Last update - 00:00 05/08/2007
Court rejects couple's request to guarantee ownership of home
By Carmel Ben-Tzur, Haaretz Correspondent
The Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday denied the request filed by a couple seeking to establish ownership of a home they had purchased and moved into before it was finished, fearing they would lose their investment amid rumors the construction company had gone bust.
On Thursday, dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews broke into apartments being built by the Heftsiba construction company. The group launched a concerted effort, operating simultaneously in several areas across the country, and entered the construction sites, refusing to leave.
The couple, Guy Baigel and Inbal Halel, married a year ago and bought a home in Kfar Yona. They have so far paid 85 percent of the value of the home - some NIS 675,000.
In their request, the couple asked the court to guarantee their investment would not be lost.
The judge ruled that the couple had taken the law into their own hands when they broke into the homes that were not under their legal ownership yet. "There is no room for the court to assist them," the judge wrote in his ruling.
The judge added that under the agreement between the buyers and the builders, the exclusive authority to discuss disputes between the two parties was granted to the Jerusalem District Court, as the Heftsiba's main offices are located in Jerusalem.
The judge suggested to the couple to re-file their request with the Jerusalem court.