Hellenic Forums Omogenia - YASOU - Hellenism: Re: "Land Grab

Xairete Wmega. Nai, mia me ta xorafia h periousies na gunwntai stoxos gia a3iwseis & re-possession (logos megalo ba8hmo aprose3ia h apousia tou idiokthth) kai mia na ekmetaleuontai thn perousia tou ka8enou epidh leipei h kanonikh organish stis grafeiokratikes diatipwseis. Ante na ta bgaloun pera tora, autoi oi an8ropoi, apo makria - me toso ligo xrono pou tous apomenh na ka8arisoun tis 'douleies' tous me to katalogo tou Kthmatologio. Logika - 8a pisteue kaneis - an uparxoun tetoia mple3imata oti to kratos 8a aidonai epektash (ligo parapanw xrono toulaxiston).

PX: efoson kapws xa8hke to ar8ro pou prwto eggrafthke gia auto to 8ema - sas to 3ana post-arw parakatw >>

Land Grab - Kastelorizo

Given that Greece is currently undergoing a national re-register of land and properties that are owned by both locals and those living abroad, it may pay to follow up the outcome of this particular debacle that had surfaced back in March of 2008 >>

Mayor of Kastelorizo accused of land grab (3-3-2008)
by Alexandros Logothetis

Greek Australians are losing land on the island without consent.

The island of Kastelorizo: at the centre of a land grabbing scheme involving locals who are preying upon unsuspecting Greek Australians.

Many Greek Australians are being denied the right to claim their hereditary land and properties on the island of Kastelorizo, according to an investigation undertaken by Neos Kosmos English Edition.

The investigation has been prompted by reports from Greece that the Mayor of Kastelorizo, Mr. Pavlos Panigiris, has been suspended from official duties by regional authorities in the Dodecanese, following an internal financial audit.

Systematic checks of Land Registry of Dodecanese records indicate a land grabbing scheme in place in Kastelorizo. The magnitude of the scheme is illustrated by the excessive number of deeds undertaken over the last few years, some 1500 notarial deeds on an island with a population only 200, the majority which were for adverse possession (chrisiktisia).

It is alleged that Mr. Panigiris orchestrated and operated a simple yet effective racket to gain control of properties on Kastelorizo. Two witnesses would provide written statements that the land in question belonged to the interested party.

This person would get a certificate from the city that he/she did not owe any property taxes and with those documents in hand, along with a notarial deed, would subsequently register the property with the Land Registry.

As a result of the scheme, allegedly, 20 families on Kastelorizo, with the Mayor's family heading the list, ended up owning hundreds of plots of land.

These plots have subsequently been passed on to other family members through parental endowments, donations or token sales in order to 'cover the paper trail' and were often sold on to foreigners. The Mayor Mr. Pavlos Panigiris denied the allegations to NKEE and clarified that his suspension is not the result of the audit.

He will be answering to charges of complicity to defraud the Greek state by issuing a certificate of property taxes to an individual who adversely possessed a land plot that belonged to the state. It is a common step for government officials to be suspended when facing legal charges. Panigiris is due to appear in court on 13 March.

Mr. Panigiris underscored the desire of local authorities to assist Kastelorizians living abroad to formally claim their properties.

"We are cooperating very closely with prominent Greek Australians such as Mr. Sachtouris, Mr. Mitaros and Ms. Kailis to create a Reception Centre on the island for our fellow Kastelorizians living abroad." said Mr. Panigiris.

"We never turned down anyone who is trying to claim his/her property.

Given the situation that our land registry records have been destroyed there is only so much we can do.

We never turned down someone, because we are proud of our compatriots (living abroad). If there are a few people we do have complaints they should express them to you (NKEE) and I will personally address them. For God sakes what are we... some kind of dragons or do we hate our compatriots (sic)?" Mr Panygiris added.

Certain Kastelorizians in Australia were afraid however and were only willing to talk on the condition of anonymity because they are fearful of the vindictiveness of the "local gang" as they called it which has used the process of adverse possessions extensively against Kastelorizians abroad.

This is a fact that Mr. Panygiris is not denying but at the same time he is highlighting that adverse possessions is not an exclusive privilege of the locals but many Greek Australians and others have taken advantage of this process. "Because I am called to answer (to the allegations) shortly I will be publicizing a list of all the people who did adverse possessions." said Mr. Panigiris.

One Kastelorizian happy to talk openly about his experiences is Mr. Nick Bleasdale from Sydney. Bleasdale went to Kastelorizo in July 2007 to track down and claim his family's estate. He had the necessary dowry papers proving ownership for three plots of land which were situated next to the church of Agia Paraskevi. "When I confronted the city authorities with my claim the two clerks replied that there were no records, because they had been destroyed during the Second World War", said Mr. Bleasdale to NKEE. But he did show them the dowry papers and insisted upon claiming his estate. Again he was met with indifference and was given the run-around. "They were trying to give me every possible excuse to stop pursuing the matter." He even talked with Mr. Paraschos Mayiatis a city council member who prompted him to forget about the estate: "don't worry about it, long time ago (sic)" said the man to Mr. Bleasdale.

Outspoken Opposition leader in the Council, Mr. George Papoutsis, challenges the claim that the municipal rolls had been destroyed. "I personally found the original birth certificate of my grand father who died in 1932 and I received an official copy. Consequently, I went to the city authorities of Kastelorizo playing the ignorant and asked for a copy of my grand father's birth certificate. I was told that these papers were destroyed during WW II and I was given an official document signed by the Mayor attesting to this. They have hidden away these papers so that our compatriots living abroad face difficulties when undertaking the task of tracing their roots and claiming their properties." claims Mr. Papoutsis.

Sources in Greece allege that the mayor had developed a system with his relatives to make claims for adverse possession that were quickly processed by him and by regional authorities in Rhodes. This process plus a boom in real state on the island in the last few years 'smell' of scandal, according to the same sources.

NKEE has spoken to Kastelorizians in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth and found that many were reluctant to speak publically about their experiences.

Ms. Mary Kaili from Sydney accuses the city authorities of indifference if not illicit complicity in her case of adverse possession. Two sisters who frequently vacationed in Kastelorizo and were allegedly 'good friends' of the Mayor claimed Ms. Kaili's plot of land as their own and the situation has not been resolved ever since.

Prominent Sydney lawyer and unofficial archivist of Kastelorizo, Nick Pappas when asked to comment about the recent developments on the island said: "Firstly, speaking personally I have heard nothing directly that implicates the mayor personally in any alleged wrongdoings on the island or abuse of the adverse possession process. However, I am aware through personal experience and third parties that there has been abuse of the adverse possession process both by locals and by foreigners. The difficulties in establishing title on the island have led to this abuse of the system."

"Looking at it from their perspective I have some considerable sympathy for the locals. Their island is been trampled upon every summer by expatriates who return with great enthusiasm - yes they make a lot of money through their restaurants and bars - but they hold this view that for fifty years all these people had deserted the island whereas they (locals) stayed on and lived with all the adversities." added Mr. Pappas.

source >>
http://www.neoskosmos.com.au/080303/nkew/community/community_index.shtml

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Βρήκες ακατάλληλη στιγμή να με ανταμώσεις. Eγώ δεν έχω τίποτα, πάλι σου το θυμίζω. Mια καρδια μου έμεινε ♥ παρ’την, σου την χαρίζω. Δεν έχω όνειρο, ούτε φτερά για να πετάξω ...