Source for English Notary

SponPlague · #1 11.10.2008, 12:36

	Quote:	peachy
	It's just a reservation contract they have signed, there is probably even a clause that they have no obligation to sell. No property sale in Switzerland is complete without going through the notariat, they don't just transfer money and make an entry in the Grundbuch, they ensure that it is clear to both parties what the agreement is, any outstanding rights of way or contracts on the property etc etc. If the notariat think that either party doesn't understand the sale then they (the notariat) can postpone or cancel the sale. The same applies if they thing you don't understand German so be careful.

My vendor tell me that they strongly recommend an English translator present when I meet the Notary in December, to buy my newbuild.

Is there a website/ reference source for English Notaris, and is there a quality mark/ trade membership I should look for?

Can anyone in Zurich reccomend someone from personal experience?

Thanks in advance...

AbFab · #2 11.10.2008, 13:30

	Quote:	SponPlague
	My vendor tell me that they strongly recommend an English translator present when I meet the Notary in December, to buy my newbuild. Is there a website/ reference source for English Notaris, and is there a quality mark/ trade membership I should look for? Can anyone in Zurich reccomend someone from personal experience? Thanks in advance...

You probably don't need an English-speaking Notariat present as you will (should) see a copy of the contract well before you sign anything. You can have this translated and then explained by an English speaking legal expert.

Like doctors, dentists etc, almost all lawyers speak good English here...

Swisstree · #3 11.10.2008, 13:54

We had to have a German translator present 3 years ago when we were at the notary to sign contracts.. you just need to have a friend/colleague with you to translate, inform the Notariat beforehand of who you are bringing, name, profession etc. You should have time beforehand to get the contract checked out legally if you wish.. I would ask and check out everything at the Notariat(should be in the Gemeinde building) as they will speak English and are very helpful. Good luck with your new house

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Swisstree · #4 11.10.2008, 14:03

.. I forgot to say even if you speak and understand quite a lot of German we found that they still required us to have someone there to translate making sure there were no misunderstandings.

SponPlague · #5 11.10.2008, 17:46

As yet I still only have a draft contract, and will move further as soon as the final version arrives. I've been quoted around CHF 3000 for getting the papers translated.

Many thanks for all the advice so far...

Swisstree · #6 11.10.2008, 18:11

Wow! That's expensive.. we just got a Swiss friend to go through the contract with us and he took time off work to come to the Notariat too.. salt of the earth type as he never expected anything from us.. I bought him 2 extremely good bottles of red wine which he loved.. but I guess if there was something in the contract that were weren't happy with, or confused by, we would have got legal advice. You know you will also get a bill from the Notariat when the contracts are signed and work finished.. if I remember correctly the bill was roughly between 1000 to 1500 chf.. but your Notariat can tell you exactly what yours will cost.

SponPlague · #7 12.10.2008, 11:13

I obtained several professional quotes:

	Quote:
	Thanks for your email. We'd be happy to help with these. Our charges for German to English translation are £100/1000 words of target text, with a minimum charge of £35, plus VAT. I've found the CHF prices, and the charge would be CHF225/1000 words of target text. So an approximate figure would be CHF 2800.

	Quote:
	As discussed briefly in our phone conversation earlier I've had the opportunity to analyse the three "Edendrei" documents which you require translated from German into English. Given the complexity of the topic matter there will be a minor surcharge, however, as this is also your first personal translation with ************* I'd like to offer you a 10% new customer discount for a grand total of 2,497.82 CHF. Time of delivery will be between 8-9 business days upon confirmation of this quote and proof of payment. Please be advised that private customers are asked to pay in advance. Payment may be made via a direct credit card link here. Should you require the translation at an earlier date than the time frame quoted above it is possible for us to utilise multiple translators simultaneously. While we do of course coordinate our translators there does exist the possibility of varying writing styles when different translators are used to translate separate parts of a text. We have a large network of professional translators encompassing a wide variety of knowledge and experiences in diverse fields, including property contracts. We pride ourselves on finding the right translator for the right client. All our clients' documents are kept confidential and we do not share their information with third parties. Should you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact me directly.

SponPlague · #8 15.10.2008, 11:14

So, folks, I guess I need to bring an english speaking notary to the table in Dec.

Where's the best place to find one? Still waiting for guidance on that...