Who should I name as the agent in my Lebanese power of attorney?

Also asked as: “Who should hold power of attorney for property in Lebanon?” · “Should my agent in Lebanon be a lawyer or a relative?” · “Can a family member act for me with a POA in Lebanon?” · “Who can sign for me at the notary in Lebanon?”

What the sources say about choosing an agent#

We found no Lebanese law, court ruling or official page that says who your agent should be, and no source on how to supervise one. JSK Real Estate, a Lebanese agency with an interest in sales, says an expat can give a POA to a local lawyer or a trusted person to finalise a purchase^[1]. JSK says registration happens "at the Cadastre". In fact, transfers are carried out at the land registry office for the property's area^[9,10].

The agent's job is concrete. A purchase runs through a recent Land Registry extract, an optional promise of sale, a notarial deed signed before the notary (kateb adel), and then registration, and you own the property only once the sale is registered^[11]. Whoever you name signs and files for you, so they need to be able to get to the notary and to that registry office.

We found no published fee for a lawyer who acts under a POA. Ask any lawyer you approach for a written quote. For advice on choosing, a Lebanese lawyer or the Lebanese Bar Association is the right place to ask.

Questions to ask before you name someone#

None of these is a legal rule. They are what a careful friend would ask you.

• Can they get there and follow the file? Someone who can reach the property's registry office and the notary, and has time to follow up, is more useful than a busy name who hands your file to someone else.
• Do they work for the other side? Be wary of naming a broker, the seller's lawyer or anyone the seller recommends. Each of them has a reason to want the deal closed.
• Will they explain what they sign? Ask for a copy of every document before and after they sign it, and for an explanation in a language you read well.
• Are they a lawyer? A lawyer who carries out a property purchase or sale for you must apply anti-money-laundering due diligence under Law 44/2015^[12]. Expect to be asked for papers about yourself and your money; the law does not list which ones.

A careful choice works best alongside a narrow POA and your own checks at the registry. See how to protect your property from a forged power of attorney.

Limit what the agent can do#

Kallas Law Firm says that selling a property is an act of disposition, so a general POA is not enough and you need an express special mandate to sell^[2]. Lebanese missions issue general and special POAs at different fees, for example USD 50 special, USD 100 general^[7,13,14] at US missions. The difference is explained in general and special powers of attorney.

Name the property exactly. The US and Netherlands missions, for example, ask for the property number and location, plus a copy of the deed or a Land Registry extract^[7,13,15]; check your own mission's list. A registry certificate is requested with the property's governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[10,16], the last two only where they apply. Here is how to find your property's number, zone and section.

Kallas says a POA has no expiry unless a term is written in^[2]. If you want the agent's power to end on a date, have that date written into the POA. Separately, an agent who registers a real right at the Land Registry must produce a POA no more than 5 years old^[2,3]. Kallas cites a Court of Cassation ruling that, for an ordinary POA, the registrar can refuse one older than five years on his own initiative, even if no one objects.

Think hard before you sign an irrevocable POA. Kallas says a POA is irrevocable when it is made in the interest of the agent or a third party, and you can then withdraw it only with that person's consent^[2]. It also survives the principal's death, so it binds your heirs. According to Kallas, settled case law exempts a truly irrevocable POA from the five-year limit, so it can still be presented at the registry after that period^[2,3]. Kallas adds that irrevocability depends on the substance of the POA rather than its title, for example a statement that you received the full price. More in irrevocable powers of attorney.

We found no source on other limits you might write in, such as a minimum price or a ban on mortgaging. Ask the lawyer who drafts the POA what can be written and how a notary will read it.

Ending the agent's power#

Kallas says you can in principle revoke a POA whenever you wish, and a clause saying you cannot has no effect. The exception is a POA given in the interest of the agent or a third party, which you can withdraw only with that person's consent^[2,3]. An ordinary POA also ends if the agent renounces it, or on your death or loss of capacity^[2].

Lebanese missions handle revocations. The consulate in Dubai charges AED 276 per signature^[17] and asks for a copy of the POA being revoked, and the embassy in the Netherlands arranges cancellation by email^[15,17]. Neither page says how a revocation reaches the notary or the Land Registry, and we found no public register of revocations^[2,3]. Tell your agent and the notary in writing yourself, and keep proof. More in cancelling a power of attorney.