Housing and Utilities Expert Bondar Revealed Whether a Plot Can Be Taken Away Due to Hogweed

      May 29, 2026 19:59 Society With the adoption of amendments to the Land Code, owners of summer cottages became concerned that the overgrowth of hogweed on their territory could lead to land confiscation. The new law interpreted the presence of this weed as a sign of complete neglect of the plot. However, in May, the government excluded hogweed from the list of direct grounds for land seizure. Housing and communal services expert and public figure Dmitry Bondar explained in an interview with 360.ru what consequences summer residents now face for the presence of hogweed and how the new control mechanism works. According to the expert, a special decree was issued that clearly states that the presence of hogweed is not a basis for land seizure.

      To ease people's concerns, let's be straightforward, honest, and open: no one intends to seize plots for hogweed, and they will not. As a rule, it is a combination of factors. It is a long legal process for your plot to be seized. One must ignore official orders for a long time and not appear in court, emphasized Dmitry Bondar.

      Nevertheless, this does not mean that plot owners can relax. Fines for Sosnovsky hogweed are still in effect. Now, controlling authorities will be guided by the all-Russian norms of the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO), rather than regional ones. If hogweed is found on a plot, a notice will first be issued requiring the problem to be resolved within a month. If the notice is ignored, a follow-up inspection will be conducted. In the case of repeated violations, a fine may be imposed. The amount of fines depends on the region, but in all cases, the principle of "first a warning" applies. The expert urged plot owners not to panic upon discovering hogweed, but also not to ignore official notices. There is no talk of land seizure, but it is better to avoid even fines.

      Let us remind you that inaction in combating this plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region is subject to fines: up to 50,000 rubles for individuals and up to 700,000 rubles for legal entities. In addition, regional authorities have identified other invasive species requiring control.

      Earlier, it was reported that Gleb Nikitin signed a law on "foreign agent plants." NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay informed about the main events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+