A Municipality Chalandri employee who took it upon himself to check neighborhoods in the area for any cleared lots ultimately fined 1.028.11 euros to a garden with …synthetic turf and for a garden where some lettuce had been planted.

The above complaint was made by Ioanna Taouzi, the owner of a property on Profitis Ilias Street in Agia Paraskevi, where, according to other testimonies, several fines were imposed for other such plots.

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The photographic material was sent by the owner of the property to protothema.gr confirms the content of the objection against the fine she filed with the Municipality of Halandri. It turns out that the small garden, about 40 sqm, within her property, is bounded by a paddock, and has a Karystos slab, cement, and synthetic turf, while the vegetation that can be seen in the photos (trees) belongs to a neighboring plot of another owner.

The fine was imposed on 16.5.2024, but the file received by the owner states that the owner was notified on 4.6.2024. She was notified of the fine today (13.6.2024) as she was away on a trip abroad. She, in her application to the municipality of Halandri, requested the deletion of the fine, but also requested that she be provided with the inspection sheet regarding the autopsy and all the evidence justifying the imposition of the fine, which shows that she did not clean her property.

According to Ms. Taouzi, a fine for “uncleared” land was also imposed on her relatives who reside in the same area, on Sifnos Street, in a cement yard where there is a small bushel of lettuce, the complainant notes.

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The deadline for submitting returns

It is recalled that an extension has been granted until June 30 for citizens to declare the cleaning of their land and uncovered areas of their property, on the platform of the National Register of Fire Prevention Measures, which can be found at akatharista.apps.gov.gr, as well as on the website of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection civilprotection.gov.gr, following a ministerial decision of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.

The declarations are made in the context of the National Register of Observance of Preventive Fire Protection Measures of Property, which has been established by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection to record the obligations of citizens during the fire season and the observance of preventive fire protection measures.

For this reason, and as planned, the new digital platform for declaring the cleaning of land plots is open, entitled Gross Plots (apps.gov.gr). On this platform, citizens can apply for the cleaning of their land plots as well as make a complaint about gross plots. At the same time, municipalities through the platform will be able to register the inspections they have carried out as well as the plots to be inspected by them.

The cleaning process includes:

Trimming and removal of dead and broken trees and branches, as well as branches in direct contact with a building.

Removal of combustible plant matter on the ground surface including but not limited to leaf litter, dead grasses, and overlying dead branches.

Removing the base of the crown of trees and increasing the height of the crown from the ground surface, depending on the age and species of the tree.

Thinning of shrub vegetation in terms of ground cover.

Removal of any other abandoned burners, flammable, combustible, or explosive materials, objects, and debris.

Safe collection and transportation of all cleanup debris.

When a person is at risk of a fine

Failure to submit the affidavit to the Electronic Registry will incur a fine of 1,000 euros, the method of its imposition, the procedure for its collection, and any other related issue will be determined by a joint ministerial decision (JMD) of the Ministers of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, National Economy and Finance and Interior.

Submission of a false affidavit to the Registry as to compliance with the obligation to clean and maintain it shall be punishable by at least two years’ imprisonment and heavy fines.