By Bejay Browne.
Land slippage in Armou gathered momentum in recent rains, moving downhill daily, according to the only remaining residents of the development.
Roads are impassable, as huge sections have fallen away creating a steep drop; deep gashes are apparent in the road surfaces and the land is literally torn apart in places.
The street is home to six substantial detached homes complete with swimming pools. The properties were only built in 2004 and yet they lie empty and abandoned as they are unfit for human habitation.
The location is stunning, right in the middle of the Paphos countryside; gorgeous outdoor terraces with commanding views and well-stocked gardens make it easy to understand why this was the ideal spot to buy.
Now those gardens have fallen away; plants, trees and shrubs are growing at will; garden gates have been pulled off hinges and most of the pools lie cracked, broken and empty. It is truly shocking.
This is a dream location for many, including the unsuspecting British buyers that chose to make this area their home.
But now weeds grow unattended along the street. Some of the houses are tilted. Walls have broken apart, steps collapsed, drains and piles of buildings exposed and huge chunks of terraces lie crumpled.
Looters have struck, stealing air conditioning units, windows, doors and anything else they can lay their hands on. They must have made their getaway on foot, as it’s impossible to get a vehicle anywhere near the development.
And yet this is still home for one British family who have been fighting the authorities for the last eight years.
This ‘luxury’ development was built by now defunct, JNM developers. Problems first arose in 2011 after heavy rains.
It has been a number of years since the Paphos Post last visited the area, and it is shocking to witness the decline.
Simon Phillips, wife Jen and their two children are the only remaining residents of the development, trapped in a house which has had a ban order on it for the last eight years.
They have no choice, as all of their cash is tied up in the property. They bought it for 250,000 euros and moved to Cyprus with the idea of living mortgage free for the rest of their lives. They are unable to move due to financial restrictions and do not have available funds to rent another property.
The comparison with another crumbling complex of properties, the Limnes area of Pissouri, are obvious. There too homes have collapsed, the result of a continuous and accelerating landslip. Families have had to be evacuated.
Residents in Limnes are currently in a long battle for compensation, however, Phillips is seeking legal recourse with the government and is taking them to court.
“Taking the developer to court won’t result in any compensation, so I decided to take on the government. I will also request that the judge visits the site to see the situation for himself,” he told the Paphos Post.
Phillips is waiting to find out when he will receive his first hearing date.
A number of the homeowners, who live mostly in the UK, have issued separate court proceedings against the developer. Phillips said one had won his case, but the developer, who is now no longer operating, has appealed.
Recently, the auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides used the example of Armou as one of the reasons why the government should not compensate the Limnes property owners. He warned that if the Limnes owners won compensation, it would set a precedent for property owners in areas like Armou if the state essentially assumed the responsibility of the adequacy of the structural studies.
Phillips said that setting a precedent is actually the point.
“Something needs to be done. Action needs to be taken and put in place to ensure that permits are not given to build on land that is so obviously problematic,” he said.
“It’s like saying, ‘Oh we’re not going to punish any criminals because it will set a precedent.’ So in fact, they would be left to do it again.”
Heavy rains have doubled the problems with the Phillips house. It should never have been built as the area is not suitable for building, and it’s local knowledge that the hillside is historically known for land slips, said Phillips.
“The authorities gave a permit and changed the use from agricultural and this is negligent by the government.”.
The couple’s two children, both girls, now aged 17 and 19, have grown up in Cyprus and have only known a house that has brought stress, fear and pressure.
Phillips said that living in such a way has affected all of their health terribly, both mentally and physically.
Since the start of the year, the four of them each has a bag full of essentials packed and left by the door, ready to make a hasty escape, if necessary.
