Main points
- During martial law, land privatization is limited.
- Submitting an application for a new site is currently impossible; local authorities will not consider it.
How to privatize a plot / Photo Pixabay
To obtain land, we use the land law, which spells out all the requirements and rules. However, with martial law, the privatization process changed.
How to get a land plot?
The Land Code of Ukraine states where you need to go to obtain a land plot.
Yes, you can get a plot of land in any region of the country, regardless of your place of residence. To privatize a plot of land, with which to certify ownership, first of all you need to find free land. And then contact the relevant local government body.
Important! You need to contact the local government bodies where the plot is located – within the city, village, district.
For example, if the land plot is outside the settlement, you need to go to the territorial branch of the State Geocadastre – usually, this is land for gardening or personal farming. So, the land itself will be free, but to issue documents – you will need to pay.
Please note! Before submitting documents and starting privatization, make sure that the land does not belong to anyone.
To check whether the land is free, you can use the data from the “Public Cadastral Map of Ukraine” website or send a corresponding request to the authorities.
How is the land registration process going?
After making sure that the plot is free, you can submit an application for privatization to local government bodies, where the following information is indicated and the relevant files are attached:
- approximate size of the land plot;
- purpose of the site;
- a map or graphic showing the specific location of the site.
The application will be considered on the spot. The next stage is the development of a project for land allocation, which takes an average of half a year. After that, you need to register the relevant land plot, which you can apply to the geocadastre. If all documents are drawn up and compiled correctly, within two weeks an extract from the State Land Cadastre will appear, which will indicate the cadastral number of your plot.
With the final extract, you need to contact the land manager – the local council or administration, who will approve the project and register the ownership with the Ministry of Justice.
The final step is to obtain a Certificate of Ownership of the Land Plot. The application will be considered by the Ukrderzregistry within 14 days.
What changes martial law?
In a conversation with UNIAN, Lyubov Polishkevich, managing partner of the law firm “Resultat”, explains that during martial law, land privatization is limited. Especially when it comes to the opportunity for citizens to receive free land.
Yes, currently only those plots that are already in use by citizens but have not yet been officially registered can be privatized.
And even if a person applies now with the intention of obtaining a plot of land for free, he will not receive any advantage in obtaining it after the end of martial law, – adds Lyubov Polishkevich.
That is, for those who only choose land and want to start privatization, the service is currently unavailable. Submitting an application will be useless, as local authorities will not consider it.
What are the risks for privatized land?
Due to martial law and the unpredictability of the situation, the state may need additional land for military needs. In such a case, the privatized land may be taken away, but not permanently, only “for use.”
At the same time, for people who have been using land for a long time but have not privatized it, there is a risk of losing this opportunity along with the plot.
On the one hand, everything is obvious to citizens – they are convinced that long-term use of the plot already makes them owners. However, the state can take away the land due to non-compliance with certain conditions and rules by the users.