Notary in Batumi for an apartment deal: when it is needed, translation, deposit, costs

Notary in Batumi: when you need one to buy an apartment

A notary in Batumi is not always needed when buying an apartment. An ordinary purchase agreement can be signed and registered at the Public Service Hall without a notary. But there are cases where you cannot do without one: a transaction under a power of attorney issued abroad, a notary deposit, certifying a power of attorney in Georgia, and sometimes simply the parties' wish to have the agreement read and certified by an independent lawyer. We explain when a notary is mandatory, when one is useful and how to prepare for the visit.

When a notary is mandatory and when not

If you are unsure whether you need a notary, we check this before setting the date of the deal: postponing the signing because of the form of the transaction is the most frustrating outcome, especially when the seller has already arrived.

What a notary does in the transaction

• establishes the identity of the parties and their authority;
• checks the power of attorney and consents;
• reads out the agreement and explains the consequences;
• certifies the signatures and the agreement itself;
• accepts money into deposit if needed;
• passes the documents to the Public Registry for registration.

The notary is responsible for the form of the transaction and the identity of the parties, but not for choosing the apartment. The notary is neutral and represents neither buyer nor seller; your own lawyer stands up for your interests in the agreement. The condition and legal title of the property are checked before the visit; more on the property document check page.

The interpreter and language

The notary performs the act in Georgian. If a party does not speak the language, an interpreter is needed, and the text of the agreement is translated in advance. We arrange the interpreter, and you receive the translation several days before the visit. At the meeting the notary reads the agreement aloud, the interpreter translates, and you sign only when everything is clear. If questions arise only at the notary's, it is better to postpone the signing than to sign a text you are not sure about.

The notary deposit

This is a way of paying safely when the parties do not trust each other. The buyer pays the money to the notary, and the notary passes it to the seller once the agreed condition is met: for example, after the buyer's ownership has been registered. The Law on Notaries allows this. We write the payment condition precisely so that the notary does not have to interpret it. The payment options are covered in detail on the safe payment page.

The notary's fee and other costs

The notary's fee is set by the rules of the notariat and depends on the type of act and the amount of the transaction. We find it out before the visit and tell you in advance, so there are no surprises on the day of the deal. Translation and the Public Registry fee, which depends on the registration term, are added to it; more on the Public Registry registration page. The parties decide between themselves who pays the notary and write it into the agreement.

How to prepare for the visit

For the visit you need the parties' passports, a fresh registry extract, a power of attorney if a representative is signing, and the consent of other owners if required. If the apartment is mortgaged, a bank statement of the debt is needed. We check all the documents a day or two before the visit and send them to the notary in advance. The visit itself usually takes an hour or two, most of it spent reading the agreement aloud and translating. It is better to transfer the money in advance or place it in deposit rather than bring cash to the notary.

A power of attorney from a Georgian notary

If you are in Georgia but cannot attend the deal itself, a power of attorney can be certified by a notary here. It is drawn up in Georgian straight away and needs no apostille. If the power of attorney is drawn up abroad, it is signed before a local notary, apostilled or consularly legalised and translated. A power of attorney can be limited to a period and a specific apartment, so that the representative cannot dispose of anything else; more on the power of attorney transaction page.

How much arranging a notarial transaction costs

Arranging a notarial transaction, with choosing the notary, an interpreter and preparing the documents, costs from 330 ₾, excluding the notary's fee. Arranging the power of attorney, apostille and translations from 390 ₾, a notary deposit from 420 ₾, full legal support for the transaction from 2 220 ₾, a lawyer consultation of up to an hour from 155 ₾. The final cost is set after reviewing the transaction and agreeing the scope of work.