The fines for unauthorised construction are changing

The environment ministry is choosing the adjustment of fines based on social criteria for illegal structures, thinking of decreasing the settlement costs for first residence, middle and low incomes and increasing fines in areas with high objective values where large-scale irregularities are also detected.

Owners will not avoid the hike for IKA contributions, as the insurer’s request for a share of the proceeds of illegal buildings appears to have been granted.

The government is considering which way to go about this; that is, whether it will be a separate payment or integrated into a single fine and then summed up by the ministries of environment and finance in cooperation with the ministry of labour.

The bill for the settlement of unauthorised construction is entering the final stretch as next Thursday it is expected to undergo a second reading in order to be submitted for a vote in Parliament next week, along with the settings for the simplification of environmental permitting.

According to information, the ministry is contemplating giving in to the pressure by contractors and homeowners for also including semi-open spaces in the regulation that have been constructed with a building permit after July 2, 2009 which, according to Birbili’s law, was the limit in order to enter the regulation.

However, those interested should know that they will be required to pay higher fines in comparison to illegal structures, regarding the properties until July 2, 2009 and arranged by a new decision of the ministry by October 31, 2010 for budgetary reasons.

The environment ministry is under pressure to include buildings that were illegally constructed after April 2010, something that the current regulation does not allow.

The argument used by the owners is that from January 1, 2012 there will be no transfer or sale without a certificate that the property does not have any pending issues with the urban planning authorities.