IsraelLawCan my neighbours in Israel force me to pay for installing an elevator in our building?
Israeli condominium law normally requires unanimity before anyone alters the common property, which for decades made retrofitting elevators into older buildings almost impossible. Section 59f changed that by carving out a special majority rule for elevators alone. Once two-thirds of the apartment owners resolve to proceed, and a building permit is obtained from the local planning and building committee, the remaining owners must allow the works to go ahead in the stairwell, on the facade, or in the shared yard. The statute also lets an owner who is materially harmed by the installation claim compensation from the group that voted for it.
For an owner living abroad the practical risk is not the levy, it is absence from the vote. Notices go out through the building committee in Hebrew, meetings are held with short notice, and an owner who never responds is simply counted as not agreeing. That protects you from the bill, but it also leaves you outside a project that will change the value and accessibility of your apartment. Disputes over the majority, the cost split, or the compensation claim go to the Condominium Supervisor at the Land Registry rather than to a regular court, which is faster and cheaper than litigation.
- Governing law: Section 59f, Land Law 5729-1969 (added by Amendment 27); general condominium rules in Chapter 6 and the building's takanon
- Required majority: owners of two-thirds of the apartments; a simple majority is not enough
- Competent authority: Condominium Supervisor (HaMefake'ach al Rishum Mekarke'in), Land Registration Department, Ministry of Justice; building permit from the local planning and building committee
- Who pays: only the owners who agreed, in proportion to their share of the common property; an apartment the elevator does not serve is exempt
- Joining later: a dissenting owner who wants access must pay their share of the original cost, adjusted for the passage of time
- Timeline: building permit commonly 6 to 12 months; a contested claim before the Condominium Supervisor typically 9 to 18 months
- Voting from abroad: a signed and apostilled power of attorney lets a representative vote and sign the works agreement on your behalf
From the full guide: Va'ad Bayit in Israel: A Guide for Apartment Owners
Related Questions
Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy