Two bills before the Cypriot Parliament would suspend evictions from a borrower's main home for 18 months and change how limitation periods work for loan-related claims.
According to Cyprus Property News, two bills submitted to Parliament could change how home evictions and bank claims are handled in Cyprus. Both are proposals only and have not yet changed the law. They were put forward by Direct Democracy Cyprus MPs Dimitris Souglis, Diana Constantinide, Yiannis Laouris and Dimitris Baros. The first bill would amend the Civil Procedure Law. It proposes suspending the enforcement of eviction or possession orders where the property is the borrower's main home. The pause would last 18 months from the date the order is served on the borrower. Before enforcing the order, the creditor would also have to secure suitable, affordable alternative housing for the borrower and their family, in the same area or nearby. The end of the 18-month period would not automatically allow an eviction: the time limit and the housing requirement would apply together. The safeguards would also extend to cases where possession is recovered after a main home has been sold under another law. The MPs say the aim is to protect human dignity, private and family life and to help prevent homelessness. The second bill would amend the Limitation of Actions Law. For claims connected to a loan agreement, it proposes using the date the agreement is terminated to determine when the cause of action arises. It would remove an existing proviso and add a new article stating that negotiations between the parties do not interrupt the limitation period in a credit dispute. According to the explanatory memorandum, the changes are meant to improve legal certainty and protect the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time. The two bills are separate initiatives and each amends a different law.