Belarusians granted extension to legalize unauthorized land occupation

Landowner Yuri Borisevich can hardly remember when he first settled on the land near Minsk. It was in his youth. He planted everything himself, and judging by the fact that the spruces and firs have long outgrown the gardener, decades have passed. In those days, the exact boundaries of land plots did not always concern buyers.

As a result, some encroached on neighboring territories, while others inadvertently took over agricultural land. Technology has corrected the mistakes of the past.

"Back then, no one talked about boundaries. There was a fence, there was a plot, where it ended, how it ended - no one thought about it. But now everything is clear to the land surveyors. They can see who encroached on which territory," explains the landowner.

Given this situation, the decision was made to legalize the land according to the state real estate registry data, to avoid being outside the law and to prevent complications for heirs. Now, one can sleep peacefully and build on the newly acquired meters.

Is everything as it appears on paper, or did the owner decide to be a bit crafty? This is a case where it's better seen from above. Satellite data allows for precise identification of which owners are outside the law. The inventory confirmed over 280,000 such cases.

To address these violations, more than two years ago, the President of Belarus signed a "land amnesty." In simple terms, it allows for the legalization of unauthorized land occupation (sometimes requiring the demolition of structures on the land), rather than returning the land. The State Property Committee calculated that only about 17,000 plots were legalized within the allotted time.

Residents of the capital and the Minsk District lead in the legalization of plots. It's clear: land here is worth its weight in gold. Legalizing it, though not entirely budget-friendly, is still noticeably cheaper than purchasing it, for example, at an auction, explains the State Property Committee. Ultimately, it's up to each individual. Amnesty is not mandatory. If you want, legalize it (for a fee, of course); if not, return to the legal boundaries. Generally, the first option is chosen.

To be fair, not all unauthorized occupations will be legalized. Forest fund territories and lands with environmental protection status are prohibited. That's the law. Otherwise, there are no obstacles. Well, except for territorial disputes with neighbors. Here, of course, the state registry data is used.

In any case, executive committees urge people to be concerned about the boundaries of their plots, so that, if necessary, they could finalize all the documents while it is still simpler and cheaper to do so.