Notary public

The coordinating committee of Greece's unions of notaries on Tuesday said that its members would not be attending weekly auctions again this Wednesday, after refusing to sign off on the process for several weeks.

Dozens of people protested at courthouses in Athens and Thessaloniki Wednesday, expressing their opposition to first-home foreclosures.

Around 150 protesters barged into the Athens Magistrates Court and forced the notaries in attendance out of the premises while heckling them.

There were similar scenes at Thessaloniki Magistrates Court.

The union representing Greek notaries on Tuesday called on its members to continue their boycott on foreclosures of first homes at courts on Wednesday.

Banks are proposing that foreclosures should be done electronically in a bid to overcome the resistance put up by a growing movement blocking repossessions at courts around the country.

If adopted, the idea would mean that the physical presence of notaries - one of the main targets of protesters - would not be required.

The union representing Greek notaries on Tuesday called on its members to continue their boycott on foreclosures of first homes at courts on Wednesday.

The scheduled weekly auctions for main residences, held every Wednesday, have been suspended, as the notaries’ association decided to abstain from its duties until the government reaches a final decision on the matter.

Notaries have decided to extend their abstention from the legal proceedings of auctioning off main residences in Greek courts, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 19, until the government guarantees the smooth conditions for the procedures to move forward.

The union representing Greek notaries announced on Monday that its members would not be attending planned foreclosure hearings in Greek courts on Wednesday, amid growing public protests.

It also called on the government to clarify the legal situation regarding repossessions, especially relating to primary residences, "to ensure the legality and smoothness of the proceedings."

The coordinating body of the association of notaries' unions said in a statement on Monday that notaries would suspend their ongoing strike and return to work on Tuesday.

Notaries had been on strike since January to protest increased social security contributions as part of the government's pension reform.

The union representing the country's notaries yesterday extended a strike by its members until May 7.

Along with lawyers, notaries have been on strike for months in protest at pension and tax reforms.

The protracted action has led to a huge backlog in court proceedings.