Question: I am leaving the country and have closed my bank account. My landlord has agreed to transfer my security deposit to my account in my home country. However, the utility company, Taqa, has given me two options: they require either a power of attorney to send the deposit to my friend who is a UAE resident, or I can leave it in my account so I can access it if I return to the UAE as a resident. They do not offer an option to transfer the deposit to an international account, and the cost of setting up a power of attorney is nearly as much as the deposit itself. Is there anything else I can do? SN, Abu DhabiAnswer: The standard deposit amount with Taqa (formerly known as ADDC) is Dh1,000 ($272). It is usual to pay such sums to utility companies and then to reclaim them on vacating a property. Alternatively, a deposit can be transferred to a different property.It is also standard practice for this sum to be paid to a local bank account in UAE dirhams. On its website, Taqa states: “We only refund deposits by bank transfer, although you can choose whether to have it refunded in to your bank account or in to the ADDC account of another property. We also offer the option of donating your deposit to Emirates Red Crescent, to help with their local charity work.”Utility companies do not do overseas transfers and there will always be a cost in setting up an official legal document s...
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