Joint properties with need of changes - without incentives? The Swedish case

Joint property units and joint facilities are an integral part of the Swedish cadastral system. They are a result of the 19th century land reforms, where the units guaranteed a common resource system (roads, mills, drainage systems etc.) for externalities of the individual property.

Today, several of these joint property units are unused and constitute land of low value. Joint facilities exist with old statutes and participatory shares. The appropriators face major transaction costs to make changes of their joint property unit or joint facility, despite a well developed legal framework. Some efforts have been made to reduce the number of idle joint properties and update joint facilities. One pilot study was carried out for joint property roads in Southern Sweden, with EU funding. However, public funding creates a disruption in the normal process to optimize land use and land tenure options.

Costs and benefits are changing over decades for a specific joint property unit or joint facility. Some examples illustrate changed conditions. Comparison is made with some commons with other land tenure situations. An analysis is made on changed land uses and land tenure in the cadastral process, the efficiency of the legal framework and the role of the cadastral officer.