American buys Croatian house for 5,000 euros, now faces demolition

Justus Reid, an American who captured public attention last year by purchasing and renovating an old house in Hrvatsko Zagorje for just 5,000 euros, is now confronting a serious threat: demolition.

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The reason I haven't shown you the house for a while is that I'm currently trying to save it from demolition.

Reid revealed in a TikTok video that the house, to which he has dedicated a year of work and significant funds, is at risk because its paperwork is unresolved. The structure, built over 40 years ago, was never legally registered in the land registry. According to state regulations, it technically should not exist and must be removed.

"I honestly didn't even know this could be a problem when I bought the house or when I started the work," Reid explained. He noted that many houses in the village share similar issues with papers and legalization, but he is the only one who received an official notice.

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This house was built more than 40 years ago, but it was never legally registered in the land registry. According to state regulations, it shouldn't exist at all and needs to be removed.

Reid is pinning his hopes on a new law enacted in May 2026, which allows buildings constructed before 2011 to be classified and legalized. He has submitted the necessary documents but is uncertain about the timeline for a decision. The lack of a legal address prevents him from registering his residency, complicating his legal stay in Croatia. To cope, he purchased several other properties in the village, including a bunker, where he plans to relocate while awaiting a resolution.

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I honestly didn't even know this could be a problem when I bought the house or when I started the work.

Despite the challenges, Reid remains determined. "I will continue to do everything I can to fix this and try to resolve everything, God willing. I won't give up that easily," he stated, vowing to save his home.

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My house is one of many in this village that have the same problem with papers and legalization, but I am the only one who received a letter.