Moscow's property lawlessness

[Eugene]

Last Updated: Monday, 18 July, 2005, 10:15 GMT 11:15 UK

Moscow's property lawlessness

By Christopher Mitchell
Producer, Property To Die For

Imagine yourself sitting at home, unable to move because you are
nursing a broken leg. Suddenly you hear a roar outside... and realise
a bulldozer is attacking your front porch.

This is what happened to Alexei Syomov, who thought he owned his home
in Gavrikovo, just outside Moscow.

<snip>

This is a side of the Moscow property market virtually
unknown to the West.

Multi-billion-dollar housing scams have become big business in Russia.

And despite President Vladimir Putin's promise to institute a
dictatorship of the rule of law, these scams are all too often
shrugged off by the authorities.

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/4677257.stm