Ekskursija į Nekilnojamo Turto Registrą

Prieš kurį laika teko man proga pamatyti iš arčiau Nekilnojamo Turto Registro Centrą. Sis Registro Centras susijęs su Juridinio Asmens Registro Centru --- dalis to paties registro tik paprasčiausiai kituose patalpose. Sakyta kad Nekilnojamo Turto Registro Centras „sename pastate“ ir Juridiniu Asmenų Registro Centras naujai pastatytam dangoraižy. Iš visu Ekskursiniu Vizitu štai buvo mano pirmas. Per si vizitą aš su kėliom kitom specialistėm iš savo kabineto nuėjom Kudirkos gatvėn į šį Registro pastatą. Nuėję i vieta sutiko mus Registrų centro direktoriaus pavaduotojas Romualdas Kasperavičius. Jis aparode atnaujintas patalpas, rodydamas kabinetus ir susirinkimo kambarius. Mus toliau nuvedę i Bendra Susirinkimo kambarį kur mūsų lauke „Power Point“ pristatymas. Visi prisėdo prie stalo ir p. Kasperavičius pradėjo savo paruosta pristatymą. Nors buvau susipažinus su šią registro veikla (http://stazuote.blogspot.com/2009/07/nekilnojamo-turto-kadastras-ir.html) man buvo įdomų sužinoti kad Lietuvos Nekilnojamo Registro ir Kadastro Centras labai pažengęs ir net naudojamas kaip po vienas iš Europos pavyzdingiausiu sistemų. Pagal si registrą ne tik žmogaus vardas ir turtas yra registruojamas bet taip pat kadastrai (žemėlapiai), nuotraukos, sklypo ir pastato planai, bei specifine informacija kas liečiant pastato komunalinius mokesčius (utilities), senumą, ir vertinimą. Skirtingai kaip Amerikoj, šią informacija nėra vieša (public records) ir yra laikoma slaptai. Pats savininkas turi leidimą savo nuosava informacija matyti, bet negali savo kaimynu duomenis sužinoti.

Nors eilini žmones negali registru centru viešai naudotis, yra „Pirmoji duomenų gavėju klase“ kurioje susidaro visos įstaigos kurios gali viešai naudotis šia baze. Šioje klasėj randasi notarai, draudimo kompanijos, kredito įstaigos, advokatai, saugumo institucijos, bankai skolų išieškojimo įmonės, antstoliai, ir kiti asmenys kurie turi įstatymų nustatyta teise gauti duomenis apie asmenų turto turima. Yra taip pat antros ir trečios klases duomenų gavėjų kurie gali registro centru duomenis ribotai peržiūrėti ir naudoti.

Romualdas Kasperavičius toliau parode kaip šią duomenų baze veikia duodant pavyzdžius namo kurio duomenys jau suruošti bazėj. Matėm namo matus, nuotraukas, sklypo žemėlapius, ir informacinis puslapius apie pastato detales. Visi registruoti duomenys vienoj vietoj, ir labai aišku ir lengva naudotis.

Kilo man klausimu kad nors Lietuvos nekilnojamo turto registras labai organizuotas ir gana sklandžiai veikiantis kodėl 40 procentu gyvenamuoju vietų Lietuvoj neturi pilna adresą? Esu mačiusi priemiesčiuose ir kaimuose kad nebūna gatvių pavadinimų ar namo numerio. Kaip tada gali būti kad registro sistema tokia stipriai išsivysčius nors dar pagrindine registravimo informacija (būtent gatves pavadinimas) neegzistuoja? Atsakymas yra tai kad Nekilnojamo Turto Registras tiesioginiai registruoja žemes sklypą, ir namą, bet nebūtina turėti adresą. Nors adresą turėti svarbu ir Registru Centras ir Teisingumo Ministerijos Registro Departamentas skatina kad savivaldybes įvardintu ir oficialiai išskirstytu namu numerius ir gatves pavadinimus, tiesiog nėra nei Ministerijos nei Registro Centro valioj šią informacija sukurti arba priversti savivaldybes šią informacija sukurti.

Padiskutavus šią tema su bendradarbėm, taip pat kyla mintis adreso reikšmė ir svarbumas Lietuvoje. Žvelgiant iš savo Amerikietiškos pasaulėžiūros, aš neišsivaizduoju kaip šalis galėtu normaliai vykdyti registrą be žemes adresu. Giliau pagalvojus ir išgirdus kitu nuomones, adresas gal ir nėra toks būtinas dalykas Lietuvoj koks jis yra Amerikoj. Lietuvos dydis toks pat kaip „West Virginia“ o žmonių skaičius mažiau nei New Yorko miestas. Aišku Lietuvoj miestuose namai ir gatves pažymėtos, tačiau kaimuose žmones neturi adresu ir kai kurie gal mano kad jiems jų ir nereikia. Būna kad kaime tik testovi keletą nameliu, ir visi tu nameliu gyventojus pazysta. Čia gali išsiusti močiutei kaime laišką „Salomėja Idzeliene – Kaimynu Kaimas“ ir stebuklingai laiškas nueis be jokiu gatves pavadinimu ar namo numerio.

Nors be adresu žmones šiaip bei taip žmones susisiekia, adresu neturėjimas didele problema. Paštas, balsavimas, ir paprasčiausiai susisiekimas kliūna kai normalaus nurodyto adreso nėra. Kita bendradarbe pasakojo kad neseniai su šeima pastate namą Traku rajone 15 minučių nuo Vilniaus. Ji įregistravo savo namą Registru Centre, sumokėjo mokesčius, ir vis tiek savivaldybe nesuteikia jai adresą. Ji sake kad ji jau 3 laiškus yra parašius savivaldybei prasydama oficialaus adreso bet lyg šiol atsakymo nesulaukė. Yra savivaldybes darbas suteikti savo gyventojams adresą ir tai savivaldybes kalte kad šiais atvejais nepadaryta. Iš kitos puses sakoma kad savivaldybės neturi pakankamai pinigu, ypač pinigu skirti adreso davimui. Prieš pinigai yra paskirstyti adresavimo reikalams, pirmojoje vietoje gal yra svarbesni savivaldybes reikalai (t.y. apsauga, sveikata, šveitimas). Galu gale jei savivaldybe neturi jėgų pagrindinius žmonių rūpesčius sutvarkyti, kaip toliau galėtu jie gatvių pavadinimus ir namu numerius išdalinti.

Aplamai mano ekskursija i Nekilnojamo Turto Registrą išmokino tiek apie pati registrą tiek apie gilesnius reikalus miesto planavime ir tvarkoj. Smagu sužinoti kad Lietuvos Nekilnojamo Turto Registras vienas is stipriausiu ir geriausiai veikiančių registrų. Įdomu pabrėžti kad Lietuviai veda seminarus kitom šalim kaip geriau suorganizuoti savo registrą ir kadastrą.

Visit to a Notary

“A notary is an individual authorized by the state that gives legal effect to undisputed individual rights of natural and legal persons and legal facts, ensures the protection of lawful interests of such persons and the state.”

“Notaras yra valstybes įgaliotas asmuo, įvertinantis neginčijamas fiziniu ir juridiniu asmenų subjektines teises ir juridinius faktus bei užtikrinantis šių asmenų ir valstybes teisėtų interesų apsaugą”
Lietuvos Respublikos notariato įstatymo 2 straipsnis

In America the responsibilities of a notary vastly differ from the responsibilities of a notary in Lithuania (and most of Europe). While in America a notary is nothing more than a “free stamp” a person can receive from their local bank or attorney’s office, notaries in Lithuania do much more than just approve a person’s signature. A notary in Europe is a highly skilled profession which not only entails verifying signatures, but also checks the legitimacy of documents, prepares needed paperwork for registration and other services, and serves as the intermediary for legal transactions. Notaries are compensated by the individual seeking the services. They are state mandated but receive no state funding. In some transactions, a flat rate is paid for the services, and in other cases- a percentage of the value (Ex. Property) is taken.

Because the registration process that I am learning about within the Ministry of Justice inevitably uses the services of notaries, my director thought that it would be a valuable experience to meet with a notary in Vilnius and see first hand their involvement in this process. One afternoon last week, my director Klaidas Navickas and I walked to a neighboring notary office for this up-close look. A few steps past our Ministry of Justice and atop a hill (with panoramic views of the city) we entered a newly constructed office of Notary Snieguole Navickaite. Although my director and the notary have the same last name Klaidas joked that they are not officially related, adding “Navickas” is like a Lithuanian version of “Smith”. Both Klaidas and Snieguole graduated from Vilnius University with degrees in Law, and have kept in touch ever since. Any legal matters Klaidas has he brings to her.

Having entered the Notary office, we were greeted by a receptionist at the front desk, walking further to a common meeting room with a formal dining room and television, and finally to the sophisticated minimalistic office where Snieguole sat waiting for us. As common European etiquette my director pulled a bottle of sparkling wine from his bag, and a box of chocolate truffles placing them on the dining room style table thanking Snieguole for taking time to meet with us. Informal introductions began and once Snieguole and I were better acquainted, she began to show how she prepares and affirms documents. As one would expect, all notaries use a central electronic database to input information and while paper copies must still be sent and given to clients, the grunt of the work is done through a computerized system uniform to every notary in Lithuania. Snieguole described that she primarily prepared documents for the buying and selling of property – a process which I associated with the work of a Broker in the United States. Once the documents are prepared all parties are given a copy of the material, a copy is saved and archived by the notary, and a copy is brought (usually by the client) to the Rėgistrų Centras where it is registered in the national roster.

Serving as a “Broker” is only one aspect of the Notary’s jobs. Snieguole described the process of preparing and registering Final Testaments, and how ultimately it is the Notary who keeps the sealed Will---only releasing it upon a person’s death or upon the wishes of the writer. Snieguole said that while some people like to write the Will in her presence, others simply give her a sealed envelope which she notarizes, and laughs that “for all I know people are putting in pictures of their cats and giving them to me!.” Although it is optional to have a Notary look over the Testament, Snieguole cautioned that if a professional does not look it over, many problems with ownership and debt may arise when the time comes to inherit the goods/property. She then said that once a Final Testament is set, she informs the Hipotekas Registras “Central Mortgage Office” (the place with the misleading name that also registers wills) that she has in her possession that particular testament.

Also, in talking Snieguole, she voiced her memories of the cumbersome beginnings for notaries in Lithuania after Independence. Uniformity and order have come over time, and tools such as computers and internet speed up the process of verifying the authenticity of documents. Unlike the United States, Lithuania as a country has a more skeptical mentality. Where in most cases people would not think twice about the authenticity of a document or signature in the United States, I feel that business transactions and even innocent daily activities are done with caution. Former Minister of Justice Vytautuas Pakalniskis once said to me “You Americans believe in the good in people, us Lithuanians are skeptical about everything”. Of course in light of that happened with the financial scandals in US (i.e Bernie Madoff) I believe Americans will too naturally highten their skepticism, yet to contastantly live in a world of skepticism where any piece of paper brings the sent of skepticism is also not good. Safeguards essentially complicate the system, but perhaps allow Lithuanians a piece of mind.

All in all it was interesting meeting with Notary Snieguole Navickaite. Because the role of a notary is practically non-existent in America (even Jennifer Lopez is said to have the License to stamp), it was important for me to know how large their role in a society is. In learning more about this European system therefore, I understand a different approach to achieving the same order. Where attorneys and brokers take care of property and legal matters for example, a notary is responsible for the same duties.

Trip to the Central Mortgage Office

In learning about all of the aspects of the registry system in Lithuania my director organized a field trip to the Centrine Hipotekos Įstaiga - Central Mortgage Office.

This Mortgage Office has the following functions. It manages:

1. Mortgage Register

2. Register of Property Seizure Acts

3. Register of Wills

4. Register of Marriage Settlements

5. Register of Pre-nuptial Contracts

6. Submitting data concerning registers which are being managed; following the order provided by the legal acts

7. Determining connections and exchanging available data with the other registers of the State

8. Performing other functions prescribed by the legal acts.

Don’t let the name fool you! Although the formal title Central Mortgage Office instantly eludes that this body is purely a Mortgage registration office, it does (as listed) much more. Part of the reason why the name of this establishment is so deceiving is due to the fact that when a title for this entity was being thought of “Registru Centras” Registry Center was taken by the other organizations mentioned in the blog that register Legal entities and Property. There is talk of combining all of the registering bodies in Lithuania into one Registry Center, however this will take time. It was also suggested that when the Central Mortgage Office was formed, because it had the expertise and the technology to register things, in time it naturally received more responsibilities and things to register.

Three Registry Specialists from my department and I went to the Central Mortgage Office last week. Taking just a few minutes to walk over to the building, we entered and met the Director of Registry. The director- Antanas Baronas casually introduced himself, and quickly began scurrying through the labyrinth of hallways and narrow staircases, pointing out all the improvements they had made in the past few years. He stopped to point out a sequence of pictures of what the building looked like before the Ministry of Justice renovated it for the Central Mortgage Office. My eyes were shocked to see how dilapidated the building was before the reconstruction. While the basic form of the building still existed, the broken windows revealed weeds growing inside the rooms, and an open ceiling letting the elements into the architectural treasure. While in the United States such an eyesore would have long ago been torn down replaced by a CVS Pharmacy, yet in Lithuania the building was completely overhauled and now put to practical use. The building maintains it’s “Smetona Era” dignity and sits in an area highly tracked by tourists. It was a great financial and cultural investment to restore the building, and now workers and onlookers alike can respect it's restored beauty.

In addition to my architectural fascination with the building, I did also find what went on inside interesting! Continuing on the tour, the other girls and I entered a large executive style meeting room where a power point presentation and a Legal Staff sat formally around the table waiting for us. We were invited to be seated, and found pens and pads of paper placed in from of each of our seats. The lights dimmed, and the power point about the Central Mortgage Office began. An overview of the functions was displayed followed by statistical information regarding what the Central Mortgage Office registers and how the respective registries have changed over time. They cited how the economic crisis has increased Property Seizure Acts (growing from a handful a week to 20 a day) and how the mortgage register has decreased because people are no longer buying homes at the same rate as a few years ago. Regarding the register of pre-nuptial contracts, I found it interesting that this practice is not very popular and as one specialist said “eludes that a person is thinking about divorce before they are even married”. Interestingly enough, the divorce rate in Lithuania is similar to that in the United States and I gather that the more westernized Lithuania becomes, the more such practices will be used.

Regarding the Register of Wills, I found it interesting to learn that all wills are endorsed by a Notary, kept by the Notary, and registered in the Register of Wills at this Central Mortgage Office. I asked the question - if the Will is kept in the hands of a Notary, why further register it. The answer is that many times family members mentioned in a person’s final testament are unaware who the Notary holding on to the will is. The Will itself is kept as an utmost secretive sensitive document, and will only be shown to anyone with the approval of the writer (and obviously becomes open in the event of the writer’s death). Sometimes the Notary may die or move offices, and relatives have a hard time retrieving the final written statement. The Registry of Wills therefore serves as a general database that does not contain the secrets of the final testament, rather makes note of the Notary (name, address) holding on to the paper.

During my trip to the Lithuanian Central Mortgage Office, I further gained understanding regarding the process and bodies involved in the registration process. This field trip clarified the misconceptions I had regarding the title of the establishment, and allowed me to analyze and make conjectures about the Lithuanian economy based on the graphs and expert analysis that was presented to me. I believe that I am gaining a “micro” look into on small part of the Lithuanian Governmental System, but from this one small part I gain a deeper grassroots understanding of what is going on. The structure and function of something as simple as a “registry” gives me deep insight into all other facets of the political system.