Διανομή Ακινήτου Με Χρησικτησία

Διανομή Ακινήτου Με Χρησικτησία Του Χρήστου Ηλιόπουλου* 12 Ιουνίου 2022 Πολύ συχνά περισσότερα του ενός πρόσωπα βρίσκονται να έχουν συγκυριότητα σε ένα κοινό ακίνητο, συνήθως λόγω κληρονομίας. Οι συγκληρονόμοι έχουν κληρονομήσει ένα ή περισσότερα ακίνητα, αλλά κανένας από τους κληρονόμους δεν έχει αποκλειστική κυριότητα σε ένα συγκεκριμένο ακίνητο, το οποίο να είναι ολόκληρο δικό του. Η συγκυριότητα ενός ακινήτου από πολλούς συχνά συνεπάγεται προβλήματα, διαφωνίες ή καθυστερήσεις στην χρήση και εκμετάλλευσή του. Γι’ αυτό πολλές φορές οι συγκύριοι προσπαθούν να συμφωνήσουν σε μία άτυπη, διά λόγου διανομή του ακινήτου, χωρίς επίσημα συμβόλαια. Η διανομή αυτή μπορεί να τηρηθεί από τους συγκυρίους για πολλά χρόνια. Αν η άτυπη, διά λόγου και χωρίς συμβολαιογραφική πράξη διανομή του ακινήτου συνεχισθεί και τηρηθεί για πάνω από είκοσι χρόνια από τότε που πρωτοσυμφωνήθηκε μεταξύ των συγκυρίων, πολλοί πιστεύουν ότι λόγω χρησικτησίας, δηλαδή χρήσης, κάρπωσης και εξουσίασης του ακινήτου για πάνω από είκοσι χρόνια χωρίς αμφισβήτηση από άλλους, έχει δημιουργηθεί κυριότητα στο τμήμα του ακινήτου που κάθε ένας εκ των συγκυρίων έχει καταλάβει για χρονικό διάστημα άνω των είκοσι ετών. Αυτό μπορεί πράγματι να ισχύσει σε κάποιες περιπτώσεις, όπως επί παραδείγματι επί κοινού οικοπέδου ή αγροτεμαχίου το οποίο έχει ατύπως διανεμηθεί σε π.χ. δύο άρτια και οικοδομήσιμα τμήματα. Δεν μπορεί όμως νομικά να ευσταθήσει όταν πρόκειται για απόπειρα δημιουργίας με χρησικτησία ανεξαρτήτων οριζοντίων ιδιοκτησιών (διαμερισμάτων ή “καθέτων” ιδιοκτησιών) με άτυπη διανομή χωρίς συμβόλαια, πράγμα που δεν μπορεί να επιτευχθεί νομικά, όπως επαναλαμβάνει και η υπ’ αριθ. 208/2022 απόφαση του Μονομελούς Εφετείου Ναυπλίου. Στην απόφαση αυτή, πολύ περιληπτικά και σε απλή γλώσσα, για όσους δεν γνωρίζουν νομικά, το Δικαστήριο έκρινε ότι σε περίπτωση συγκυριότητας ενός κοινού ακινήτου από περισσοτέρους συγκληρονόμους, δεν μπορεί αυτό να χωρισθεί σε διαφορετικά διαμερίσματα υπάρχοντος κτηρίου ή και τμήματα του ιδίου οικοπέδου, έστω κι αν συμφωνούν οι συγκύριοι ποιος θα πάρει ποιο διαμερίσμα, αν προηγουμένως δεν έχει συσταθεί με συμβολαιογραφική πράξη οροφοκτησία, αν δηλ. δεν έχει έχει γίνει προηγουμένως σύσταση οριζοντίου ιδιοκτησίας. Αφού όμως γίνει η σύσταση οριζοντίου ιδιοκτησίας και χωρισθεί το κοινό ακίνητο σε διαφορετικά διαμερίσματα (οριζόντιες ιδιοκτησίες) ή και σε τμήματα οικοπέδου (“κάθετες” ιδιοκτησίες, δηλαδή οριζόντιες κατ’ έκτασιν ιδιοκτησίες), είναι πλέον δυνατή η άτυπη και διά λόγου διανομή, ώστε κάθε ένας συγκύριος να πάρει αποκλειστική χρήση ενός διαμερίσματος και μετά από συνεχή και αδιατάρακτη χρήση, δηλαδή νομή, κάθε διαμερίσματος για τουλάχιστον είκοσι έτη, ο νομέας κάθε διαμερίσματος να καταστεί αποκλειστικός κύριος του συγκεκριμένου διαμερίσματος με έκτακτη χρησικτησία. Στην συγκεκριμένη δικαστική απόφαση κρίθηκε υπόθεση στην οποία ο πατέρας απεβίωσε το 1977 και άφησε στα τρία του παιδιά ένα ακίνητο στην Παλαιά Επίδαυρο, το οποίο αποτελείτο από μία διώροφη οικοδομή και ένα ακόμα τμήμα του οικοπέδου όπου μπορούσε να χτισθεί μία δεύτερη οικία. Τα τρία παιδιά όταν βρέθηκαν να είναι συγκύριοι του ακινήτου αυτού, αποφάσισαν ατύπως, χωρίς συμβόλαια, να χωρίσουν μεταξύ τους το κοινό ακίνητο, έτσι ώστε το ένα παιδί να πάρει το ισόγειο της υπάρχουσας διώροφης οικίας, το άλλο παιδί να πάρει τον πρώτο όροφο και το τρίτο παιδί να πάρει το άλλο τμήμα του οικοπέδου, όπου μπορούσε να χτισθεί δεύτερο σπίτι. Το Δικαστήριο έκρινε ότι η άτυπη αυτή διανομή δεν μπορούσε να ισχύσει, ούτε μετά την πάροδο είκοσι ετών μετά το 1977 όπου διά λόγου συμφώνησαν την διανομή και δεν είναι νομικά εφικτό με χρησικτησία να δημιουργηθούν αυτόνομα διαμερίσματα (ένα στο ισόγειο και ένα στον πρώτο όροφο), ούτε αυτόνομη “κάθετη” ιδιοκτησία στο ξεχωριστό τμήμα του οικοπέδου, ακόμα κι αν τα τρία αδέλφια τα είχαν βρει μεταξύ τους και για πάνω από είκοσι χρόνια είχε πάρει και χρησιμοποιούσε το καθένα με την οικογένειά του τον κάθε ξεχωριστό όροφο - διαμέρισμα και το ξεχωριστό τμήμα όπου έχτισε και δεύτερο σπίτι στο οικόπεδο το τρίτο παιδί. Αφού όμως το έτος 1997 πήγαν σε συμβολαιογράφο, υπέγραψαν και μετέγραψαν στο υποθηκοφυλακείο σύσταση οριζοντίου ιδιοκτησίας, με την οποία δημιούργησαν στο κοινό οικόπεδο τρεις οριζόντιες ιδιοκτησίες, δηλ. δύο διαμερίσματα στην υπάρχουσα διώροφη οικία και μία “κάθετη” τρίτη οριζόντια κατ’ έκτασιν ιδιοκτησία και συνέχισαν για πάνω από είκοσι χρόνια (1997 - 2017) να χρησιμοποιούν ο καθένας των αδελφών αποκλειστικά την κάθε μία από τις τρεις οριζόντιες ιδιοκτησίες που είχαν συστήσει συμβολαιογραφικώς το 1997, είχαν πράγματι το 2017 αποκτήσει ο καθένας από τα τρία αδέλφια αποκλειστική κυριότητα σε καθένα ξεχωριστό τμήμα του ιδίου ακινήτου. Είχε, δηλαδή, γίνει πλέον το 2017 ο ένας αδελφός κύριος του ισογείου διαμερίσματος της υπάρχουσας οικίας, ο δεύτερος αδελφός είχε γίνει αποκλειστικός κύριος του πρώτου ορόφου της ίδιας οικίας και ο τρίτος αδελφός έγινε αποκλειστικός κύριος του ετέρου ξεχωριστού τμήματος του κοινού ακινήτου όπου ανεγέρθηκε η δεύτερη οικία. . *Ο Χρήστος Ηλιόπουλος είναι Δικηγόρος παρ’ Αρείω Πάγω, Master of Laws. www.greekadvocate.eu bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

The Transfer Tax In Greece

The Transfer Tax In Greece By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 28 May 2022 When you buy property in Greece, you need first to strike a verbal agreement with the seller or the real estate agent on the exact price for the property you are to purchase. Then, it is strongly advisable to retain an attorney who will act on your behalf and will be briefed on the details of the transaction, in order to draft, along with the seller’s side, a private agreement which will include all the basic terms for the transaction and possibly the payment of a deposit. The buyer’s attorney will make the detailed title search on the legal history of the property in question and its possible legal burdens, including mortgages and liens, or the absence of them, which usually opens the way for the purchase. One of the main expenses the buyer is undertaking when purchasing real estate property in Greece is the transfer tax, which is estimated on the tax value of the property, or on its market value, if the market value is higher than the tax value. The tax value of a property is estimated according to objective criteria established by the government, while the market value is the price the two parties, seller and buyer, have agreed on. The transfer tax in Greece today is 3% on the tax value (or the market value, if it is higher) and it is paid by the buyer shortly before the signing of the closing deed for the purchase. Only when the transfer tax is paid, according to the brief outline of the purchase deed which has been uploaded by the notary on the tax authority’s site, the certificate that the tax has been paid is issued and the closing deed can be executed at the notary’s office by the seller and the buyer, or their proxies. It is noteworthy that the transfer tax of 3% is applicable on newly constructed properties, as well. A 2006 law which introduced VAT 24% on all new properties has been suspended from 2020 until end of 2022. It is also expected that the suspension of VAT on the purchase of newly built properties will be extended until end of 2024. Finally, it must be pointed out that, if the buyer of the property is a tax resident of Greece, he/she must be able to justify the acquisition of the funds which are paid for the purchase of the property, including those for the payment of the transfer tax, as well as the notary’s fee. The buyer, in other words, must have filed income tax declarations in Greece in the several past years, where the income declared, minus the expense of life each year in Greece, is enough to cover the funds for the purchase of the property. Other ways to justify the funds for the purchase are the previous sale of properties or other assets in the past, or the acceptance of an estate in Greece, which may have included cash or balance of bank accounts. If the buyer is a foreign tax resident, the justification of the acquisition of the funds for the purchase of the property is achieved with the bank documents which prove the import of the money from abroad into a bank account of the buyer in Greece. *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

Ο ΕΝΦΙΑ για πρώτη φορά ανακοινώθηκε Μάιο

Ο ΕΝΦΙΑ για πρώτη φορά ανακοινώθηκε Μάιο Του Χρήστου Ηλιόπουλου* Αθήνα, 16 Μαϊου 2022. Ο ΕΝΦΙΑ είναι ο ετήσιος φόρος περιουσίας που έχει καθιερωθεί στην Ελλάδα εδώ και περίπου δέκα χρόνια. Μέχρι σήμερα το ελληνικό κράτος εξέδιδε το ποσό του φόρου που κάθε έτος πρέπει να πληρώσουν οι ιδιοκτήτες ακινήτων στις αρχές Σεπτεμβρίου κάθε χρονιάς. Ο φόρος πληρωνόταν συνήθως σε έξι μηνιαίες δόσεις. Φέτος για πρώτη φορά ο ΕΝΦΙΑ έχει υπολογιστεί και ανακοινωθεί από τις κρατικές υπηρεσίες στα μέσα Μαϊου και η πληρωμή του θα γίνει σε δέκα μηνιαίες δόσεις. Η πρώτη δόση λήγει στις 31 Μαϊου 2022. Η τελευταία δόση λήγει στις 28 Φεβρουαρίου 2023. Εάν ο φορολογούμενος που έχει ακίνητα στο όνομά του δεν πληρώσει εντός της προθεσμίας της κάθε δόσης, το ποσό αυξάνεται. Η αύξηση είναι μικρή τους πρώτους μήνες της καθυστέρησης, αλλά όσο πιο πολύς καιρός περνάει από την μη πληρωμή των δόσεων, τόσο μεγαλύτερη γίνεται η αύξηση του ΕΝΦΙΑ κάθε μήνα που ο φόρος αυτός δεν πληρώνεται. Από την άλλη πλευρά, υπάρχουν και εκείνοι οι ιδιοκτήτες ακινήτων και υπόχρεοι στον φόρο, οι οποίοι τον εξοφλούν άπαξ με μία πληρωμή μέχρι το τέλος της πρώτης δόσης, παρά το γεγονός ότι όποιος πληρώσει ολόκληρο τον φόρο εντός της προθεσμίας της πρώτης δόσης, δεν κερδίζει κάποια έκπτωση στο ποσό του φόρου. Ο ΕΝΦΙΑ αποτέλεσε το μεγαλύτερο παράπονο της μεσαίας τάξης κατά του πολιτικού συστήματος που τον εισήγαγε και τιμώρησε εκλογικά την κυβέρνηση που τον μονιμοποίησε. Η έντονη αυτή δυσφορία του μέσου Έλληνα ιδιοκτήτη ακίνητης περιουσίας κατά του ετήσιου φόρου περιουσίας, αποτελεί και την αιτία που τα τελευταία δύο με τρία χρόνια ο ΕΝΦΙΑ έχει μειωθεί. Μάλιστα, αρκετοί ιδιοκτήτες έχουν δει την τελευταία διετία πολύ σημαντική μείωση του εν λόγω φόρου. Την φετινή χρονιά, τον Μάιο του 2022, η κυβέρνηση έχει μειώσει κι άλλο τον «λαομίσητο» αυτόν φόρο και συγκεκριμένα, ο φόρος έχει μειωθεί κατά 10%, για ακίνητη περιουσία αξίας έως 400.000 ευρώ. Η μείωση είναι 15% για περιουσία έως και 300.000 ευρώ. Η μείωση είναι 20% εν σχέσει με πέρυσι για όποιον διαθέτει περιουσία αξίας έως και 250.000 ευρώ, ενώ η μείωση είναι 25% για όσους έχουν ακίνητη περιουσία έως 150.000 ευρώ. Όσοι έχουν περιουσία έως 100.000 ευρώ πρέπει να έχουν δει φέτος μείωση στην ΕΝΦΙΑ κατά 30%, ενώ ακόμα μεγαλύτερη μείωση κατά 50% του φόρου βλέπουν όσοι πληρούν κάποια χαμηλά εισοδηματικά κριτήρια και επιφάνεια ακινήτων σε τετραγωνικά μέτρα όχι μεγαλύτερη από 150 τ.μ. αξία ακίνητης περιουσίας όχι πάνω από κάποια όρια. Οι ομογενείς και κάτοικοι εξωτερικού που έχουν ακίνητο ή ακίνητα στην Ελλάδα (αγροτεμάχιο, οικόπεδο, διαμέρισμα, μονοκατοικία, μαγαζί) ή και ποσοστό εξ αδιαιρέτου επ’ αυτών, αλλά και όσοι έχουν επικαρπία ή ψιλή κυριότητα, πρέπει να ανατρέξουν στην ιστοσελίδα της ΑΑΔΕ με τους κωδικούς πρόσβασης που έχουν (username, password) για να δουν πόσος είναι ο ΕΝΦΙΑ που πρέπει να πληρώσουν φέτος. Ακολούθως, σε συνεννόηση με τον φορολογικό εκπρόσωπό τους στην Πατρίδα ή με συγγενείς που παρακολουθούν τα φορολογικά τους ή με τον λογιστή ή τον δικηγόρο τους, πρέπει να πληρώσουν τον φόρο για να μπορούν όποτε το θελήσουν στο μέλλον να πουλήσουν το ακίνητό τους ή να το μεταβιβάσουν στα παιδιά τους ή σε όποιον άλλον επιθυμούν. *Ο Χρήστος Ηλιόπουλος είναι Δικηγόρος παρ’ Αρείω Πάγω, Master of Laws. www.greekadvocate.eu bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

Using Your Property In Greece Vital Against Trespassers

Using Your Property In Greece Vital Against Trespassers By Christos ILIOPOULOS* 26 April 2022 Most people who buy or own real estate property in Greece, believe that if they have their deeds on the properties properly done at the notary’s office, and registered at the land registry, they have safeguarded their ownership on the properties no matter what. However, reality in Greece could be somehow different. Yes, the deeds, titles and survey maps of the properties are very important for the owner of the property. Possession of such deeds, contracts and topographic plans (survey maps) by the owner are very significant for the owner’s ability to prove to any authority, court or third party (like, real estate agents) that they own the property and what are the specific characteristics of the property, including its surface in square meters of the land, the plot and / or of the house or apartment, its boundaries, possibly names of neighbors etc. The deeds, though, the titles and the survey maps only, may not be enough for the owner to protect his/her property in the long run from trespassers or others, who may claim all types of rights on the same property. The main risk a property owner may face is potential claims of adverse possession by a third party on his own property. The nature of the adverse possession claim is that someone claims that he/she has a right on a certain piece of property, without having titles and legal deeds about this property. The foundation of an adverse possession claim is basically the argument that someone has been using the property in question for a certain period of years, acting towards others as the owner of the property and that such long usage has given him/her property rights through adverse possession, even if he/she does not have titles on the property, because he/she never purchased it or never had it legally transferred to him/her by a third party. The legal owner of a land, plot, house or an apartment, who has paid money to buy it, has signed notarial deeds with the seller, and has also registered the deed of purchase with the local land registry, is not 100% safe from adverse possession claims by a third party, if the owner does not exercise his/her property rights in practice every day, every month, or at least every few years. This can be done either in person, or through proxies, who act on the owner’s behalf. One may have paid money to buy a property in Greece, may have signed the most perfect and accurate deeds, which are registered with the tax office (E9 form) and the land registry, having also done a very modern survey map. But if he/she does not visit the property, does not inspect it from time to time, does not check on trespassers, does not make sure that the boundaries are not changed, or that the house has not been occupied by third parties who may have also changed the locks, runs a risk of losing the ownership of the property if the case goes to court. The longer a property is left unattended by its owner and the longer the legal owner does not check its actual status, the more significant the risk is to face an adverse possession claim by a third party. This is the reason why the owner – foreign resident of a property located in Greece, must visit the property as often as possible, and take pictures of its present condition, of its boundaries, of the parts of the building or of the trees in it. The owner must also make sure he/she keeps all the receipts for expenses done for the management of the property, including receipts from workers, developers, builders etc. who have done any type of work on the property. The receipts must state the name of the owner as the person who paid the expenses for all sorts of work done at the property or for the property. If the owner rents the land to a tenant for cultivation or for pasture rental, a lease / rental agreement must be signed clearly mentioning who is the owner of the property, who is entitled to receive the rent, in whatever form this rent may be. If the owner of the property can’t visit it very often, he/she must instruct or request trusted persons on the spot, acting on behalf of the owner, to inspect it periodically and to check that its boundaries, fences, doors and other identification elements of the property have not been damaged or changed and that there are no signs of trespass. *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

Paying A Deposit for Property In Greece

Paying A Deposit for Property In Greece By Christos ILIOPOULOS* 2 April 2022 Greeks who live outside of Greece and foreign citizens search and locate real estate properties in Greece, in order to acquire them. Once their offer is accepted and an agreement with the seller or real estate agent on the price and the main terms of the transaction is struck, they are usually asked by the seller to pay a deposit, in order to secure the property. In Greece the terms deposit and down payment could be used interchangeably and they basically mean the upfront payment of a small part of the total price of the property as a gesture of good faith to the seller. The payment of a deposit shows that the buyer is serious and committed to buying the house, flat or plot. At that moment, if not earlier, the buyer must retain an attorney in Greece in order to receive advice on how the buyer’s rights will be safeguarded. The title search and investigation of the real estate property in question is the most significant matter of the transaction, from the point of view of the buyer. To this end, the interested buyer will request from the seller, through his/her attorney, copies of the deeds, contracts, titles, building permits and possibly survey maps of plots or lands, in order to verify the identity of the property and the absence of legal burdens, liens, mortgages and pending litigation affecting the asset to be bought. The seller at that point will most likely request from the buyer a deposit, in order to verify the buyer’s determination to buy the specific property and to take the property out of the market. The deposit is paid while a pre-contract is signed by seller and buyer or by their attorneys. The pre-contract in most cases is a private agreement, stating the basics of the transaction, the identity and main characteristics of the property, the price which the buyer will pay, the time and form of payment and what happens if either of the parties has a change of heart and does not finalize the transaction. The pre-contract will usually state that the buyer is paying the specific amount of money as a deposit and if the buyer changes his mind, without any reason and without having found a legal problem on the property, the buyer will lose the deposit. In other words, the deposit will be retained by the seller, as a result of the unjustified change of heart of the buyer. On the other hand, if the transaction is not finalized due to an unjustified refusal by the seller to follow through with the sale, the buyer is entitled to get back the deposit he has paid. If the pre-contract is signed not in the form of a mere private agreement, but at a notary’s office, with the stamp and legal value of a notarized deed by a notary public in Greece, the buyer who has paid a deposit only to see the seller change his mind without any legal justification, can claim the return of the deposit in double. Notarized pre-contracts are the exception in the real estate market in Greece, but they are not unusual if the property in question is worth a lot, or if the buyer wants to pay a rather large deposit, or when the main closing deal can be signed only after the seller sorts out several legal problems with the property but both parties want to secure that the transaction will actually take place even in the course of several months down the road. A notarized pre-contract could include a term allowing the buyer to sign the main deed of the acquisition of the property on his own, without the signature of the seller, if the terms of the pre-contract have been satisfied by the buyer and the seller does not fulfill his obligation to sign the sale deed. In any case, the prospective buyer of a real estate property in Greece must inarguably retain legal counsel, who is not professionally related to the seller, in order to get advice for all the crucial aspects of the transaction, including the payment of a deposit and its consequences. *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

Certificate Of Non Appeal Of Foreign Decision

Certificate Of Non Appeal Of Foreign Decision By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 24 March 2022 A foreign court decision can be made to have legal validity in Greece, with a court decision issued by a Greek court, which recognizes the foreign court order, ruling or decision, as legally binding in Greece. The relatively quick legal process before the Greek court starts with a petition drafted and filed by a lawyer in Greece and it usually requires one court hearing. In most cases the case is completed when the Greek court issues a decision by which it recognizes that the foreign court decision will have from now on legal validity in Greece, as well. The foreign court decision which becomes valid in Greece, can then be implemented or executed in Greece. Money awarded abroad may be collected or seized in Greece. A foreign divorce may be registered in Greece, so the interested party can remarry afterwards. In order to reach the stage where the foreign decision is recognized by the Greek legal order, the petitioner must file with the Greek court which will hear the case, the hard copy of the foreign court decision, order or ruling, with either the Apostille stamp, if the foreign country is a member of the relevant Hague Convention, or with the notarization by the Consulate of Greece in the foreign country, or by the Consulate of the foreign country in Greece. The foreign decision must be apostilled or notarized (depending on the country) in its entirety and in its most detailed and long form possible. For example, if the foreign decision is a divorce, simple divorce certificates or other short versions of the foreign court decision, which may be good and acceptable in the foreign country, are not enough to persuade the Greek court about the nature and substance of the foreign decision. The other vital document which is needed in order to have the foreign decision recognized in Greece, is the certificate of non-appeal, which must be issued by the court which issued the foreign court decision. The certificate of non appeal proves that the foreign court decision, order or ruling is final, meaning that it cannot be appealed or challenged anymore, either because the time limit to file such a challenge or appeal has passed without any objection being filed, or that a challenge of some sort had actually been filed (objection, appeal, other) and has been rejected, so that the foreign court decision has been upheld. In most cases, the written proof that the foreign court decision is final is contained in a separate document, issued by the same court, which states that the decision in question is final, or that it has not been appealed, or challenged, or that the time limit for such an appeal or challenge has passed and no appeal was filed. A court document with such a content usually satisfies the criteria of Greek law and the Greek court will issue a decision accepting the foreign court decision as valid in Greece, as well. Greek law states that a foreign court decision can be transferred into the Greek legal order, and obtain legal validity in Greece, provided that it is final and that it does not violate the basic principles of Greek law. Of course, the Greek court will not try again the merits of the foreign case. It will not go into the facts and the details which were considered by the foreign court in order to form its opinion. The Greek court will only examine whether the fundamental rules of the core principles of fair trial have been observed in the procedure which led to the foreign court decision. For example, it is significant the foreign court decision to state that the defendant or respondent had been served with the court petition or lawsuit action and that enough time was given to prepare his/her defence and arguments. If the court petition had not been served to the other party, or if the respondent did not have the opportunity to be heard, meaning that the principle of audi alteram partem was not applied, the Greek court may be in doubt whether the basic principles of fair trial and of the fundamental human rights have been observed by the foreign court procedure. Since every country and even different federal states within the same country, often have different rules of procedure and various formats of court decisions or orders, each case must be examined according to its particular facts. The Greek lawyer who will present the foreign court decision for recognition by the Greek court will strive to present to the court the most satisfactory evidence which will help the judge identify the foreign court decision as being in harmony with at least the minimum requirements of Greek law, in order to have the foreign court decision recognized with the same validity as if it had been issued by a Greek court in the first place. *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

What To Do When You Are Served with A Lawsuit Action in Greece

What To Do When You Are Served with A Lawsuit Action in Greece By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 8 March 2022 If you live outside of Greece and you own property or have other assets or interests in Greece, you may find yourself in a case where you are served, at your foreign residence, with documents related to a lawsuit action which has been filed by someone before a court of law in Greece. In that case you are the respondent or defendant and the other person may be the petitioner or plaintiff. In such a case, you must immediately contact an attorney in Greece and ideally scan all the pages of the documents you have been served with and e-mail them to the attorney you have decided that will represent you. In many lawsuit cases in Greece, there is a relatively short period of only 90 (ninety) days from the time you have been served with the lawsuit action, within which you must file at the court all your written arguments, your evidence, documents, photographs, survey maps etc. and present the depositions or affidavits of your witnesses. The attorney in Greece will review the lawsuit action which you will have e-mailed him / her and will advise you how you can organize your defence aiming to have the lawsuit action dismissed or its claims rejected. This will include telling to your lawyer the truth in detail as you know it and as you believe it, explaining the facts and helping your attorney to write down the points where the lawsuit action against you is not stating the truth or where the facts are distorted or presented in a way which does not reflect the truth. In most cases you will have to find witnesses who are willing to sign depositions or affidavits stating the facts which they know, in a way which on the one hand reflects reality and on the other helps your case at the court. You may believe that certain persons will definitely be willing to sign the affidavits, only to find out that they use all sorts of real or pretentious excuses not to get involved in your lawsuit adventure. Witnesses may be unwilling to testify at the court or even sign a deposition. In the Greek legal system, a deposition is a written statement signed by the witness before a judge or a notary. There is no cross examination and the witness in the process of the affidavit is not required to answer questions by a judge or the attorney of any of the parties. The witness has only the obligation to state the truth, sign that the statement is true and accurate and give the oath, either religious or civil. There are of course civil law cases where the witness testifies before the court, in which case he / she is subject to the questions of the judge and the lawyers. Each case has its own particularities and your guide in the court process will be your lawyer, who will suggest what documents and other types of evidence may be needed in order to help your case at the court. Your attorney will have the responsibility to act as your counsel and trusted advisor, much like it happens in most countries of the western world. *Ο Χρήστος Ηλιόπουλος είναι Δικηγόρος παρ’ Αρείω Πάγω, Master of Laws. www.greekadvocate.eu bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr