Which kind of problems can I have with property in Croatia?
The first problem is often the result of emigration and émigrés having inherited Croatia property along with their siblings. Because the émigrés member(s) of the family weren't around to sign documents, property in Croatia was often sold by simple contract among local people and consequently never recorded in the Land Registry, which still showed the deceased as owning the Croatia property. All of the family would have had to sign to officially record transfer of ownership. Considering that, until fairly recently, most house sales were carried out in this way, among local people and for cash, the lack of Land Registry record didn't worry them the way it does lenders and foreign buyers.
Regularising records involves tracing everyone since the last record getting their signatures. Sometimes it is not too difficult and just takes time, but sometimes, if it has gone on for many years, the trail may be cold and a name impossible to find. You may also find that even if you locate them, they have no reason to be helpful and just ignore your request.
Another problem with property in Croatia arises because parents often name their offspring after themselves, so sometimes it appears that the name on the documents is that of the vendor, when in fact it is actually their father or grandfather. This always needs to be checked carefully.
The second problem with property in Croatia is often because a house has been extended, or if it was a ruin, and the officially recorded size is only the ground floor in the ruined state and someone has subsequently increased the floor area and have never bothered, or didn't realise, they had to get it changed at the Land Registry, or they did know and purposely didn't, because local taxes are based on floor area!
The third problem with property in Croatia is quite common. Provided no neighbour objected at the time, a surprising amount of buildings and extensions go up in Croatia, without the benefit of planning permission in Croatia. In the UK, the building inspector would be round before the footings were in, but here it happens. Usually, no one says anything, but as a foreigner you will need to produce correct documentation for the Foreign Ministry approval. Retrospectiveplanning permission in Croatia can sometimes be obtained, providing the situation is not extreme, but if the building really flouts the planning laws, gaining permission cannot be guaranteed.
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