio. While the case runs, get a fresh certificate from time to time to see whether anyone has sold, mortgaged or seized the property.

It depends on#

• Whether the sale was registered. If it was not, you hold only a personal right against the seller^[5,13]. If it was, the good-faith rule may matter^[6]. A lawyer must tell you which applies to you.
• What was forged. A fake seller ID, a forged deed and a forged power of attorney are different problems. If the seller acted under a power of attorney, Kallas says one used for registration must be no more than 5 years old^[14,24] unless it is truly irrevocable. Whether it is irrevocable depends on what it says in substance, whatever its label^[14]. See how to check that a power of attorney is genuine.
• What you knew. The good-faith protection does not apply to someone who knew of the defect before acquiring^[6]. Keep anything that shows what you were told and when.
• Whether there are other buyers. If the property was sold twice, rank goes by the date of entry in the registry's daily journal, not by the date of signature^[6].
• Where you are. According to Legalmondo (June 2025), the official certificate is issued only in person^[1], so someone in Lebanon has to collect it. The Finance Minister mentioned electronic issue in April 2026 without saying whether the public can use it^[12]. Ask the land registry office for the property.

Common questions#