Our firm handles real estate conflicts, construction disputes and assignments regarding piecework and assignments concerning housing corporations, for example neighborhood disputes and questions in relation to renting.
Buying, selling or building an apartment are big and important decisions for most people. Conflicts concerning apartments or real estate, as well as conflicts in construction, are often a result of a defect in quality. Depending on the situation the buyer or developer might be entitled to a cancellation of the contract, a price reduction and/or indemnity. Often the sellers/developers and buyers impressions of the size of the indemnity vary.
According to a study carried out by the University of Eastern Finland a large part of the Finnish population would not want to interfere with their neighbor’s dealings, but one fourth has a neighbor that is difficult to get along with and 3% of the population are involved in a neighborhood dispute that significantly harms their everyday life. The conflicts usually concern renovations, changes in the environment, for example changes in the yard or other common areas, expansions of the building and planning of the site. Complaints to the authorities burden everyday life.
Our firm handles real estate conflicts as mediations and in court. If needed we also act as arbitrators in real estate conflicts between two companies. These cases often require other types of specialists, for example a goods inspector approved by the Chamber of Commerce, an engineer, a doctor specialised in symptoms caused by mould and an expert from the office for building inspections.
To save the clients expenses and improve the health and well-being of the client is it crucial to aim for an objective investigation that is carried out quickly and leads to a peaceful conclusion. For example putting off the reparations of a faulty apartment will prolong the symptoms of the people involved, and further cause more stress and anxiety to the family members. On the other hand, a real estate conflict that proceeds to court causes financial and psychological stress to the parties involved.
A successful outcome of a neighborhood dispute requires psychology as well as jurisprudence. The court’s decision doesn’t solve the tense atmosphere between the neighbors and can in some cases only make the situation worse. In real estate conflicts we also use our firm’s special psychological know-how in order to avoid the case from proceeding to court. We have good experiences from using solution-focused mediation in these types of conflicts.