Filenews 12 March 2021 - by Angelos Nikolaou
Affected landowners in Akamas are preparing to claim hundreds of millions of euros in damages through pipelines for the fact that for 40 years their properties have been entrenched with zero development and with a substantial reduction in the building rates of tourist zones from 57% to 0.5% and from 57% to 15% and agricultural zones from 10% to 0.5%.
According to Savvas Hatzimenas, president of the Association of Landowners Akamas, the affected owners, having in their hands legal opinions from reputable lawyers, in the coming weeks will proceed, following the decision of the Paphos court, to legal measures. It is noted that the court of Paphos forced the Municipality of Paphos to pay millions of euros to the Metropolis, following actions under Article 23 of the Constitution for a substantial reduction in the value of their property due to the substantial reduction of the rate from 1990 until today.
"Unfortunately for the Cypriot taxpayer and the Republic of Cyprus - which will be forced, if the owners are vindicated by the courts - to pay hundreds of millions, in a very difficult economic situation due to the pandemic," Said Mr Hatzimenas. He added that "we, as landlords and communities, for 40 years have waited stoically and in dialogue to convince governments that they should either find a way to compensate landlords for the reduction in value, or to exchange them for gravel pieces before we are forced to go to justice with a shield of Article 23 of our Constitution."
According to Mr. Hatzimenas, which the Anastasiades Government is now trying through the new Local Plan to resolve the ownership, giving some development rights and for which we are sure in the end that they will not pass as was done over time by the Department of the Environment, will not be able to stop the tsunami of pipelines by landowners.
