Konstantinos
Lawyer · Athens, Greece
- 28 cases handled · 1 in this service
- 11+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Greek
- Degree in Law, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
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5.00(1 review)
Property Rights & Disputes in Greece
Property lawyers for foreign owners in Greece: ownership and boundary disputes, wrong or missing entries in the cadastre (Κτηματολόγιο), claims by neighbours or the State, adverse possession and forest-map problems.
About Property Rights & Disputes in Greece
A property lawyer in Greece deals with property rights and property disputes: who owns a plot, where its boundary runs, who may pass over it, whether the entry in the Hellenic Cadastre (Κτηματολόγιο, Ktimatologio) is right, and what happens when a relative, a neighbour or the State claims land a family has used for generations. Greek law and Greek searches have their own words for this: χρησικτησία (adverse possession), διεκδικητική αγωγή (an action to recover a property), ένσταση (an objection to a cadastral entry). Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Property Rights, Obligations & Disputes”. It is written for foreign owners and for people of Greek descent abroad who inherited land back home.
Typical problems
- The cadastre entry is wrong or missing. Greece is completing its cadastre region by region. A property that nobody declared is recorded as “owner unknown” (αγνώστου ιδιοκτήτη) and may eventually pass to the State; wrong areas, boundaries or owners have to be corrected, by objection while the records are provisional and by court action once they are final.
- Adverse possession. A cousin who farmed the field for decades, a neighbour who fenced part of the plot: long and open possession can create or defeat ownership, and claims between relatives are common.
- Boundaries and rights of way. Old deeds describe land by its neighbours; a surveyor's plan (τοπογραφικό) and the cadastral map are compared, and an easement (δουλεία) may exist without being written down.
- Forest maps and the State. Land may appear on the forest maps (δασικοί χάρτες) or be claimed as public land; owners challenge the classification with their titles, and the rules on correcting the maps and the cadastre have been changing.
- Unauthorised buildings and planning. A dispute often reveals works without a permit; see building permits and planning permission.
How a dispute is handled
It starts with documents: the titles, the cadastre extract and map, the surveyor's plan, old aerial photographs where forest status is at issue, tax declarations of the property. The lawyer then chooses the route, an objection or correction at the cadastre office, a negotiation with the neighbour, or a claim before the civil court of the property's district, and where needed works with a surveyor and a forestry expert.
What a lawyer does
Searches the records, advises whether a claim or a defence is realistic, files objections and actions, represents the owner in court and before the cadastre and forestry authorities, and acts under a power of attorney for an owner abroad. Related pages: co-ownership disputes between heirs, inheritance when the land was never put in the heirs' names, property purchase for the checks before buying.
Questions and answers
What does “owner unknown” in the Ktimatologio mean?
Nobody declared the property when the region was surveyed. The owner can still claim it, but the way and the time limits depend on the region and on whether the records are final.
Can a relative who used our land for years become its owner?
Possibly, through adverse possession, if the possession was open and lasted the period the law sets. A lawyer looks at the facts before anyone concedes anything.
Our plot is shown as forest. What can we do?
Owners challenge forest classification with their titles and historical evidence; the deadlines and the procedure have been the subject of recent court decisions and reforms, so early advice matters.
Do I have to be in Greece?
No. Searches, objections and court claims can be run by a lawyer with a power of attorney.
6 lawyers who provide Property Rights & Disputes in Greece
Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.
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Maria
Lawyer · Corfu, Greece
- 436 cases handled
- 9+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, German, Greek, Russian
- Law, National and Capodistrian University of Athens
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4.96(35 reviews)
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Joanna
Lawyer · Thessaloniki, Greece
- 345 cases handled
- 18+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Greek, Italian, Spanish
- Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Universidad de Salamanca Spain- International Hellenic University- University of Cologne, Germany
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4.86(40 reviews)
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Despina
Lawyer · Athens, Greece
- 251 cases handled
- 18+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, German, Greek
- Law, Athens University of Law
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4.95(12 reviews)
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Anastasia
Lawyer · Thessaloniki, Greece
- 98 cases handled
- 8+ years in practice
- Speaks: French, English, Greek
- Law, Democritus University of Thrace
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5.00(4 reviews)
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Fotis
Lawyer · Mytilene, Greece
- 11 cases handled
- 6+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Greek
- MSc in law and informatics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Contact form · a chat with a lawyer
Talk to a lawyer about Property Rights & Disputes
6 registered lawyers provide this service in Greece. Describe your situation in a short chat — what happened, where, and how to reach you. Your enquiry is reviewed and passed to a lawyer who handles exactly this kind of case, with no obligation.
We are not just a place to list a profile: we work with every lawyer individually. Each one is registered with a bar association, and their experience, languages and client reviews are shown openly on their card.
Enquiries are answered by lawyers of AdvocateAbroad. This site provides legal information, not legal advice.
What our clients say about our service in Greece
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The advice was clear and informative, with legal justification for the recommended actions in the situation that needed legal advice.
— Robin12 Sep 2025Property Rights & Disputes -
The lawyer was amazing. Communication was excellent, her English flawless, and she was professional and informative.
— William25 Feb 2025 -
The lawyer did a fantastic job helping us resolve a dispute with a greedy and dishonest landlord. She was honest with us from the very beginning, always replied on time, and dealt with a very difficult person on the other side, closing the case successfully. We are grateful for her dedication and excellent service, and thank her once more.
— Sebastian28 Jun 2022 -
I was connected promptly after my first inquiry through the service. The lawyer was very professional yet extremely down to earth and informal, which suited me well. She understood my situation clearly, advised me on the best way to navigate things in Greece and gave me some extremely good information even before we agreed on the engagement. I have now hired her for my property sale and am glad to be working with her on it.
— george07 Aug 2020 -
The lawyer is excellent. The necessary information about my case was collected and verified, she was understanding and responsive, and she explained my options and provided the appropriate solutions, in perfect English. The promised results were delivered on time. I definitely recommend her to my friends.
— Michel30 Jun 2020 -
Responsive, understanding, and the best value for money.
— Imad19 Apr 2024 -
The lawyer went over and above what she was obliged to do. Extremely honest, with perfect English, she made it easy for me to complete the purchase.
— Kleitos16 Feb 2023 -
The lawyer made my life very easy: she is very fluent, very professional and made sure the process ran smoothly and was finalised, and even throughout Covid she made sure I got everything I needed finished. A pleasure to work with, and I would recommend her highly to anyone who wishes to buy land in Thessaloniki.
— James07 Jan 2021 -
The lawyer was very professional from the beginning to the end of the project. She was also very patient and adaptable in assisting us with the whole purchase process, in spite of all the problems that appeared with the papers, the owners and the delays caused by the pandemic. Her English was perfect and the assistance excellent. I will definitely recommend her and work with her in the future.
— Sorin02 Oct 2020 -
Very friendly, professional and very honest. She did an excellent job and made sure to charge us the fairest amount and no more, which we appreciated very much. We look forward to working with her again.
— Irene20 Mar 2020 -
The lawyer was amazing, and I could not have completed the purchase without her. She is trustworthy, knowledgeable and very professional, and I will stay in touch with her. I would recommend her without hesitation.
— David19 Mar 2020 -
She replied extremely fast to my first inquiry, quickly arranged a meeting to go over the details, and answered all my questions. Reaching her by phone or text was easy, she was punctual, and she was fun and personable to talk to as well, with perfect English. After I had struggled for months to get this done on my own, she sorted everything out for me in record time. Anyone trying to navigate Greek bureaucracy should hire her, and I would recommend her.
— Ine06 Aug 2026