Information

Bank Holidays 2012

▪ 1 January - New Year's Day

▪ 6 January - Epiphany

▪ 27 February - Ash Monday - Green Monday

▪ 25 March - Greek Revolution Day - Mary's Immaculate Conception Day

▪ 1 April - Cyprus Revolution 1955-59 Day

▪ 13-17 April - Greek Orthodox Easter

▪ 1 May - Labour Day

▪ 4 June - Holy Spirit Monday - "Deftera tou Kataklismou"

▪ 15 August - Assumption of Mary Day

▪ 1 October - Independence Day

▪ 28 October - OCHI Day

▪ 25 December - Christmas Day

▪ 26 December - Boxing Day

The Council Offices are located in the Community Centre opposite the main square. Here you will find the Mukhtars office, the village clerk Fitos and Maria who will deal with all administration, payment of community & water charges, also the issue of the heating allowance, make sure you are registered. 

Office Hours

Monday - Friday 07:30 - 13:00

Tuesday & Thursday 14:00 - 16:00 in addition to morning.

Saturday 08:00 - 11:30

Office number: 26632449

Kathikas Council Administration Offices

Maria

Fitos The Village Clerk

Hunting

Cyprus supports approximately 45,000-48,000 hunters or 7% of the population. Traditionally, hunting has been an important part of the people and the culture of Cyprus. Today, sport hunting is an important socio-economic activity and probably the most popular sport on the island. About 25% of adult males are hunters. As stated above hunting is very popular especially around Kathikas. There are restrictions & rules as to where hunting can take place, but unfortunately these are not always adhered to. It is therefore essential to be aware of when & where hunting takes place to avoid accidents.

Hunting is allowed an hour before sunrise & an hour after sunset Wednesdays & Sundays from 1 November until 31 March, at least 300m away from houses and public highways. They should wear a high visibility hat & their licence number on a tabard. As mentioned these rules & regulations have been known to be ignored which can cause stress & danger to the public & pets.

How to avoid an incident.

Firstly avoidance is the best advice, stay away from the hunting areas, if you do want to visit these areas, then wear hi visibility clothing, and stick to the tracks. If you do come across hunters, raise your arm to attract their attention, they will generally acknowledge your presence & wait until you have passed by. At all costs avoid confrontation; there have been cases of people or pets being threatened. 

Game Wardens police the hunters they should be contacted with any concerns or issues.

The Paphos wardens telephone numbers are:

26306211

99445679 

The importance of making a will in Cyprus

One of the myths that circulate in Cyprus about wills is that you have to have a Cypriot lawyer, or even a Cypriot as your executor.

Cypriot lawyers are entitled to charge a minimum fee to administer an estate and obtain probate and such fees are calculated in accordance with rules laid down by the Cyprus Bar Association. The following are examples of the fees that could be charged in two separate cases.

Mr Smith dies leaving his share in his flat to his wife. There is no mortgage on the flat and his half share of the property is worth approximately €100,000. He has an account with the Bank of Cyprus with a small balance of €5,000 and a car in his name worth about €3,000. With other savings and investments he has an estate worth about €110,000. He made a Will whereby he appointed a Cypriot lawyer as his Executor. According to the minimum fee guidelines, that lawyer would be entitled to charge at least €8,875 plus VAT and Court Fees. The total bill would be over €10,000.

In the second case Mr Jones dies leaving all his estate to his wife. His house is worth €300,000 and his other savings and investments means that his total estate is worth about €500,000. This time the lawyer’s bill would be in the region of €35,000. Now of course, it is entirely up to you who you appoint as you executor but I would respectively suggest that in either case your next of kin would prefer to have the money in their account.

There is no reason why a husband and wife cannot appoint each other as executors in their wills and thereafter appoint a son or daughter or relative or indeed a beneficiary as their executor. It does not have to be a Cypriot or Cypriot lawyer.

The law relating to wills and the passing of any sort of property here is Cyprus is not the same as is the law in the United Kingdom – even if you have both your names on a contract for the purchase of a property that does not mean that that property will pass to the other person named. There is no such thing as a ‘joint tenancy’ in Cyprus i.e. the English concept that a jointly owned asset will automatically pass to the other named person. It will not. The only way to make sure that that happens and any other wishes you may have is to make a will.

If you die without a will, it is possible for the courts to appoint a Cypriot lawyer as your executor. So, if you think that everything will pass to your husband or wife anyway and that they would be the executor and therefore there is no need to make a will, then I am afraid, as you can see, that is not the case. The price for a single will is €175.00 and for a mirror or joint will €300.00 (plus the stamp duty of €17.09 per Cypriot will).

Written for Cyprus Living by Mark Tilden. Call Mark on 96549826 or email mark11cyprus@hotmail.com today before it is too late.