Wednesday, Jun 27, 2012

Sharjah

If you have to urgently attest your tenancy contract you must consider camping out by the Consumer Protection Department at the Sharjah Municipality at the Industrial Area No.5 or any of its offices that offer the attestation services or spend three or four days to get your turn to the counter that finalises the attestation.

At least, that is what more than 20 residents did on Tuesday this week. They slept in their car in the parking lot in front of the office at the Industrial area in order to secure their early turn to the attestation queue.

Applicants told Gulf News that the process of attestation might take a number of days as the municipality offices offering this kind of services are overflowing with residents.

Applicants said the keenness to attest tenancy contract stems from the fact that the municipality has warned residents that it would fine people who fail to register the renewal of their contracts and that other departments in emirates, including the Residency and Foreigners Affairs, requires expatriate to present an attested tenancy contract in most of its transactions.

New tenants must attest their contracts by the municipality because they cannot get water and electricity connection without presenting an attested contract.

Gulf News visited the main tenancy contract attestation office located behind the Sharjah vegetables and fruits market,

As early as 6:00am applicants were lining up outside the office hoping to get an early number, although the office’s official opening hours are from 7:30am till 8:00pm .

A. Ahmad, who had failed to get his papers done four times, said that he would get there at around 7:00am and get a number in the 300s, noting that the numbers start at number one.

“I have waited there for four hours once and still I was nowhere near my number, so I left and came back in the evening, but still my number had not come.” he added.

Ahmad added that when he tried to send his watchman with the papers, he was told that the applicant should be there personally. It was another story with, Mohammad Salah. When Salah visited the office for the first time he said it was very crowded and he left, but later sent his building’s security guard with all the relevant papers and the security guard was able to complete the task, “I am here today because when I got the tenancy contract attested, my wife was still on a visiting visa and they made me sign an undertaking to submit a copy of my wife’s residency visa when it’s out.” He said that that went smoothly and was very quick.

Three men said they had spent the night in their cars just to get their papers done. Nagi Abd Al Wahab, one of the three men, said that it was his third attempt. He said that he would come at around 8:00am and get a number in the late 300s and —just like Ahmad — he would go and come back but to no avail, even though the office closes at 8:00pm. So he said he decided to sleep in his car as to waste no time. “I got number four today!” he happily showed me his ticket.

One applicant, who wished to stay anonymous, said that it was his first time and that after he saw his number - which was 247 and the time stamp indicated that it was taken at 7:30am — decided to leave, “I have to go back to work, I just excused myself for an hour and I do not think my number will come anytime soon.”

Ahmad added, that on one of his visits he was approached by another applicant offering his early number for an amount of Dh100. “We were waiting and one man started chatting with me and then he told me to come outside with him, when I did, he offered his ticket which was just a few numbers away for Dh100.” he explained.

But women do not have it as bad as the men, as they have a special counter. When a woman gets into the building she is directed to a seating area and told she will be given a number, which is handed within a few minutes. At 7:20am there were only two women, unlike the full crowd of men.

By Noorhan Barakat Staff Reporter

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