Why you need professional help to collect zero certificates in Hungary.
Once you have signed a contract to sell the property, as a seller you have one more obligation: you have to provide the zero certificates, (a statement by provider proving that your outstanding arrears is “zero”) from the utility companies and from the House Representative. The system in Hungary is quite bureaucratic.
The procedure can be easier if your apartment had been well managed. On the contrary, it could be a nightmare for the seller if the utilities had been mismanaged. It is half the battle if the meters are registered under your name and none of them were taken off by the provider (due to non-payment). Utility transcription (registration under your name) or the office routine of putting back a meter can take weeks and can cause delays at the handover of the apartment to the buyer.
Even if all the meters are in order - and the bills had been paid - the procedure of getting the zero certificates can be complicated. Sometimes you have to go back several times to the customer service office of the utility providers to get the stamped zero statements. Each provider has a different routine and each House Representative is different. It is better to ask somebody who knows these routines well and is able to collect the certificates on your behalf.
