Constitutional Tribunal rules illegal buildings will have to be demolished

Yesterday the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that article 48 of the Con struction Law can enforce the demolition of illegal buildings is const itutional. The Law, however does not envisage any way to legalize an illegal building. An illegal object may gain legal status only if has been ignored by the authorities for over five years. The ruling means a great loss for a famous hotel owners, Grazyna and Tadeusz Golebiewscy. They appealed to the Tribunal against article 48 as it is being used to order the demolition of a wing of their hotel in Bialystok. The owner's had permission for erecting the building, but started construction before it became legal. Golebiewski estimates that costs, including lost turnover during construction, at zl. 3 million. This ruling could also gravely affect 121 families from Wroclaw, who bought apartments from a developer, which are now under under A de molition order. Building inspectors every year find at least 5,000 illegal buildings under construction. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 18) P.W.