LM Legal Services Blog

Expat Properties Plc created for the purpose of buying land, is the first plc of this type in Bulgaria which has returned its license. The general shareholders meeting will take place on 8 June 2009 when it is expected that the shareholders of the company will take the formal decision for its liquidation. It is also expected that the shareholders will give a deadline of 6 months for the liquidation and will choose a receiver. The last deal of Expat Properties Plc was on 16 April 2008.

Construction projects in Bulgaria exceeding 2,5 billion Euros have been put on hold because of the recession. There are a few large projects, which do not have problems with financing. The fear of bankruptcy and the lack of free money is the reason for the investors to give up their plans for big projects and to sell their business. Some developers are prepared to sell parts of their future developments at lower price just to be able to finish their projects. On 2 April 2009 they met with Russian investors at a business meeting organised in the Russian capital Moscow. There were different projects on offer – holiday homes, residential homes, power plants, regulated and unregulated land, concrete buildings and whole residential areas. However the accent was on holiday homes and golf courses throughout Bulgaria.

Apart from the Russians the other type of investors interested in Bulgaria are those from the Middle East. Some of them are prepared to put on hold their projects in their home countries in order to buy at low prices attractive projects in Europe and in the USA.

The management of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange survived the non-confidence vote after it received the support of the state at the shareholders meeting. The Ministry of Finance holds 44% of share capital of the stock exchange and rejected all proposals for the change of the management.