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You may own some Czech property you are not aware of. Time is running out - until the end of the year.
Do you have any real estate in the Czech Republic? Or do you have Czech roots and belong to the heirs of such land? Are you sure that you are correctly registered in the cadastre? If not, and you do not correct it by the end of the year, you will lose the land irretrievably - it will be forfeited to the Czech state.
As of July 1, 2023, there were a total of 334,712 properties with unknown owners registered in the State Administration of Land Surveying and Cadastre of the Czech Republic. The majority of these assets consist of land, with their values often reaching millions of Czech Koruna (CZK). You might be the owner of some of them.
In accordance with the new Civil Code, 2023 is the last year you can claim ownership of a property with an unknown owner. Therefore, the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters recommends that everyone check the list of insufficiently identified property owners and address the situation as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might permanently lose your property.
Insufficiently identified owners
A property is considered to have an insufficiently identified owner if a) the owner is either completely unknown, with no information available in the cadastre, or b) if the owner cannot be unequivocally identified, such as when the date of birth or address is missing.
Given its historical context, this situation is quite specific to the Czech Republic. Many people lost interest in their properties during the forced collectivization in the previous regime. Most of the errors originate from the period between 1948 and 1989. Insufficiently identified properties often belong to the heirs of individuals who emigrated during the previous regime.
You can request a correction
As stated by the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters: "According to the Cadastre Act, it is the duty of every property owner to keep the data in the real estate cadastre in line with reality." The correction of the issue of an insufficiently identified property owner can be initiated by the owners themselves. The owner must provide evidence of their ownership to the cadastre office in the manner prescribed by law.
If all the necessary information is not provided in the cadastre, the property is considered abandoned, and according to § 1045 of the new Civil Code (89/2012 Coll.): "(2) An abandoned immovable thing shall become the property of the state." If you do not want your entitled properties to become state-owned, you must register them by December 31, 2023.
"I knew my aunt had some land in the Chrudim region, but she passed away long ago, and everything was forgotten. There were two Maries listed in the cadastre for the land, but neither had a date of birth. The law firm Holubová advokáti helped me discover that both Maries were the same person and, most importantly, that she was indeed my relative. After more than forty years, they settled the inheritance and registered me as the current owner. I am grateful for their assistance. I couldn't have done it on my own."
Dr. Jiří Dostál
Start addressing the situation immediately
Considering the limited time, it is essential to take action promptly. If you believe you've found a property in the list that could belong to you or someone in your family, contact Holubová advokáti. We provide one-time consultations and can represent you throughout the entire process. If the information is incomplete, we will ensure that it is evident the property has not been abandoned, preventing it from falling into state ownership. The most common outcome of our investigations is initiating inheritance proceedings. Whether you reside in the Czech Republic or abroad, we can help you locate missing information and documents, then record all the necessary data in the real estate cadastre, and, if requested, assist you with the inheritance process. Do not hesitate to contact us.
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Jasper Brinkman
Jasper Brinkman
"Following a devastating hotel fire in Prague, the law firm Holubová advokáti, led by attorney Klara Dvorakova, successfully represented our extended family as a group of victims. The firm navigated complex international insurance and compensation laws to defend our rights.
I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts the firm had to make to bring our case to a successful compensation under extremely difficult circumstances."
Stewarts
Stewarts
"A visit to her daughter in London turned Eva's life upside down when she says she stepped into a crossing on a green light but was hit by a car. Despite her remarkable bravery, she faced a long treatment due to fractures in her pelvis, and the associated limitations and pain are likely to persist for the rest of her life. Regular headaches and impaired concentration compound her challenges.
Eva contacted us through an organization temporarily helping her manage her difficult living situation. At that time, she was destitute, relying only on subsistence payments. We were able to assist her because we specialize in personal injury and have contacts with proven colleagues abroad.
We worked with Stewarts, a UK law firm, on this case. Attorneys Klára Dvořáková and Rebecca Huxford helped Eva with the documentation in her case, explaining her options and the differences between the Czech and British systems of healthcare and social benefits reimbursement. Within a few months, thanks to the professional cooperation between the two offices, an offer of compensation from the insurance company of approximately CZK seven million was achieved. The client accepted this settlement because she did not want to deal with courts in the United Kingdom.
Subsequently, we assisted the client with related tax issues and contacted Auditone, a tax consultancy firm, which arranged for the filing of a tax return. Compensation for lost income is taxable, unlike most personal injury compensation.
'No one has done as much for me as you,' Eva said.
The fact that we were able to help Eva gives our work meaning and brings us great joy. We are very happy that, thanks to our many years of active involvement in the international professional organization PEOPIL, we can cooperate on such cases."