Some family allotment gardens (ROD) are receiving perpetual usufruct charges from local governments calculated at 3% of the land’s value. According to gardeners, in extreme cases this means as much as 1,200 zloty more per year for a single plot, but this does not apply to all ROD.
Not one new fee, but decisions by local governments
There is no nationwide increase. The issue concerns annual perpetual usufruct fees for the land on which ROD operate. They are charged by county starostas and municipalities, and because the Act on Real Estate Management does not set a rate for allotment gardens, a rate of 3% of the property’s value is sometimes applied, the same as for commercial purposes.
The Polish Allotment Association (PZD) states that about 65% of ROD, or roughly 650,000 plots, are held in perpetual usufruct. According to the Association, any of them may be charged a fee at any time.
Specific bills
PZD describes, among other cases, the ROD „Zielony Fort” in Sieraków: the annual fee is 143,148.75 zloty, or an average of 857.18 zloty per one of its 167 plots. For the ROD „Powstańców Wielkopolskich” in Miejska Górka it amounts to 52,850.49 zloty, and for the ROD „Cukrownik” in the same town, 17,772.45 zloty. For the ROD „Nad Wartą” in Luboń, the Poznań County starost set 21,072.94 zloty per year.
The Association reports that in the Poznań District, fees for four ROD total 236,595.88 zloty per year. The 1,200 zloty per plot figure is an estimate for extreme cases; a petition to the Senate refers to a range of 600–1,200 zloty. According to explanations from one starostwo, the fee per user may also be around 200 zloty per year.
The ministry’s position
Deputy Minister of Development and Technology Tomasz Lewandowski presented data in the Sejm on 3 September: ROD occupy 24,756 ha, and about 182 ha (around 0.7%) across 54 gardens are subject to fees. The ministry considers the scale marginal and does not plan a separate rate. It noted that local governments may grant rebates.
PZD’s proposal
PZD’s National Board approved a draft amendment to the Act on Real Estate Management on 22 October. It provides for a fee of 0.1% of the land price for areas allocated for establishing, operating or restoring ROD, as well as the option for a municipality to exempt gardens from fees. According to PZD, other starostwos, including those in Rawicz, imposed 3% in recent weeks. As of publication, there is no information about a government draft changing the regulations.
