Owners of apartments in Cyprus often face a situation where the amounts in monthly utilities for utilities do not correspond to the data in official ownership certificates. Discrepancies in the calculations can reach dozens of interest - and hundreds of euros per year. The reader of the "Herald of Cyprus" Tatyana Shelyag tried to figure out the charges system.
According to the Title Deed title, each owner of the apartment owns a certain percentage of the total area of the building, including the land on which it is built and public zones. This percentage is calculated on the basis of the area of the apartment, taking into account the fact that the covered and open areas have different cost.
The percentage of ownership is determined by the developer and transferred to the Land Registry, which fixes these data in the final certificate.
However, in practice, utilities often ignore official data and apply their own calculation methods. As a result, they share utilities based on square meters of total area - both covered and open - without taking into account the approved coefficients. This leads to significant discrepancies: for example, the owner who, in accordance with the title of 17.76% of the total area of the building, can receive accounts calculated as if he owned 33%.
Apartment
This approach is not only unfair, but also contradicts official data, which can lead to legal disputes and financial losses. In terms of years, we are talking about thousands of euros.
To clarify the situation, requests were sent to the following instances: • developer; • Land Registry (Land Registry); • Department of Protection of Consumer Rights; • Communal Company; • Administrative Committee of the building.
The developer and the land cadastre have not yet given an official answer. The Consumer Protection Department redirected the issue to the Supreme Court, since it does not regulate the activities of communal companies.
The administrative committee, in turn, recognized the discrepancies in the calculations, but called them insignificant (up to 10%+) and decided that the existing scheme for the distribution of expenses should be applied in the future.
The position of insurance companies deserves special attention. In the case of the destruction of the building, for example, with an earthquake, compensation will be paid precisely on the basis of the title, and not the calculations of communal companies. This once again emphasizes the officiality and legal force of the interest specified in the property certificate.
The problem requires a comprehensive solution. Necessary:
- bring the methods of calculations of communal expenses in accordance with the title of the owner; - strengthen control by state bodies; - ensure transparency in the actions of the administrative committees of buildings; - provide for the responsibility of communal companies for systematic deviation from official data.
Each owner has the right to know exactly what he owns and for what he pays. Injustice in this area undermines the confidence in the system and requires immediate intervention.
Tatyana Shelyag
