The Turnover Scam: How Amaia Turned My Philippine Retirement Dream into a Nightmare

I moved to the Philippines for the same reason many retirees do: to slow down, breathe easier, and enjoy what many call the most beautiful place on earth.

Then I made one decision that shattered everything: I bought a property from Amaia Land (part of the Ayala group) at Amaia Scapes Capas.

What should have been a strait forward purchase of a finished house quickly became a masterclass in frustration and delay.

When you pay Amaia for a completely finished house, you don't receive the keys. They say they have to complete 'turnover'. Nothing is done in turnover. It is a delay tactic designed to wear the buyer out hoping they will walk away and abandon their investment. Amaia then steals your money and resells your house to another victim.

I started posting this on FaceBook with a wide viewship. I received numerous messages from people who gave up. A few said they knew of someone who took their lives over losing their life savings.

In my opinion, Amaia is a criminal scam operation posing as a home builder/seller.

Breach of Contract and Its Consequences

In October 2024, we bought a property at Amaia Scapes Capas. Our contract stated a 30-day turnover period. However, Amaia defaulted on this agreement. Faced with this situation, we had to make a difficult choice. Should we sue Amaia for breach of contract? It seemed like a guaranteed win. Yet, we knew that their attorneys could file motions that would delay the trial for years. Alternatively, we could simply cancel our transaction and get our money back.

After careful consideration, we decided to cancel the transaction. This would spare us both the hassle of years spent in trial discovery and preparations. We wanted to avoid the stress of a prolonged legal battle.

The Cancellation Process

We reached out to Amaia to understand the cancellation process. They informed us that all we needed to do was send an email expressing our desire to cancel. We complied and sent that email in January 2025.

However, many months went by, and we had yet to receive our refund. Our patience was wearing thin, and we began to feel the pressure.

The Frustrating Communication

In those months, we received 43 emails from Amaia. Each asked for the name of the principal buyer and the property address. This information was clearly outlined in our cancellation letter sent back in January. It felt like a tactic to wear us down, forcing us to provide the same information repeatedly.

This constant repetition appeared to be an effort to delay the process. Amaia seemed more focused on frustrating us than resolving the issue. Their goal appeared to be to make us give up, hoping we would just walk away. It left us feeling powerless, especially as their actions felt deceitful.

Understanding the Bigger Picture

Unfortunately, this isn't just an isolated incident. Many others have faced similar challenges with Amaia. Delays and a lack of accountability seem to be a common theme.

What Now?

Will Congress or the DHSUD (Department of Human Settlements finally step in to protect buyers? Will they strengthen enforcement of existing laws like PD 957 (which regulates sundivisions and condominiums) and the Maceda Law (RA 6552) to prevent these endless delays and refund games?

Or will more retirees, OFW's, and families continue to lose their dreams - and sometimes their lives - to what feels like a corporate machine disguised as a reputable homebuilder?

Amaia sales employees counting my money. This puts a face to the scam...people and money lost. Stolen by the most corrupt company in the Philippines.

When you pay Amaia for a completely finished house, you don't receive the keys. They say they

have to complete 'turnover'. Nothing is done in turnover. It is a delay tactic designed to These are customer service representatives at Amaia/Ayala Land who sent me 43 emails asking for the name of the principle buyer and address of the property. They knew this 2 years ago.

Bolicano Danica O. <bolicano.danica@amaialand.com>

Tuplano Cecile T. <tuplano.cecile@amaialand.com>

Uy Carmelina V. <uy.carmelina@amaialand.com>

Vargas Mary Ann T. <vargas.maryann@amaialand.com>

Reyes Milan D. <reyes.milan@amaialand.com>

Santilles Israel L. AMICASSA <santilles.israel@amicassa.com.ph>

Inacay Imelda <inacay.imelda@amaialand.com>

Feel free to email these customer service representatives. Ask them why they steal the money of hard working Filipinos. Do they confess their sins to their priest?

he buyer out hoping they will walk away and abandon their investment. Amaia then steals your money and resells your house to another victim.