First-Hand Account of the Alleged "Baba Alino" Property Scam: "The Forest Had Been Turned Into a Construction Site and There Were No Building Permits"

A promise of a dream property by the sea. Instead, alleged irregularities, forged documents and months of uncertainty. That is how the story begins for a family that invested in a home in the Baba Alino area and later found itself caught up in what it claims was a fraudulent scheme.

In 2024, the family chose an apartment in a residential complex near Varna. They live permanently abroad and return to Bulgaria only during the summer. Promotional materials convinced them that the property in Baba Alino was a sound investment, and shortly after viewing it they paid around half of its value — approximately €52,000.

“I did not expect to see something like this. The forest had effectively been turned into a construction site. Our first question to the estate agent, Irena, was: ‘What is happening to the forest? You are building in a forest. Do you have the necessary permits?’ She said: ‘Yes, we have permits, everything is in order. The forest will be landscaped and there will be a wonderful park here."

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A year later, the family returned with plans to begin the finishing work on the apartment. However, they noticed something unusual — there were no electrical outlets or light switches installed in the property. At first glance, it seemed like a minor detail, but it was this discovery that gave rise to their first serious doubts.

“The person who came to inspect the apartment and potentially carry out the interior design work asked for the site plan that should have been issued by the municipality. They were unable to provide us with such a document.”

What followed were meetings with various institutions. The family first sought assistance from Varna’s chief architect, Viktor Buzev, and from Sergey Dimitrov, the chief architect of the Primorski district.

“We never imagined that such a large-scale development could have begun without the necessary building permits. But during our meeting with Mr Buzev, it emerged that our buildings did not appear at all in the city's cadastral plan. We were speechless. We asked him whether he would launch an investigation or take any action. We told him to go and see the buildings for himself. We showed him photographs of the buildings. His response was: ‘No, I am not going there.’ He then referred us to Mr Sergey Dimitrov. The answer was exactly the same.”

Viktor Buzev, Chief Architect of Varna Municipality:

“I have not issued any building permits or certificates of tolerance for this area. There is no Detailed Development Plan (DDP) for this territory, which is one of the fundamental requirements for issuing building permits. I explained that, in my view, this was a fraud and that I did not know what exactly they had purchased, as they were unable to show me. The chief architect is not responsible for dealing with illegal construction — that falls within the remit of the construction control authorities. A considerable amount of documentation is required before a building permit can be issued. There are already a number of files and records held by various institutions, and these will come to light eventually.”

Meanwhile, the family began discussions with representatives of the investor.

“We asked for construction documents, and they showed us a document that later turned out to be forged. How did we discover that it was fake? We secretly recorded it. They started explaining that a certificate of tolerance gave them the right to build. At our second meeting, they showed us a completely different document with entirely different reference numbers. We went back to Mr Sergey Dimitrov, who confirmed our concerns that the document did not match — not the reference number, not the names, and not the plot of land. Mr Buzev then said to us: ‘Why didn’t you come to consult me earlier?’”

Viktor Buzev, Chief Architect of Varna Municipality:

“More than 5,000 people have attended my public consultation days during my time as chief architect. These are the only people who have come to ask about this particular site — what is happening there and whether there are any documents relating to it. No one else came to enquire. Not a single notary, not a lawyer — nobody came to ask.”

According to the woman, during their communications with representatives of KYB Corporation, they received warnings which they interpreted as as a hint not to speak publicly about the case.

“They told us: ‘We know where you work. We have looked into you.’”

After months of checking, talking to lawyers, and going to institutions, the KYB Corporation eventually returned the money they had invested. But questions arise - what will happen to the other buyers? And will everyone who invested in housing in Baba Alino be able to protect their interests?

The answers remain unclear.

Contact with the family was established with the assistance of the online platform Citizens of the Neighbourhood, which was the first to publish a report on the case.