Permission to dig a well

[finchy]

About a year ago we had a well formed by a Turkish Cypriot company. At the time I asked the company if we would require any permission for the well. I was told that as our house was in the forest on it's own, and nothing between us and the sea that I wouldn't need any permission. Anyway, I've since received a letter from the District Office via our developer to tell me that I need permission. Thing is, our house already had a well in the garden when we bought it and this was done by our developer, and I doubt very much that he'd applied for permission.

Could anyone please tell me how I go about sorting this out?

Thanks

[banjo]

You do need a permission before you can dig a well. I think you should contact the District office.
But is the property in your name? If not, I don't know if you should contact the District office or have a word with the person who handed the letter to you.

[finchy]

I haven't got the title deeds and I now understand that the developer never applied for permission. I'm now expected to cover the cost's for permission. I would have expected my Lawyer would have checked this when I purchased the house but they obviously didn't. I'm starting to feel that it's only us Brits that need permission

[Keithcaley]

finchy, if you haven't got the title deeds, then you're not responsible for any costs - the current title deed owner is! Send them round to see him, it's got nothing to do with you...

[finchy]

Ok, thanks for that. I'm back over in a week so hopefully I'll be able to sort it out with my developer. My Lawyer has said in an email that he will have to take the district office round to my property to have a look and they may even tell me to fill the well in. Hope that it doesn't happen as that would just be ridiculous.

[Keithcaley]

...and they may even tell me to fill the well in. Hope that it doesn't happen as that would just be ridiculous...

I think that they would have to tell the property owner (Kochan holder) to fill it in....

[finchy]

If they want us to apply for permission, could they really make us fill it in, only to dig it out again once permission had been granted? Crazy thing is that we don't have another house anywhere near to ours and nothing between ours and the sea. We have a fully landscaped garden that is reliant on water from the well. I can't understand why the lawyer didn't pick up on the fact that the well didn't have permission, surely they have a duty of care to do so?

[cyprusishome]

Firstly, advocates have NO DUTY OF CARE in TRNC. They will only do work you tell them to and if something is missed it is your fault for not telling the advocate what to do. Sorry but this is FACT the head of the Bar Association actually told us all this in a meeting held at Pia Bella Hotel about 4 years ago. Paying advocates to do house purchasing is a waste of money, DIY along with a Noter and you will have more success and cost a fraction of the cost.

As the well has been dug illegally there is a good chance it will be filled in and because permission was not sought initially then there is a good chanceany further permission will either be refused and take for ever. On current experience I would almost guarantee the holder of the kocan is not going to fund the costs, unless they are truly honest people.

Sorry finchy but you are between a rock and..................

[Keithcaley]

cyprusishome is absolutely right about the Duty of Care - I remember it well.

As you didn't dig the well personally, and it's not actually on your land, I think that the authorities would have to prosecute the landowner if they order him to fill it in & he refuses.

You probably need someone local, who knows a few people, to go and 'talk turkey' with the authorities - there's bound to be 'someone who knows someone'...

It really needs someone who can convince them that it's all going to be more bother than it's worth

Good Luck!

[DieHard]

Our neighbour, who is a Brit, started to dig a well with established digger from Lapta, and was stopped by our TC neighbour to say he needed a permit. We do not have our Kocans, the digger applied for permit. Two months later the digger was round at my neighbours and our TC neighbour came up and said no permit yet? With a twist of his thumb and next two fingers, he said it will be done. Yes he works in the permit office and had a bribe from his neighbour to put application to top of pile, so I would say you need a permit, ask the well digger.

[finchy]

I've been told by the distict office that we can only have one well regardless of the size of the plot. We will have to fill in the other two before they will give us permission for one of them to be active.

I'm aware of lots of properties that have more than one well. We have nothing around us, so it's not as if we are steeling the water off anyone.

Does anyone know if the statement of 'only one well per plot is true'?

Cheers

[cyprusishome]

By having a well you are "stealing" water from the rest of the population. We are all rationed by cost and quantity when taking water from Belidyse. If you have a well you are taking water that could be used in the general population and you want to use it to water a few plants. To me that is an abuse of priveledge, when the rest of us are rationed to receiving water twice a week if we are lucky, you take water that others could be using.

I was going to say nothing originally but now you tell us you have THREE wells to satisfy your gardening needs. We have a pool I know but with the current shortages I would ban all future building of pools and wells, it is these that are the major contributors to drought in Cyprus. IMO

[journey1]

Get a 'Cypriot Cousin' or the permission before the island disappears down with all of the wells that are being drilled!

[finchy]

We actually have TWO wells that are active not THREE as the redundant one get's no water at all. Where my house is we have nothing between ourselves (the well) and the sea. Therefore, the water would if not extracted just run below ground into the sea and that's a fact. So who am I stealing this water off GOD? It's not just 'a few plant's', it is a garden to promote wildlife and enhance the environment which we have done.

Have a go at the golf course who like to keep the fairways green, and those that water the grass on the round abouts in Girne.

[cyprusishome]

Not having a go at you personally finchy, just stating my views about wells in Cyprus as a whole. Wells and swimming pools are the biggest drain on resources that something could be done about NOW.

As far as I am aware Korineum have their own desalination plant, it was certainly a concern I had when it was originally being built but they look after their own needs quite well.

Actually the water does not "RUN AWAY" it is held in aquafers which are so depleted here, IMO through bad planning and wastage, that it will take years to fully replenish them. People are saying "that pipeline" will solve everything but unless proper regulation is brought in soon it will be just another TRNC white elephant.

[banjo]

If you have more than one well already, I really fail to see, why you would need one more. And by the way, it is not easy to get a permission in the first place. If there is no well at all and the owner is asking for permission to dig a well, it is more likely the answer is NO, than yes.
I do agree with Cyprusishome. The water belongs to all of us, or to be more precise, Cyprus Turks.

[zarafet]

How big is your plot? It must be absolutely huge to need more than 1 well. We share a well with neighbours and it does gardens and pools with no problem at all and our gardens are not small.

[finchy]

It's a 4 donum plot and the original well gives about 1000 litres of water a day at best, and hardly anything in the summer. We never fill the pool from this well and always get it delivered as and when we need to top up. Korenium golf club are developing a beach near to us and the area will have restaurant, showers and changing facilities etc, it's just under construction and not sure when it will be complete - I also noticed that the site had three wells. As for Korenium having a de-salination plant, then I'd love to know where this is, they are not something that you can just hide in a garden shed.