Paphos Life

Dear all, any advice/experience in this matter appreciated...
Long story/short - Alpha Bank (swiss franc loan) lived here for 11 years and this is my only residence. I was laid off last year from a managerial position abroad and used my savings to live on since then - 3 contracts signed and fell through and cannot find work in Cyprus, no welfare due to previous employers here not paying the social insurance. So now I find out the bank wants to repossess my apartment.. I don't have family or anywhere to go and to be honest am in shock. I have no idea what happens next or what to do - I just thought maybe someone out there might have been through or know someone who has been through this! I have always been honest with bank about my situation but they now say they can't restructure so will start proceedings... Devastated. Any advice?

Can't help regarding the repossession but when you say your previous employers didn't pay your SI - were they making the deductions from your salary before they paid you?

If so, get yourself down to the Employment office - the staff are keen to chase them up! I had to go to the Limassol office some years ago when one of my employers hadn't credited the deductions they had taken out of my gross salary to my SI account. The lady phoned him whilst I was in the office with her and played holy hell with him.... my account was credited within a matter of days!

If you can get your SI contributions updated then you may be able to claim unemployment..... it may take a while to come through but if you're due some, it may help a bit.

Thank you but the employers paid in cash and never made any contributions, the employment office were not interested unfortunately, so I gave up on them and decided I would try and manage. Unfortunately, Having Alpha Bank constantly on my back is very unpleasant especially as I have no family and at the current time I am still trying to negotiate a work contract which I don't know when will start (such is my industry, with 3 others falling through this last year) - the stress is horrible and Alpha just want to destroy my life. I have been here nearly 12 years and just feel so sick that they will do anything to make me homeless with nothing and nowhere to go.

Thanks for all your replies. I have contacted social insurance office again as I paid fees in another european country, so I don't know if there is some reciprocal EU agreement and to see if I can recover anything from the Cypriot employers who didn't pay anything... However as yet no response. Going to a lawyer isn't an option for me right now as I am living day to day - and I don't know when the utilities will be cut off or when I can next afford to buy food. I have been trying for jobs here to no avail but am still hoping on 2 job interviews in Europe/Middle East... I can only hope!

What kind of work are you looking for?

I have worked in the aviation industry for the last 17 years - today another contract fell through. One more to go...