Following a round table in the State Duma, measures have been developed to protect citizens from fraudulent real estate schemes that have become widely publicized after the case of singer Larisa Dolina. Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services Alexander Aksenenko (deputy from the Novosibirsk region) stated that the return of ownership of housing should be possible only after full compensation to the buyer.
The scandal surrounding the "Dolina scheme" became a catalyst for discussing systemic vulnerabilities in real estate transactions. In such cases, unscrupulous third parties, under the guise of assistance or legal advice, mislead sellers - often elderly people and socially vulnerable citizens. As a result, the transaction is declared invalid by the court, the new owner loses both the housing and the money, remaining with the mortgage burden.
Aksenenko reported that recurrent cases were recorded at the round table: apartments returned to deceived pensioners were again put up for sale - already as part of new fraudulent operations. This indicates the organized nature of such schemes.
Among the proposed measures are also:
- Mandatory freezing of funds during a transaction in a so-called "safe account" for up to seven days. This will give the seller the opportunity to "cool down" and double-check the terms of the transaction, especially if he acted under psychological pressure.
- Introduction of medical restrictions on real estate transactions. Aksenenko sent a request to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation with a request to develop a list of diseases (primarily cognitive and mental disorders) in the presence of which a citizen will temporarily or permanently not be able to participate in such operations.
The initiative is aimed at balancing interests: protecting vulnerable citizens from manipulation and at the same time ensuring the rights of bona fide buyers who have become victims of court decisions.
