``Owner unknown room'' in the ``disappeared resident'' also affects life November 15, 18:45
Unbeknownst to others, the resident of the apartment room disappears.
Now, it turns out that such cases are happening one after another.
This problem also affects the lives of residents.
It is also connected to the situation where the management fee of the condominium is raised and the rebuilding is not possible.
What is happening in condominiums around the world, where it is said that the "two aging" of buildings and residents progresses?
(Reporter Hiroki Uchiyama, Social Affairs Department)
"Inhabitants disappeared" room
"I didn't even know when you were gone."
These are the words of a resident who lives in an apartment in Chiba Prefecture that is about 50 years old.
Last year, I was shown a video of a room in an apartment.
The floor is missing, the ceiling is peeling off, and things are scattered on the floor.
On the other hand, futons and refrigerators were left as they were, and traces of daily life remained.
This room was thought to be inhabited by an elderly man.
But at some point, we lose contact.
I had no idea where the owner of the room was.
I don't know right away that I'm dead
Manabu Sato (69), who helped clean up this room.
My father and son have lived in this apartment for about half a century, and now serve as the chairman of the management association.
He agreed to interview me because he wanted me to know the harsh reality of condominium management.
As a result of Mr. Sato's investigation of the occupants of the previous room, it was found that the man who lived there was believed to have died in another place about seven years ago.
Manabu Sato, Chairman of the Condominium Management Association
"Even if it's the same apartment, you can't tell what's on the other side of the door. When I started investigating, I found out that the owner had passed away. I couldn't contact him and I couldn't find out who the owner was. rice field"
Delinquency in management fees where the owner is unknown
This situation in which the owner of the room became unknown was a big problem for the condominium management.
What I faced was "arrears of management fee".
Appropriate maintenance and repairs are essential for condominiums.
If you neglect daily maintenance of common areas and regular repair work, the deterioration will progress further.
The source of funds for such repairs is the "management fee" and "repair reserve fund" paid by the owner, but if the owner is unknown, this money will not be paid.
In the case of the previous room, the delinquent amount is over 800,000 yen.
Including the late fee, it was over 1 million yen.
Manabu Sato, Chairman of the Condominium Management Association
"There is no one to pay the management fee. If you leave it as it is, the non-payment will continue and the room will be damaged further. To maintain the value of the condominium, leave it as it is. did not"
"Owner unknown" solution raises millions of management fees...
More than 1,000,000 yen in arrears.
The man also had a brother, but it was later found out that he had "renounced the inheritance", and there was no one to claim.
Mr. Sato and others had no choice but to appoint a property manager and proceeded with the liquidation of the property of the room, but in the end they could not collect the unpaid management fee.
Not only that, but it also cost nearly 1 million yen to investigate the heir, file a petition for the appointment of a property administrator, and remuneration.
And all of this had to come out of the budget of the condominium management association.
This apartment complex, which has 120 rooms, has two other cases where the owners have disappeared, costing millions of yen.
The management association of this condo ran out of money for repairs, and canceled the management company to save money.
Partially moved to self-management.
In addition, the management fee has also been increased by 3500 yen per month.
Mr. Sato says that it was a necessary choice to protect his home.
Mr. Manabu Sato, Chairman of the Condominium Management Association
"It takes a huge amount of time, money, and effort to recover from non-payment of management fees. It is a big loss for an old condominium where repair costs are high. I I'm going to spend the rest of my life here, and there are a lot of people who think of this place as 'a place to live.' That's why I want to do everything in my power to protect this place, and I'm determined to protect it. I would like you to consider a system that can deal with problems as soon as they arise, and a way of property management that is in line with the actual situation.”
``Two aging'' apartments: more than 10% of apartments have ``unknown whereabouts''
The problem of "unknown owner rooms" directly linked to the finances of condominiums.
According to a 2018 national survey, the older the building, the higher the number of condominium owners whose whereabouts are unknown or cannot be contacted.
For condominiums built before 1979, it reached more than 13%.
The cause is considered to be a phenomenon called the so-called "two aging", where the building is old and the residents are aging.
As of 2021, there will be 1.15 million condominiums that are over 40 years old.
The number is expected to increase rapidly in the future, doubling in 10 years, and nearly quadrupling to 4.25 million units in 20 years in 2041.
The number of “rooms with unknown owners” is expected to increase further in the future.
Another problem Reconstruction is not progressing
The problem of "unknown owner rooms" in condominiums also led to problems other than finances.
A small apartment built about 50 years ago in a prime location in central Tokyo.
The surroundings are in a dangerous state, with cracks appearing here and there due to aging, and the exterior walls are falling off one after another.
The owners of this condominium are considering rebuilding it, as it can be expected to improve its asset value.
However, it is the existence of "unknown owner room" that prevents it.
A resident who has been missing for about a year.
The mailbox was overflowing with mail.
A few months ago, he asked the police to check the inside of the room, but he said that no one was there.
Unknown owner hinders consensus building
Why isn't the rebuilding progressing?
Under the current Sectional Ownership Law, when rebuilding a condominium, it is necessary to confirm the intention of the "section owner" and obtain the consent of four-fifths in principle.
However, it is not possible to confirm the intention of this resident whose whereabouts are unknown, and this is hindering consensus building.
The management association of the condominium is now preparing with a lawyer to identify the whereabouts of the owner and collect the maintenance fee that continues to be delinquent.
Chairman of the Mansion Management Association
“In a condominium where many people live in one building, communication is essential to make important decisions such as rebuilding and large-scale repairs. In this case, we can't move forward despite the fact that the outer wall has fallen and the surroundings are in danger.
Agents for resolving management fee arrears also appeared
"A room with an unknown owner has occurred and I don't know what to do"
As such voices increase, there are also companies that act on behalf of residents to identify unknown people and demand for delinquent management fees.
It is said that the company, which has been in business for four years, receives many inquiries from condominium associations.
When I went to the interview, I was dealing with a case where the owner of the room had been left unattended for a considerable number of years and the amount of delinquency was accumulating.
The delinquency of monthly administrative expenses piled up, and the total amount was over 1.2 million yen.
In order to recover the costs, the company traces the whereabouts of the missing person from the register, and sometimes conducts on-site investigations to find the heir.
If necessary, they may go to court to recover costs.
Eishin Sato, CEO of VAMOS
“Many inquiries come from relatively small condominiums with only a few dozen units, and more and more places are at risk of 'management failure' due to non-payment of management fees. As residents age. I think that the weakening of the management association's activities is also related to the increase in consultations.Inquiries are expected to increase in the future as the 'two aging' of the building and residents progresses."
What should I do?
asked an expert
What should residents do about the problem of "unknown owner room"?
We asked Professor Hiroko Saito of Yokohama City University, who is familiar with condominium management issues.
Professor Saito said that it was not expected that the number of dwelling units with "unknown owners" would increase, and that it is now time to drastically change the current laws and regulations.
In addition, as the residents of condominiums are aging, the following measures are recommended as preventive measures that management associations can take.
Preventive measures for the management association of "unknown owners" of condominiums
・Promote thorough notification in case of long-term absence In that case, also submit emergency contact information
・Comply with submission of owner and resident change notifications
・Every year
Be
sure to check and update the owner list and resident list in line with the holding of the general meeting.
Professor Hiroko Saito, Yokohama City University
"In order not to leave a room whose owner is unknown, it is important to have a way to check the status of the residents in two or three ways. It is very important to maintain the condominium as both the residents and the building are aging, by communicating with each other and creating an environment where they can help each other.”
The problem of unknown apartment owners
The problem of "unknown owner rooms" in condominiums that could lead to aggravation of poor management.
Regarding vacant houses and land, measures have been taken little by little, but the current situation is that there are almost no legal arrangements for condominiums.
For this reason, the national government is considering countermeasures with a view to amending the law.
Specifically,
discussions are underway on a review of the
Sectional Ownership Act, a plan to relax the majority rule required for rebuilding, etc., and the
establishment of a property management system specializing in rooms with unknown owners .
The Civil Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice
said, "Because of the major review of the property rights of condominium unit owners, the impact will be large, and we are proceeding with careful discussions. However, we recognize that it is an urgent issue, and we are proceeding with discussions as soon as possible. want to go"
Housing Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure , Transport and Tourism
: "We recognize that this is an important point as the 'two aging' of buildings and residents are progressing. In cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, which has jurisdiction over the Sectional Ownership Act, we are considering measures to respond to changes in social conditions. I would like to proceed with
What are your condominium issues?
It is said that 10% of the total population in Japan, about 15 million people, live in condominiums.
The number of condominiums that are over 40 years old is expected to increase rapidly in the future, and various issues are emerging in addition to the problem of "rooms with unknown owners" that I picked up this time.
What do we need to do to protect our homes, and what should we do as the buildings and residents age in two different ways?
NHK will continue to cover issues surrounding condominium management.
Please let us know about any issues related to the management of your condominium.
NHK News Post
Reporter
Hiroki Uchiyama Joined the Bureau
in 2011
After working in charge of the Japan Meteorological Agency, he is currently in charge of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Continues to cover issues surrounding condominiums