60 families evicted for failure to pay utility bills

“Persistent non-payers” were evicted from their homes and moved to smaller flats.

Courts usually take a decision to move non-payers to another flat several months after a claim was submitted. Non-payers have an opportunity to pay the debt.

393 claims to evict people were filed, and 64 families had to move to other flats for 10 months of 2013. Most of 64 “persistent non-payers” are problem families behaving antisocially and misusing alcohol, BelTA news agency reports.

The new Housing Code of Belarus that took force on March 2, 2013, gives an opportunity to evict the owner of the flat if he or she hasn't paid utility bills for six months without reasonable excuses or if failure to fulfil duties on maintaining the premises renders it impossible for other people to live in the house or flat.

Since March to October 2013, local executive committees filed 94 claims against owners of flats who didn't pay utility bills for six months demanding to forcefully deprive them of their premises. If the flats are not alienated within a year or the owners don't pay the debt, the local authorities have the right to apply to a court demanding to sell these flats at a public auction.

As of November 1, 2013, 20,300 owners who haven't paid utility bills for six months are in a risk group. As of November 1, 150,000 households (5% of the total number of households) have a debt for utilities, 32,600 of them (21.7%) are persistent non-payers.