The Lands Authority has launched a new scheme through which it is updating the reasons for which it can accept changes or removal of conditions that have been made when property has been transferred from the Government, the Lands Authority or ecclesiastical entities .
Details about this scheme were issued through Legal Notice no. 196 which was published in the Government Gazette.
During a news conference, the Minister for Lands and Implementation of the Electoral Program, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, explained the reasons why the need was felt to change the Legal Notice that was there before when the change or it -removal of conditions from the original contracts was limited only to changes in the number of residences or garages.
He stressed that such a scheme is necessary so that citizens, families and the public in general have more clarity about Land Authority processes. Through this scheme, said the minister, it is now clear how the process was to be operated when a citizen makes requests of this kind to the Authority. Therefore, requests of this kind are being structured in a scheme to make it clear how things should be done.
The Legal Notice is now giving the Authority the power to decide whether the proposed change is considered to be of minor, medium or major importance and from this decision it will be established what fees or what administrative penalties must be paid. To arrive at this decision, the Authority will be considering what impact this change or the removal of a condition will have on the free and fair value of the property that has been transferred. The Legal Notice includes a complete schedule of payments to be made in each category.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi gave examples of cases where the Land Authority will be able to consider applications for this change or removal of conditions in contracts, including changes in the use of ‘ property. He also mentioned what are the cases that are being excluded from this scheme including a change in the title, a change to the date of the census review, a change in the amount of the census payments, or a change in the term of when the census expires.
Changing or removing conditions will not be possible when a property has been obtained by parliamentary resolution, by tender or by tender procedure or by auction.
During the news conference the Chief Executive Officer of the Lands Authority, Robert Vella, also spoke, who referred to how with this scheme the Authority will be able to process requests for solutions to old problems linked with conditions in fencing contracts that were included in old times and that are no longer relevant to today’s times.
Also present for the news conference was the Chairperson of the Lands Authority, Dr John Vassallo, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Implementation of the Electoral Programme, Carlos Tabone.
