Determining the parification value: when the shares no longer fit

The parification value (Nutzwert) of a unit determines two things that matter in everyday life: voting weight in the community of owners and the share of costs. It is established in an expert report that reflects the value of a unit in relation to all the others.

Why parification values become outdated

Converting an attic, merging two flats, repurposing a garage, adding a new balcony: any structural change can shift the ratio. If the parification value is left unchanged, owners pay and vote according to a formula that no longer reflects reality.

The route to reassessment

Priority is given to a reassessment agreed by all owners. If that cannot be reached, a court reassessment can be applied for – for instance where the parification values would change by more than a certain proportion, or where alterations were made without the required consent. The procedure is a non-contentious proceeding; the court relies on an expert report.

What this means in practice

For the buyer of an attic flat, whether the parification values already reflect the conversion is a question of price. For the community of owners it is a question of distributive fairness – and both are better clarified before the building work than after.