Residents who consider the empty areas in front of yard houses as private property may face unexpected fines. It is not always considered legal to allocate a special place for planting flowers or parking a car at the doorstep.
Medianews.az reports that lawyer Əkrəm Həsənov told Demokrat.az that this issue is directly related to property rights.
"This includes ownership, other property rights, usage, and lease relations. The discussion concerns real estate, specifically the house and the land plot associated with it. If it is a yard house, it is indicated in the citizen's Extract from the State Register of Real Estate which area belongs to them. Beyond that, the area does not belong to their ownership. In this case, the area located in front of the house is not considered the personal property of that person. Such areas are either under the balance of the state or the municipality. If a citizen wants to use that area, for example, to park a car, then they must conclude a lease agreement with the relevant authority. In fact, this is a normal practice applied in all civilized countries. Because using land that does not belong to you without payment and permission is legally improper. It is considered a public area. According to Azerbaijani legislation, the principle is the same. It is just that in practice, sometimes such cases are overlooked, and people use the area arguing, 'It is right in front of my house.' However, from a legal point of view, there is no such basis."
Note that, according to the Administrative Offenses Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, unauthorized use (i.e., seizure without documents or use without permission) of land belonging to the state or municipality entails administrative liability. For individuals, fines usually range from 300 to 600 manats; for officials, from 600 to 1,000 manats; and for legal entities, the amounts are higher. Additionally, the vacating of the illegally used area may also be required.
In other words, citizens should be aware that if the land area in front of their house is not indicated in their extract (title deed), making any changes or fencing the area there is illegal and can lead to serious monetary fines.