New law unfetters derelict building use

According to the proposed law, those interested can go to court to seek control of the property for 50 years. To do so, interested parties must provide evidence that the building is abandoned, obtain a municipal council decision, warn the property owner, and describe the intended use. If the court gives the green light, the new manager must carry out its plan within four years (six years for listed buildings).

If the owner claims he intends to use his property, then the municipality will have the right to ask for guarantees.

Observers express reservations about the bill, saying it infringes on property rights. Meanwhile, a building qualifies as abandoned if it has not undergone any maintenance for eight years, has not been rented out for one year, and is without electricity.

The bill has been brought forth to release a host of buildings in the downtown area whose ownership is tangled, or partially unknown, or even belonged to persons deceased. Such buildings have remained idle and/or derelict, some for decades, and could not be exploited, nor torn down.