Buyers of off-plan properties in Jamaica who make stage payments into developer-controlled escrow accounts — or accounts presented as escrow but not independently controlled — have lost substantial sums when developers misappropriate the funds, fail to complete construction, and become insolvent. Understanding how genuine escrow arrangements work and what protections are available is essential for any off-plan buyer.

Not every failed property development in Jamaica is a fraud, but the pattern of a developer who raises funds from buyers, begins limited works to create an impression of progress, and then ceases development as the money runs out is sufficiently common that buyers should treat any developer without a demonstrable track record and clear financial backing with significant caution.

Joint venture arrangements in which a landowner contributes land and a developer contributes development expertise and capital, with the intention of sharing the resulting units or sale proceeds, have been used fraudulently in Jamaica to gain control of valuable land parcels. Landowners who enter joint ventures without adequate legal protection have lost their land while receiving little or nothing in return.

When a Jamaican property developer becomes insolvent mid-project, purchasers face the prospect of losing deposits with little legal protection. This report examines the regulatory framework, the gaps that leave buyers exposed, and the steps buyers can take to improve their position.

Jamaica’s tourism-driven property market has attracted fraudulent hotel and resort investment schemes that promise rental income and capital appreciation from units in developments that are never completed or never existed. This report examines how these schemes operate and what due diligence investors must perform.

Pension fund trustees in Jamaica have directed retirement savings into property investments that were fraudulently structured, overvalued, or connected to parties with undisclosed conflicts of interest. This report examines how these abuses occur and what FSC oversight is designed to prevent them.

Developers and sellers in Jamaica have routinely misrepresented the amenities, facilities, and community features of properties, from swimming pools that were never built to gated community infrastructure that was never installed. This report examines legal remedies and the disclosure requirements that developers must meet.