Original article: Por primera vez en la historia: Ordenan remate de predios de inmobiliaria condenada por daño ambiental

Historic Ruling: Environmental Court Orders Auction of Properties from Company Convicted for Environmental Damage

In a historic first for Chile’s environmental judiciary, the Second Environmental Court has mandated the auction of properties belonging to a company found guilty of causing environmental harm, aimed at covering the costs associated with the court’s mandated remediation plan.

In a statement, the Court highlighted that this decision aligns with its institutional commitment to provide «timely and efficient» environmental justice, reinforcing its efforts to ensure that its rulings lead to effective outcomes.

The auction, ordered by the Environmental Court, is set to take place on Thursday, December 4, 2025, featuring three properties owned by Inmobiliaria Altos del Yali. This company was condemned in 2020 for contributing significant environmental damage in the Quebrada La Loma area of Santo Domingo, located in the Valparaíso region.

The Court decided to proceed with the auction as part of the executive action filed by the Municipality of Santo Domingo in March 2023, which seeks to enforce the environmental ruling against the developer. Due to the company’s inaction, the municipality asked the Court to oversee the remediation plan, insisting that Altos del Yali cover the associated costs,» the statement elaborated.

Remediation Plan

Regarding the remediation plan, it’s structured in two phases. The first involves drafting the proposal of the plan for submission to the Environmental Superintendence for approval, while the second includes the execution and monitoring of all actions and works specified in the plan. The auction aims to fund the initial phase of the remediation.

«To be eligible to participate in the auction and submit bids, interested parties must present a bank guarantee valued at 10% of the minimum proposed offer, money that the bidder will forfeit as a penalty if they fail to comply, according to Article 494 of the Civil Procedure Code. Should the successful bidder be the plaintiff, they will not be subject to any deadlines for the extension and signing of the Public Deed of sale and adjudication,» added the Second Environmental Court.

The case file for the lawsuit is available here: D-80-2021

El Ciudadano