Planning, Restrictions Building Land Permits Confiscation on Use and and Home Access Demolitions Introduction 111 Authority. An Israeli-certified surveyor, engineer or architect should prepare applications. Applications for permits on “settled” (registered) land should include: • • • A completed “Application for a Building Permit and Use of the Property” form, which includes a detailed description of the property and the planned structure (e.g. whether it is a new building, or an addition to an existing building), the purpose of the planned structure (e.g. residential, business, etc.), and a declaration by all contractors who will be responsible for the building’s construction specifying the building materials to be used. Everyone who holds rights to the land should sign this form; The applicant must provide maps and charts illustrating the planned structure, the borders of the plot, the external and internal designs of the planned structure and any nearby infrastructure. An Israeli-certified surveyor should sign these documents; When the owner of a property dies, his heirs must apply for an inheritance deed. This certificate is issued by a religious court or the civil inheritance office and must specify the particular plot of land in question. Only the lawful successor(s) is authorized to sign the application: (a) once it is registered with the Land Registry; or (b) once it is registered with the Land Settlement Officer when the land is in the process of settlement. Applicants for a permit to build on land that is neither registered nor “under settlement” should provide all the documents necessary for registering land “under settlement” excluding a deed from the Land Settlement Officer, but additionally: • • An affidavit from the individual registered in the files of the tax authorities, proof of identity and how they gained rights to the land (e.g. inheritance, purchase, etc.); A plan for Registration Purposes. This is where the approved outline scheme for the property’s area amended the borders of the plot as they were registered during the process of “land settlement”. The plan costs several thousand US dollars and there are also legal fees for the required lawyer’s registration with the Israeli Land Administration. Additionally, the website400 of the Jerusalem Municipality’s Department of Licenses provides details on applying for a building permit. 400 See: www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_main/defaultnew.asp?lng=2.