Government to stop legalization of unauthorized construction

YEREVAN, December 9. /ARKA/. A set of changes to the Civil Code and a number of related laws, approved today by the government of Armenia will end the legalization of illegally constructed buildings and other structures.

Justice Minister Karen Andreasyan said the proposed changes will set a date after which illegal buildings will not be legalized.

Andreasyan said in order to avoid damage to citizens and legal entities, the government will provide for a mechanism for legalizing unauthorized constructions built before the entry of the amended law into force.

Thus, persons who have built illegal buildings in the period from January 1, 2021 and to the entry into force of the law, will be given a three-month period for legalization of the constructions with the Cadastre Committee.

"For constructions built after that the deadline in the capital Yerevan will be January 1, 2023; in communities where there are urban settlements - January 1, 2024; in areas where there are only rural settlements - January 1, 2025," he said.

According to him, the changes provide for stricter penalties for those community leaders who will ignore the demands of inspection bodies to stop illegal construction in their communities, who will not dismantle and free state and community lands from such "seizures."

Andreasyan also informed that the aerial photography of Armenian communities has been completed and the processing of data will take 2-3 months.

"All unauthorized constructions built before January 1, 2021 are seen on aerial photographs and the constructions built in 2021 should be subject to special registration," he said. -0-