From Ms M. Micovic

Recently, your newspaper was generous enough to allow me to express my opinion on the reform of the rent laws (Rent Reform – the Long Quest for Justice, First magazine, 17 July). Last week, your editorial (A Matter of Justice, 24 July) expressed what thousands of Maltese property owners from all walks of life have been and are still being subjected to: injustice, both moral and social. Well done to you and The Malta Independent on Sunday for your editorial.

Amid all the travesties of justice mentioned in the leader was the issue of requisitioning of properties. Despite the assurances of the current government that this practice has ceased, requisitioning is still very much the order of the day. Allow me to give you one example.

In my interview with First magazine, mention was made of how, in the year 2000, the Department of Social Housing saw fit to re-allocate one of our many requisitioned properties to a new tenant for £60 pa. It was a top floor apartment. The company deemed it commercially unfeasible to accept the tenant, and to date has refused the rent.

Since the interview, a copy of a letter from the Department of Social Accommodation has been received, advising the new tenant to pay the

princely rental due of £60 pa. directly to us.

For the uninitiated, allow me to explain what the dubious privilege of being the owner of a requisitioned property actually means:

(1) You, the owner of the property, are allocated a tenant by the Department of Social Accommodation. You have no say in the matter.

(2) You, the owner, have to accept a “primitive rental” imposed on you by the Department of Social Accommodation. Again, you have no say in the matter.

(3) You, the owner, are responsible for all extraordinary repairs.

(4) You, the owner, are not allowed to sell

your property without the permission of the

Department of Social Accommodation. Naturally you will only be allowed to sell to the tenant for a pittance.

(5) Should you, the owner, sell the property for the above-mentioned pittance, the government architect will then advise you, the owner, (via the Inland Revenue Department) that there is additional duty to pay to reflect the current market price.

This is not universal justice, and certainly not social justice, but more like “justice a’ la Maltaise”.

Milica Micovic,

VALLETTA