22.11.2023
Larnaca resident this week sent a letter to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Home Affairs calling for changes to the legal framework governing apartment buildings.
In particular, the resident raised the issue of general expenses, particularly in relation to unpaid commissions, for example where the previous owner had failed to settle his obligations before proceeding with the sale or transfer of the property.
“Before transferring property, mortgaging or selling, due diligence should be carried out to settle joint debts, with particular attention to proactively resolving any illegal interference,” the letter writer said.
His letter also addressed the issue of illegal changes to property in a multi-owner building and stated that by forcing the selling party to correct any changes made to the property, the phenomenon could be eradicated completely.
Moreover, the author explained that “the implementation of these provisions promises not only to streamline real estate transactions, but also serves as a deterrent to mitigate the widespread problem of illegal conversions in jointly owned buildings.”
The letter requests the adoption of provisions that would proactively address and correct any unlawful interference prior to the transfer, mortgage or sale of an apartment involving such alterations to a jointly owned building. In addition, these corrective actions must be supported by an appropriate certificate issued by the Administrative Committee supervising the site.
While emphasizing the importance of this certification, the owner pointed out that considering only the total debts of individual apartments is not a sufficient solution to ensure a high quality of life in multi-owner homes.
Finally, the owner of the above-mentioned apartment drew attention to some problems observed in the apartment in which he currently lives.
“Common areas and public lands in front of our building have been illegally encroached upon by some apartment owners. They illegally privatized the premises and attached them to their apartments. This requires urgent attention and targeted measures to solve the existing problem,” he concluded.
