Baghdad court rules millions in property fines unlawful under 1990 law

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Baghdad court has ruled that fines running into millions of dinars imposed on homeowners by municipal units exceeded legal limits, ordering the excess amounts returned. Citizens who had challenged the penalties argued that the fines lacked a basis in current regulations. Court records show that one individual was fined more than 30 million dinars. The court cited Law No. 296 of 1990, which was later amended, and found that the statutory ceiling on such fines had first been set at 100,000 dinars and later raised to 500,000 dinars. It ordered the portion above the legal cap to be refunded and said similar rulings have been issued in other cases. Legal specialists said the decisions underline the need to reassess penalties linked to the subdivision of small residential plots, an issue that has stirred debate for years. They called for legal and administrative solutions to address already-divided properties while protecting urban planning and preventing further harm to homeowners.