Filenews 13 January 2023 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
They end the lies about those who do not pay their instalments to the banks. At the end of the month, the suspension of the law on foreclosures expires and the process will be restarted. On the eve of the presidential election, borrowers will find themselves unfortified, as banks and credit-acquiring companies turn on the auction machines.
From February 1st, houses worth up to €350,000, business premises with a turnover of €750,000, will start coming out on the hammer. and plots of land worth up to €100,000, properties that are now protected by the suspension voted by the Parliament.
Banks and credit-acquiring companies have already proceeded with the planning. According to data from the Ministry of Interior, from February 1 to May 2023, a total of 171 foreclosures are planned. The majority of the foreclosures concern plots of land, but also include houses and apartments, the value of which exceeds €350,000. The auctions include a house worth more than €1.2 million.
A competent source, speaking to "F", said that these auctions had been scheduled for months. He also said that auctions for the three categories of properties, which are currently exempt from the law, will begin around mid-March. Under the law, after the last letter of formal notice sent by creditors to borrowers, the auction is scheduled after 45 days.
It is estimated that in the next two months the number of properties to be sold will increase. Auctions are now taking place, but properties that fall under the suspension legislation were excluded from them.
From March 2020 until the end of the month, foreclosures had been suspended a total of seven times. The suspension of the law was done six times through legislative regulations and once voluntarily by the banks themselves, at the time when the coronavirus pandemic had appeared. It is worth noting that most of the time the perimeter of the legislation during its freezing was different, that is, different categories of real estate were excluded from auctions. However, as of July 2021, the three specific categories of real estate are on ice. In fact, since last summer, when the Supreme Court ruled as constitutional the freezing of foreclosures for main residences up to €350,000, business premises with a turnover of €750,000 and parcels of land worth up to €100,000, the Parliament was making the same arrangements just changing the dates. After all, this was the reason why the last two times, during the suspension of the legislation by the Parliament, even though the President of the Republic proceeded to refer the law back, which was then rejected by the Legislature, he was forced for political reasons and signed the law. However, all parties consider that a continued freeze on foreclosures is not the solution to address the problem of non-performing loans. Party circles told "F" that they will wait to see how borrowers will respond to the Rent for Instalment Scheme, for which an official decision of the Commission is expected next month. At the same time, as we have been told, they will push for the operation of special jurisdiction to be promoted at the level of the District Court, known as the Foreclosure Court. A relevant bill is pending in Parliament, which has been deemed unconstitutional by the Legal Service. Depending on the candidate elected to the Presidency of the Republic, the decisions taken will be similar.
