If you own land in Greece, you may be familiar with the term adverse possession, known in Greek as χρησηκτησία.
What is adverse possession?
Under Greek Law, if a third party enters, uses or builds on another person’s property, then he or she can in fact claim ownership of that person’s property under certain circumstances.
What happens next?
Aside from lengthy, costly and often futile court cases, you may actually end up losing your rights to your land.
How can I protect my land?
Here are five simple, low-cost and practical tips that can help to prevent a prospective trespasser claiming rights to your property.
1. Fence and signage
Fencing your property is the most efficient and inexpensive way to mark the boundaries of your land. Once your fence is up, put up a sign with contact information of someone you trust and who lives in Greece.
2. Get an accurate land survey with coordinates
An accurate land survey is necessary to properly locate the boundaries of your property before putting up your fence, not to mention that it is required when issuing a building permit for that fence.
3. Check on your property regularly
Have someone visit and check on your property on a regular basis. Ask this person to take pictures and to always have a witness present.
4. Maintain your property
Have someone regularly clear your land from wild bushes and even better, cultivate it all year round if possible. Maintaining your land and keeping it clear is also important to avoid having it declared as ‘forestry land’ by the Greek authorities, which may result in it being ‘unusable’ for construction purposes.
5. Lease your property
Formally rent your land to a local farmer. The lease itself serves as proof of the owner’s rights to their land, even if the lease reflects a small fee.
* Katerina Sirouni is a principal architect. For more information on Greek property laws as well as important updates and deadlines, you can go to www.ksirouni.com