THE HELLENIC NATIONAL CADASTRE

As of June 17th 2008 the cadastral survey procedure commences in 107 new regions of Attica and Thessaloniki prefectures and the capitals of prefectures that have not been surveyed during previous programmes. Citizens who have real estate property in these regions are asked to declare it to the Hellenic Cadastre from June 17th until October 31st 2008, while expatriates and people living permanently abroad can declare their real estate property until December 30th 2008.

• To definitely secure, without a doubt, the real property of the citizens.
  
• To irrevocably adjudicate the state and municipal property, the forests and the coastal zones
  
• To limit bureaucracy and simplify the real property transactions .
  
• To improve the protection of the environment by limiting encroachment and unauthorized development of land
  
• To establish an absolutely secure environment for investments in the real market
  
  

The previous Registrations and Mortgages System

Greece operated under the French-originated system of registrations and mortgages. Each personal record lists all the real property transactions performed by a single person in a given area (person-centred system).
The institution of the registrations and mortgages system ensures the publicity of the registrations, but it does not provide legal security of the registered ownership rights. Because the system is organized around the persons, it does not offer the capability of identifying the owner of a particular real property which is observed in the field.

Problems of the previous system

• The lack of legal titles of a great number of properties
• The government does not know its real estate assets
• The lack of legal security in real estate transactions
• The intense migration from the rural and mountainous areas which
  caused many properties to be abandoned, forgotten, encroached or disputed
• The difficulty to locate land parcels in rural areas
• The existence of customary ownership rights in specific areas of the country

The new system - Do you know what you have to do?

• During the first semester of 2008, certificates will be delivered to all those who own real property or have other registrable in the Cadastre rights in the Municipalities in which the cadastral survey has been completed and the Cadastral Office is already operational.
• These certificates will represent the content of the first inscriptions that have been registered in the respective Cadastral Sheet of each property, so that we can attest the completeness and correctness of this inscription.
• In case of a mistake or inexactness, we have to submit an application for its correction at the competent Cadastral Office.
• Goto www.ktimatologio.gr for more information.

If in doubt - please speak to your Notary or Lawyer