Farmer arrested for plowing newly paved road in Gliwice, Poland

A farmer in Gliwice, Poland, has been arrested after allegedly plowing a newly asphalted road, causing significant damage. The incident occurred on August 7 on Rybacka Street, and footage of the tractor with a plow destroying the fresh pavement was shared on Facebook by the city's mayor, Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka.

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The farmer from Ostropa destroyed the asphalt laid today on Rybacka Street. This is not the first time he has destroyed public property. Residents waited many years for this repair. The entire road belongs to the city, as confirmed by documents, including land registry records. A surveyor was also present and confirmed the municipality's ownership. Police are investigating, and the farmer has been detained.

The mayor stated that the farmer has damaged public property before and that residents had waited years for this road repair. City documents and a surveyor confirmed the land belongs to the municipality. The farmer, however, claims ownership of half the land, which he uses to justify his destructive actions. He has been detained by the police, and the Municipal Road Management has preliminarily estimated the damages at approximately 300,000 PLN, covering both the asphalt layer and the road base.

City officials assert that Gliwice has owned the land since 2001, acquired through the Act on Real Estate Management. Mariusz Kopeć, spokesperson for the Municipal Office, stated that the farmer himself initiated the process for the land to become municipal property. "Claims that the road area still constitutes his property have no legal basis," Kopeć said.

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The municipality of Gliwice has owned the land where the road is located since 2001. The property transferred to the municipality's ownership based on Article 98 of the Act on Real Estate Management. The proceedings are generally initiated at the request of the property owner – the same one who has now plowed the section of newly laid pavement. He applied for the division of land from two plots intended for the road, which then transferred to the municipality by operation of law. The entries in the land register confirm the above. Therefore, claims that the road area still constitutes his property have no legal basis.

Legal experts weigh in on the farmer's responsibility. Piotr Jarzyński, vice-chairman of the Real Estate Committee of the National Chamber of Commerce, believes the farmer should be held liable for damages. He stated that if the farmer disputed the ownership, he should have pursued administrative or civil procedures instead of destroying public property. Professor Maciej Gutowski, a civil law expert, noted that the farmer's civil liability depends on the established property rights.

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I assume that since the municipality commissioned the asphalt laying, it is registered in the land register as the owner of this land. If the farmer disputed this status, he should have used the appropriate administrative or civil procedures and proven that he still owns the land. Such disputes are resolved through appropriate procedures, not arbitrary actions involving the destruction of public property. I see no basis for exempting the farmer from paying compensation to the municipality for the damage caused.