Post by susie on May 27, 2007 19:11:17 GMT 1
We were first advised by our croatian lawyer that we did not need permission to renovate an old stone house because it was pre 1968. We went ahead, and although plagued by disasters and agonies dealing with local tradesmen, three years later, we have something now that resembles a very nice house!! So, we though it would be good to put a pool in our garden.
Our new lawyer (very nice and not bent like the old one) told us it should not be a problem because we now have our Permission through, and as long as our neighbours agree, then it should be OK, but we would have to ask our local Planning Officer.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, that where the trouble starts! Our planning officer is mighty miffed that we did not apply for planning permission to do our house, (despite the fact that the law changed just as we completed our project, it now states that you must apply for permission whatever you are building/restoring) and he is also very miffed because we put in a garage also without pp, which again our solicitor said was OK (it is against the law to leave our car on the road, so we had to build something for it). You would think we had committed a serious crime - we arrived at our house one day to find red and white ticker tape across the opening, and we have not been allowed to finish it, or they will come and bulldoze it down! It looks horrific, instead of being able to blend into its surroundings as it would if we could finish it.
So, we have aggravated the planning officer and he says that no way can we put in a pool. He says that no foreigner ever has permission to own non-building land i.e. 4-numbered plots with agricultural use, as opposed to 3-numbered plots which is for building. We have about 1/2 acre of land, which we have bought and which has been entered into the Kadaster register. Can he forbid the permission to build on an agricultural plot. If so, how come so many other Brits are able to put in pools?
Our new lawyer (very nice and not bent like the old one) told us it should not be a problem because we now have our Permission through, and as long as our neighbours agree, then it should be OK, but we would have to ask our local Planning Officer.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, that where the trouble starts! Our planning officer is mighty miffed that we did not apply for planning permission to do our house, (despite the fact that the law changed just as we completed our project, it now states that you must apply for permission whatever you are building/restoring) and he is also very miffed because we put in a garage also without pp, which again our solicitor said was OK (it is against the law to leave our car on the road, so we had to build something for it). You would think we had committed a serious crime - we arrived at our house one day to find red and white ticker tape across the opening, and we have not been allowed to finish it, or they will come and bulldoze it down! It looks horrific, instead of being able to blend into its surroundings as it would if we could finish it.
So, we have aggravated the planning officer and he says that no way can we put in a pool. He says that no foreigner ever has permission to own non-building land i.e. 4-numbered plots with agricultural use, as opposed to 3-numbered plots which is for building. We have about 1/2 acre of land, which we have bought and which has been entered into the Kadaster register. Can he forbid the permission to build on an agricultural plot. If so, how come so many other Brits are able to put in pools?