Frequently Asked Questions
Legal Content
The preliminary agreement is an agreement that is usually concludedbetween two or more individuals or legal entities for thecommitting them to some act that will follow (e.g. transfer property). It includes specific terms and agreements that determine the obligations and rights of the contracting partiesmembers in order to avoid possible future disputes and disputes. Its use is mainly observed in commercial, legal or business agreements. The private pre-contract offers you without time-consuming procedures, security and binding for the parties to complete the signing of the final contract, without the need to publish it or to register it in the Mortgage Registry and without paying taxes.
Mediation is a voluntary legal process in which the parties together with their legal representatives appear before a third neutral party, the Mediator, who operates impartially and with full transparency towards the parties, to resolve their dispute. It is a short process in relation to the process of resolving a dispute in the courts, confidential, secretive as the publicity of the process is avoided.
Our office handles disputes concerning family, intra-company, employment, cohabitation relationships, etc.
It is a legal document that is used to certify the relationship of the relationship of two people who are not married. There may be some variations depending on the legal framework of eachcountry, but mainly it is concluded with the purpose of defining the rights and obligations of the persons involved. The agreement regulates issues concerning the events, theprocedures to be followed in the event of its dissolution (after theend of the relationship), but also inheritance issues.Initially, the agreement is drawn up by the lawyer, signed by the parties in the presence of a notary and finally filed in the registry office of the place of residence.
The ‘Golden Visa’ is a program offered by manycountries, with the aim of attracting people from other countries who intend to make investments in order to obtain a residence permit or citizenship. The terms and conditions for obtaining it may differ from one country to another, but usually it concerns investments in real estate or businesses with a certain minimum value or a minimum number of jobs. In Greece, the most basic way of issuing is the purchase of a property with a certain minimum monetary limit, an amount that varies according to the area of the property and the square meters. Its holder enjoys the rights of his residence and his work in the country, his free movement throughout the EU (since Greece is a member of it) but also financial advantages related mainly to taxation.
A court order is a legal document drawn up by a lawyer and delivered through a bailiff. An adverse party may communicate it to a natural or legal person. The bailiff confirms that the receiver is aware of the extrajudicial and in this way, the two parties are invited to settle their disputes out of court without time-consuming procedures and costs as it is also a way of putting pressure on the receiver to resolve the dispute.
A lawsuit, which is drawn up by the lawyer, is notified to the civil-civil courts, through which the victim of a crime can request financial compensation for damage suffered or moral monetary compensation . The lawsuit does not always have a financial content but aims to satisfy private rights. It is common to file a lawsuit and summons at the same time, although it is not mandatory. The term of the action is 5 years.
The Extrajudicial Debt Settlement Mechanism is a modern tool through which citizens can settle their debts to all creditors, both in the Public and Private sectors. The out-of-court mechanism ensures a favorable arrangement with installments and cancellation of debt and suspension of executive measures.
A mortgage pre-notification of a property is a measure of protection for a lender, such as the Bank, in the event that the borrower does not complete the repayment of his debt smoothly, whether it is a natural person or a legal entity. The realization is done with the consent of the borrower or with a court decision. When the debt is repaid, the borrower has the right to request the removal of the mortgage, to release the property as well as the loan repayment certificate. The lawyer undertakes the request for the removal to the court and the filing of the decision with the Mortgage Registry or a Land Office.
The inaccuracy of a cadastral registration as a form of infringement of a registrable right, is justified to be corrected as the beneficiary may face serious problems such as being prevented from enjoying the powers deriving from his rights or face risks and problems in procedures such as in a real estate purchase and sale.
An example of an inaccuracy could be: the entry of “unknown owner” on a property cadastral sheet or other inaccuracies such as errors in percentages or square meters of properties. The lawyer undertakes the application and its filing for the correction of inaccurate first entries in order to recognize the rights of the beneficiaries. Attention must be paid to the deadline for the rectification process, which depends on the start time of the cadastral registration of each area.
Technical content
To start the renovation, it must first be clarified what changes the owner wants to make to the property and a study must be conducted by specialists. Then, the cost is estimated, and a timeline of the work to be done is created. After this, the renovation is divided into 6 basic steps:
- Excavations, demolitions, and removal of all existing materials that will not be used and will be replaced.
- Electromechanical Works. Old installations are upgraded, and new ones are made.
- Plumbing and sewage works, as well as heating-related works.
- Installation of flooring and wall tiles.
- Installation of wardrobes, cabinets, etc.
- Painting and wallpaper installation.
All renovations are completed after a final check of the proper functioning of all new installations.
Issuing a property’s identity is required in various situations and processes. In cases mainly related to the buying and selling of the property, its evaluation (for insurance or tax purposes), the release of mortgages, and other legal matters (primarily of an inheritance nature). The process followed for issuance is as follows:
We receive the plans from the notary and the town planning department and then conduct an inspection of the property. Subsequently, we rectify any illegalities, if any, and issue an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) optionally. Finally, the Identity is issued.
The EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) is a document valid for ten years, providing information about a building’s energy efficiency, and helping owners make decisions about energy use and conservation. To issue it, an energy inspector or engineer initially visits the building to assess its energy performance, collecting information on insulation, building materials, heating systems, etc. Then, specialized software and computational formulas are used to calculate the building’s energy efficiency, leading to the issuance of the EPC and its classification in the corresponding category. In some cases, its issuance is mandatory, such as during the sale of a property. This certificate contains essential details of the building (address, size, use), its current energy performance, and some recommendations for improvement.
The process involves comparing the existing state of the property and its urban planning designs. After this comparison, if discrepancies arise, it means some violations subject the owner to a fine. The amount of the fine varies and is determined based on the nature of the violation and the construction year of the property. The regularization is completed upon payment of the fine.
Changing the use of a property is the process by which the property changes its legal purpose of use. That is, when the property owner wants to use it for a different purpose than what is defined in the original use permit, they are required to change it (e.g., converting a residential building into a business space). Issuing this requires collecting relevant information from a civil engineer about the building’s use and confirming that all necessary factors allowing the change are met.
This happens because some restrictions make changing the use impossible. These restrictions are mainly related to the existing zones that determine what uses are allowed in specific areas, the environmental protection of areas, and the preservation of certain buildings’ cultural and historical value.
Compartmentalization constitutes a type of infringement. During the measurement and mapping of the property by the engineer, it is determined whether the specific ownership has encroached upon or ceded space to an adjacent apartment or a communal area. For the conduct of a notarial act (sale, donation, transfer, etc.), the measurement of the adjacent property is also required, as well as the issuance of completeness certificates for both properties with the new corrected areas. The regularization process is completed with the payment of the fine that will arise for the respective owner and with the issuance of the completeness certificate.
The “Exoikonomo” program was created in response to the global energy crisis to improve the energy efficiency of building units in the EU. It’s an annual subsidy program aimed at upgrading the energy efficiency of homes in categories lower than or equal to C by at least three categories. These homes must exist legally, not be deemed for demolition, and be used as primary residences.
The necessary documents include:
- Identity Card or Passport.
- The latest Income Tax Clearance.
iii. The latest copy of the Income Tax Return (E1).
- Copy of the Real Estate Data Declaration (E9).
- Building Permit of the property or document for regularization of unauthorized construction.
- Floor plan, Topographical Diagram, and thermal insulation study if available.
vii. Land Registry documents.
viii. Property contract and registration at the mortgage registry.
- A copy of the electricity bill from PPC or another electricity company.
The deadline for application submission is announced annually by gov.gr, and for 2024, the application deadline expired on March 29th.
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