The first generation of heirs could be given the right to use Turkish Cypriot houses held as holiday homes for decades, to recoup what the beneficiaries spent maintaining them, the head of the Turkish Cypriot Properties Management Service told a House committee on Tuesday.
Anthi Lakkotrypi told the House Refugees Committee the idea was among suggestions submitted during talks with a minister. Beneficiaries are lobbying to have the houses assigned to their heirs, and she said this was the most common request the Service receives.
Holiday homes
“We did not foresee the issue of holiday homes,” Lakkotrypi said. Beneficiaries would have to prove they had actually spent money maintaining the houses, she said.
Another option under consideration is transferring the use of a house to a beneficiary’s children to live in. In that case, the house would count as housing assistance, the heir would not be entitled to any further state housing aid, and no rent would be paid.
Some of the holiday homes were ruins and have stayed that way, and the Service will take them back, Lakkotrypi said.
Business premises
For business premises, granting rights to beneficiaries’ first-generation heirs under certain criteria, through regulations, is being considered, Lakkotrypi said.
No provision was made for what should happen when applicants for business premises tie on points. One option is to hold a draw, she said. Another would be to award the premises to the applicant with the highest income, on the basis that they could invest. That idea drew objections from parliament members, and Lakkotrypi said she was aware the reasoning caused a reaction.
Permanent homes
Handovers of permanent homes to beneficiaries are also being delayed when more than one heir claims the same Turkish Cypriot property, according to Lakkotrypi.
The Service is proposing a second points assessment in such cases. Priority would go to the closest relative of the deceased beneficiary, so that a child would come before a grandchild. Whether the heir has received other assistance could also be taken into account, as could income, housing needs and family size.
Houses that no heir claims could be allocated to non-heirs with housing needs, Lakkotrypi said. Another idea is to make them available after a set period, such as six months after the beneficiary’s death.
