Will the 'land barons' be forced to tidy up the yards? 0 10

When they do something right, they really do: the capital city council has finally taken on a problem that has long been overdue. This concerns internal houses where the land does not belong to the local government or the homeowners, but to third parties. That is, to the so-called land barons.

They collect rent from tenants for their land diligently: try not to pay, and immediately there will be cries and fines. They also defend their rights so zealously that feathers fly from the tenants — let’s remember all those cancellations of "price ceilings" and the collection of fees for issuing invoices.

But when it comes to obligations, they put on a stone face and disengage. For example, my relatives live in a house at the beginning of Dzelzavas Street, paying 56 euros a year for "owner's" land (and for some reason, they pay in advance; in March, they were billed for July). There are 65 apartments in the building, which means that the landowner collects 3,700 euros a year just from this one building, and there are plenty of such buildings on his land. However, getting to them is a whole quest: potholes and ruts, cracks and gaps. The road surface has not been repaired once since the restoration of independence. This does not prevent the owner from collecting fees without investing a single cent in his property.

And this is a real trap, as municipalities cannot repair such areas (it is prohibited by law), and even if the residents decide to chip in and patch the largest holes, it would be considered self-governance on their part. So, jump from bump to bump and don’t complain.

To call negligent owners to order and make them take care of their properties, the Riga City Council has decided to adopt new rules. As Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs explained, the local government will repair neglected yards itself and then bill the landowner. And then let him try not to pay.

Repairs will primarily be carried out in yards where the condition of the access roads is such that it does not allow emergency vehicles, fire trucks, and other special services to approach the buildings. After conducting an inspection, the municipality will issue a warning to such owners, and if they do not respond, it will do everything itself.

It would be great if the capital city council suggested that Riga residents send addresses of such yards — candidates for forced repairs. And, of course, it would be useful for other municipalities to adopt this example.