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Poor Communication and Unclear Process – Just Want a Straight Answer

I contacted Holborn Assets in November about a Portuguese Golden Visa investment. The offer involved me investing €399,000 in a hospitality property, with Holborn contributing about €101,000 to meet the visa threshold. I hoped to use IRA funds, which meant setting up a self-directed IRA LLC in the U.S. and another in Portugal—very complex, but I thought doable at the time.

After signing a contract and wiring a deposit, Holborn started the process by securing Portuguese tax numbers. However, once I met with their partner law firm, Paxlegal, new concerns emerged: surprise tax obligations, potential social security payments, ambiguous processes, and unclear long-term costs. This, combined with personal financial setbacks (and the volatility of the US stock market), gave me serious second thoughts.

I reached out weeks ago to ask about recovering part of my deposit, understanding that some work had already been done. Since then, I’ve received no formal response—only a few WhatsApp messages from a scattered assistant and a missed call early in the morning. I don’t typically use WhatsApp and made that clear.

I don’t believe there was bad intent, but the communication has been vague and the process poorly explained. Most of all, I wish I’d been encouraged to meet Paxlegal before signing—after that meeting, I definitely wouldn’t have proceeded. Now, I just want a proper email outlining my options about my deposit. Nothing more, nothing less.