The Ministries of Finance and Digital Governance have paved the way for thousands of individuals to acquire legal titles to encroached public properties by paying sums that can be as low as 20% of the property’s objective value.
The process for the acquisition of the 90,000 encroached properties will “run” from September 30, 2024 with the submission of applications through the new platform by individuals in 20 Regional Units of the country, while from October 31, 2024, applications will be accepted for properties throughout the territory.
The applications as well as all the related procedures and the communication of the applicants with the competent services will take place exclusively through the new digital platform which will remain open for applications until the end of October 2025.
The purchase price is paid either once or in installments in 60 equal interest-free monthly installments with a minimum installment amount of 100 euros.
The “keys”
Shortly before the process of acquiring the encroached lands begins, interested parties should know the following:
1. The platform
The submission of applications is done on the new digital platform at the electronic address Entry is made with ΥaxisNet codes. It is also possible to submit the redemption application by an authorized person, who must fill in his VAT number in the system and attach a responsible statement of authorization from gov.gr or with a certificate of genuine signature.
2. The deadlines
Applications for the acquisition of real estate begin:
- September 30, 2024 for the Regional Units of Aetoloakarnania, Arcadia, Evros, Evia, Heraklion, Ioannina, Karditsa, Corfu, Larissa, Lasithi, Lesbos, Magnesia, Xanthi, Pieria, Rethymnon, Samos, Trikala, Fthiotida, Chania, Chios. The application deadline for these areas is September 30, 2025
- 31 October 2024 for all other Regional Units with the deadline ending on 31 October 2025.
3. The conditions
A basic condition for the submission of a redemption application is that the applicant himself or the licensors, on public property, continuously occupy:
- for at least 30 years with title
- for at least 40 years without a title, as long as the applicant uses the property as his main residence or as an accessory to it or to carry out tourist, craft, industrial, commercial or agricultural activity,
- the declaration of the property on the “E9” form for at least the 5 years preceding the application, in order to make it clear that the applicants considered the property to be theirs.
Also:
- An application can also be submitted for properties that do not have a building.
- A ten-day deadline is set for informing the applicant in case supporting documents are missing. The requirement to submit aerial photographs no longer applies as the presence or absence of a building is no longer considered.
- The possibility of the State to decide an exception from the right of redemption for reasons of public interest is extended. The competent Ministries will determine with reasons the areas or properties that must be excluded from the acquisition process.
- The deadline for submission of the consent of the State Real Estate Company is accelerated to 2 months from 3 months, which was initially foreseen.
4. The parabola
In order to submit the application on the new platform, the interested-beneficiaries will have to pay a fee of 300 euros which is offset against the purchase price or returned if the application is rejected.
5. The acceptance certificate
After the submission of the application and in the event that it is approved by the competent committee within 5 days, a certificate of acceptance is issued which is communicated to the applicant. The acceptance certificate includes the description of the purchased property (area and boundaries), the details of the applicant, the purchase price, as well as the amount of the one-off and partial payment.
6. The supporting documents
There is no need to provide aerial photographs, as the existence or non-existence of a property is no longer considered, but the following are required:
- Topographic chart
- Determination sheet of the objective value of the plot or field
- Certification of building conditions
- Building permit if it exists.
- Excerpt of cadastral chart.
- ENFIA determination act of the last 5 years
7. The price and installments
The purchase price will be calculated based on the objective values of the properties and social criteria (for vulnerable groups, large families, people with disabilities). It is paid either once with a 10% discount, or in installments in up to 60 interest-free monthly installments, with a minimum amount of 100 euros per month.
8. Discounts
The price discounts are as follows:
- For possession over at least 30 or 40 years reduction by 1% per year. For example, for 90 years of ownership the discount amounts to 50%.
- If the applicant is a person with a disability of 80% or more, or if he is a person who hosts for more than a year or is taxed by persons in the above capacity, with an annual individual income of up to 40,000 euros or an annual family income of up to 60,000 euros, the reduction is defined to 30%.
- For a disability of 67%-79% a 20% discount is provided.
- For those with many children, the discount amounts to 20% if their annual individual income is up to 40,000 euros, or the annual family income up to 80,000 euros.
- For three children whose annual individual income does not exceed 25,000 euros or 40,000 the annual family income the reduction is set at 15%, for single-parent families 15%, for the long-term unemployed 15% and for beneficiaries of the Minimum Guaranteed Income 20%
- For a building located within the property and is the main and only residence of the applicant 20% discount
In addition, the purchase price in special cases of disputing the ownership of the public property is formed with a discount:
- 50% for an applicant who has been recognized by a court of first instance as the owner of the property or who has been listed as the owner in the first cadastral records and a lawsuit has been filed by the State or the deadline for filing a lawsuit has not expired.
- 70% if the applicant has filed an appeal against a court decision to recognize ownership of the property by 31.12.2022.
- A special provision exists for property that meets the housing needs of the applicant or the original grantor as a result of mass settlement of population groups before 1964. In this case the price corresponds to 20% of the objective value of the property.
Source: ot.gr
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