The Squatter Law, Greece.
Ensure Your Lawyer Checks the Deeds!

A cautionary note to foreign buyers from BritsinCrete.eu regarding property that they intend to buy, which may have changed ownership previously under a Greek "Squatters Rights" Law. What can happen is a relative who has gone overseas has left their property in the 'capable' hands of a relative or neighbour. The absent owner likely emigrated overseas for a better life in places such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in the dark post war years of the late 1940s and early 1950s when the economy was in a very poor shape. Even later in the 1960's and 70s, a lot of men from Crete and Thessaloniki went to work in the German automotive industry in Bavaria, southern Germany and other parts of Northern Europe, including the United Kingdom.

Many of the family members have never come back to Crete and other places in Greece having left their property in the "safe keeping " of relatives or neighbours in their home villages.

The Greek Squatter Law

Very much as in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States and other countries, Greece has a squatter rights law. It is very complicated.

But with recent property prices in Greece on the increase, some of the local relatives have sold the village properties in their own right to foreigners.

How could this happen?

The 'custodian' of the property, submits to a court, papers that show that they have lived for lengthy periods in the property of a relative and under the squatter law had gained the right to own the property. If the court grants them that right, it is legal and above board and the deeds will be changed to their name. Pity the absentee owner, as he probably did not know about!

As a buyer of one of these properties, while this should not have any impact on any foreign owner, as it was a "legally binding" court decision, there is always the nagging question: what if the absent family member comes back and finds out what had happened and goes to court to try to reverse the decision? Could a court subsequently overturn the ruling handed down under the "Squatters Law"?

The chances are not, but considering the increasing value of real estate in Greece these days, you never know.

Like a good boy scout or girl guide, be prepared! It is just a case of asking your own lawyer if the owner of the property you plan to purchase gained the deeds under the Squatters Rights law?

Your Greek lawyer should be able to clear up the matter of whether the asset has been obtained through a squatters rights legal judgement in his/her land title searches.

It is a question of "better be safe than sorry" by knowing upfront about this law.

© Compiled by Gerald Brown, BritsinCrete July 2007

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