Construction courses invite “semi-criminal behavior” according to experts
Published: Sunday, Jun 9th 2024, 07:40
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According to real estate expert Peter Ilg, the low legal hurdles for building appeals are an invitation to semi-criminal behavior. The head of the Real Estate Institute at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences said that the position of power in an appeal can be exploited practically for free.
Construction projects would face massive financial losses if objections were lodged. This tempts all those who "don't take morality too seriously", said Ilg in an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag published on Sunday. It is only a small step from a justified objection to coercion.
Appellants and lawyers are savvy enough that the submission cannot be prosecuted as a criminal offense. "They avoid any written form in negotiations, for example," says Ilg. In the case of objections, other reasons are put forward.
The Institute for Real Estate Management has evaluated the success of objections: In the first and second instance, 80 percent of all objections are rejected or withdrawn, said Ilg.
Fewer apartments
In the meantime, objections have become economically significant. Projects would not even be realized, which would lead to a lack of additional living space.
This was also the conclusion of a real estate study conducted by Zürcher Kantonalbank last year. According to the study, it takes an average of 140 days from planning application to building permit. This is 56 days longer than in 2010, and the more densely populated the area, the longer the delay.
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