Communicated on 2 February 2016
THIRD SECTION
Application no 47922/14
Jiří DRAHOŠ AND OTHERS and Others against Slovakia
and 5 other applications
(see list appended)
STATEMENT OF FACTS
THE FACTS
The applicants are individuals or legal entities, whose particulars are set out in Appendices 1A - 6A. These Appendices also specify the date of introduction of the respective application.
The applicant Mr A. Rauscher-Nchwalger is represented before the Court by Mr P. Zelenay, a lawyer practicing in Bratislava. All other applicants are represented by Mr J. Brichta, a lawyer practising in Bratislava.
The facts of the cases, as submitted by the applicants, may be summarised as follows.
The applicants are the owners of residential buildings comprising flats which were or have been subject to the rent-control scheme (see Appendices 1B - 6B).
The background and legal framework concerning the control of rent in Slovakia is described in Bittó and Others v. Slovakia (no. 30255/09, §§ 7-16 and 32‑72, 28 January 2014).
The applicants submit that the rent to which they were or have been entitled for letting their property is disproportionately low compared to similar flats to which the rent-control scheme does not apply.
The applicants indicate that the factual and legal position as regards their cases is the same as in the case of Bittó and Others (cited above).
COMPLAINTS
The applicants complain that their rights under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 have been violated as a result of the implementation of the rent‑control scheme in respect of their property.
The applicants further complain under Article 14 of the Convention that they have been discriminated against in comparison with the owners of similar housing facilities to whom the rent-control scheme does not apply.
QUESTIONS
COMMON QUESTIONS
1. Has there been an interference with the applicants’ right to peaceful enjoyment of possessions, within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1? If so, was that interference necessary to control the use of property in accordance with the general interest and, in particular, has an excessive individual burden been placed on the applicants as a result of the operation of the legal rules governing rent-control throughout the period of their ownership of the real property in issue (see also Bittó and Others v. Slovakia, no. 30255/09, 28 January 2014, with further references)?
2. Have the applicants suffered discrimination, contrary to Article 14 of the Convention read in conjunction with Article 1 of Protocol No. 1?
The parties are requested to submit information about the difference between the rent which the applicants were able to obtain under the rent‑control scheme in respect of their flats during the period of their ownership and the rent which was usually payable in similar flats to which the rent‑control scheme did not apply.
CASE-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
Application no. 49902/14
In this application, two tenants (as indicated in Appendix 2B) moved to another flat within the same residential building while the regulated rent continued to apply for the tenant in question in personam (i.e. not in rem to the flat previously occupied by that tenant). Does this constitute a “continuing situation” for the purposes of calculating the six‑month rule under Article 35 § 1 of the Convention?
Application no. 76478/14
In this application, two tenants (as indicated in Appendix 4B) moved to another flat within the same residential building while the regulated rent continued to apply for the tenant in question in personam (i.e. not in rem to the flat previously occupied by that tenant). Does this constitute a “continuing situation” for the purposes of calculating the six‑month rule under Article 35 § 1 of the Convention?
Application no. 13285/15
The applicant no. 12, company Konventná apartments, s.r.o., ceased to exist as a result of a merger with another company, Feiglerov dom a.s., and the latter company as its legal successor wishes to continue the application. Can the latter company claim to be a victim of the alleged violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 as the legal successor of the original applicant (compare and contrast, see RF spol. s r.o. v. Slovakia (dec.), no. 9926/03, 20 October 2010)? If so, can the company Feiglerov dom a.s. claim to be a victim for the violations occurred before the merger?
APPENDIX 1A
List of applicants
Application no. 47922/14
The application was lodged on 11 June 2014 by twelve applicants, who all are Slovak nationals.
Mr Jiří DRAHOŠ, who was born in 1957 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Eva PECIAROVÁ, who was born in 1954 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Milan KOVÁČ, who was born in 1950 and lives in Trenčín,Mr Jozef KOVÁČ, who was born in 1954 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Viera JUNGOVÁ, who was born in 1939 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Ľubomír ŠČASNÝ, who was born in 1960 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Ľudovít LABÍK, who was born in 1957 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Beata LABÍKOVÁ, who was born in 1960 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Emília BALÁŽOVÁ, who was born in 1946 and lives in Piešťany,AKJ s. r. o. , a company with limited liability, with its registered office in Bratislava,PRIVÉEFINA s. r. o. , a company with limited liability, with its registered office in Bratislava,PERFEKT a. s., a joint-stock company with its registered office in Bratislava.
APPENDIX 1b
Application no. 47922/14
Property owned by the applicants and the period of application of rent-control
Applicants
Residential house address
Land Registry Entry
Flat number
Period of application of rent control
1.
Jiří DRAHOŠ
Jakubovo nám. 17, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
994
1, 2, 3
26/02/1998 -
Jakubovo nám. 19, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
994
2, 3
26/02/1998 -
2.
3.
4.
Eva PECIAROVÁ
Milan KOVÁČ
Jozef KOVÁČ
Špitálska 37, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4181
3, 5, 6
19/06/1991 -
5.
Viera JUNGOVÁ
Čajakova 36, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
1774
1
18/03/1992 -
6.
Ľubomír ŠČASNÝ
Heydukova 19, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4554
1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 12, 14
10/12/2010 -
10, 11
10/12/2010 - 01/05/2014
7.
8.
Ľudovít LABÍK
Beata LABÍKOVÁ
Šancová 76, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4434
7, 8, 9, 11
08/03/2001 -
9.
Emília BALÁŽOVÁ
Šancová 102, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
885
11, 12, 14, 15
31/05/1991 -
10.
AKJ s. r. o.
Žilinská 2, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4096
2nd floor/1, ground floor/1
29/04/2009 -
11.
PRIVÉEFINA s. r. o.
Šancová 76, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4434
7, 8, 9, 11
01/01/2011 -
12.
PERFEKT a.s.
Karpatská 7, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4891
1
25/04/1995 -
APPENDIX 2A
Application no. 49902/14
List of applicants
The application was lodged on 30 June 2014 by twenty-seven applicants. Ms J. Formanová, Ms N. Skružná and Ms H. Miňovská are Czech nationals; all other applicants are Slovak nationals.
Ms Jana MARTINOVIČOVÁ, who was born in 1959 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Eva ČEŘOVSKÁ, who was born in 1959 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Jana FORMANOVÁ, who was born in 1943 and lives in Brno, the Czech Republic,Ms Nadežda SKRUŽNÁ, who was born in 1948 and lives in Prague, the Czech Republic,Mr Július VAŇURA, who was born in 1990 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Ján VAŇURA, who was born in 1992 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Ján BIENIK, who was born in 1951 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Anna BIENIKOVÁ, who was born in 1949 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Renáta VONGREJOVÁ, who was born in 1937 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Jaroslava EDEDYOVÁ, who was born in 1949 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Katarína MURÁŇOVÁ, who was born in 1982 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Anna LALKOVIČOVÁ, who was born in 1954 and lives in Zvolen,Mr Ferdinand LALKOVIČ, who was born in 1949 and lives in Zvolen,Ms Anna SOPKOVČÍKOVÁ, who was born in 1978 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Boris ŠTEFÁNEK, who was born in 1954 and lives in ZázriváMs Viera ŠTEFÁNKOVÁ, who was born in 1961 and lives in Zázrivá,Ms Eleonóra ŽIDEKOVÁ, who was born in 1959 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Katarína PISARČÍKOVÁ, who was born in 1962 and lives in Zlaté Klasy,Mr Stanislav PAVÚK, who was born in 1942 and lives in Modra,Ms Eva NÉMETHOVÁ, who was born in 1937 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Lýdia MICHALČEKOVÁ, who was born in 1935 and lives in Nitra,Ms Helena MIŇOVSKÁ, who was born in 1949 and lives in Prague, the Czech Republic,Ms Helena WAGNEROVÁ, who was born in 1944 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Štefánia KOPORCOVÁ, who was born in 1943 and lives in Láb,Mr Pavel KOPOREC, who was born in 1962 and lives in Láb,Ms Milena ZÁLESŇÁKOVÁ, who was born in 1963 and lives in Láb,KONGREGÁCIA SESTIER NAJSVÄTEJŠIEHO SPASITEĽA, SLOVENSKÁ PROVINCIA, a religious organisation with its registered office in Bratislava.
APPENDIX 2b
Application no. 49902/14
Property owned by the applicants and the period of application of rent-control
Applicants
Residential house address
Land Registry Entry
Flat number
Period of application of rent control
1.
2.
Jana MARTINOVIČOVÁ
Eva ČEŘOVSKÁ
Štefánikova 16, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4290
1, 4
27/09/1991 -
7
27/09/1991- 31/12/2013
3.
4.
Jana FORMANOVÁ
Nadežda SKRUŽNÁ
Grösslingová 43, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4301
3, 5, 6, 9
15/11/1991 -
5.
6.
Július VAŇURA
Ján VAŇURA
Trenčianska 15, Bratislava II
344
8
13/11/2012 -
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Ján BIENIK
Anna BIENIKOVÁ Renáta VONGREJOVÁ
Jaroslava EDEDYOVÁ Katarína MURÁŇOVÁ
Anna LALKOVIČOVÁ Ferdinand LALKOVIČ Anna SOPKOVČÍKOVÁ
Budyšínska 2, Bratislava – Nové Mesto
1981
5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17-18
25/09/2009 -
15.
Boris ŠTEFÁNEK
Moyzesova 22 (ul. 1. mája 18), Žilina
4813
11
19/08/2000 -
1*
5*
19/08/2000 – 31/05/2002*
01/06/2002* -
9*
12*
19/08/2000 - 31/01/2002*
01/02/2002 - 02/04/2014*
16.
Viera ŠTEFÁNKOVÁ
Moyzesova 22 (ul. 1. mája 18), Žilina
4813
5, 11
27/01/2003 -
12
27/01/2003 - 02/04/2014
17.
18.
Eleonóra ŽIDEKOVÁ
Katarína PISARČÍKOVÁ
Obchodná 50, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4089
1
16/04/2002 -
19.
20.
Stanislav PAVÚK
Eva NÉMETHOVÁ
Obchodná 50, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4089
1
26/12/1991 -
21.
Lýdia MICHALČEKOVÁ
Obchodná 50, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4089
1
01/03/1991 -
22.
Helena MIŇOVSKÁ
Obchodná 50, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4089
1
18/03/2004 -
23.
Helena WAGNEROVÁ
Sasinkova 1, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
2582
3, 4
17/12/1997 -
24.
Štefánia KOPORCOVÁ
Trenčianska 11, Bratislava – Nivy
372
02, 04, 06
13/05/1992 -
25.
26.
Pavel KOPOREC
Milena ZÁLESŇÁKOVÁ
Trenčianska 11, Bratislava – Nivy
372
02, 04, 06
22/03/2013 -
25.
Pavel KOPOREC
Moravská 1, Bratislava – Nové mesto
1985
002, 101, 201, 202, 203, 204, 303, 304, 401, 402, 403, 501, 502, 503
25/05/2004 -
27.
Kongregácia sestier Najsvätejšieho Spasiteľa, Slovenská provincia
Grösslingová 34-36, Bratislava – Staré mesto
6100
1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14
19/07/1990 -
* The tenant moved to another flat in the same residential building while the regulated rent continued to apply.
APPENDIX 3A
Application no. 55307/14
List of applicants
The application was lodged on 31 July 2014 by an Austrian national.
Alexander RAUSCHER-NCHWALGER, who was born in 1959 and lives in Vienna, Austria.
APPENDIX 3b
Application no. 55307/14
Property owned by the applicant and the period of application of rent-control
Applicant
Residential house address
Land Registry Entry
Flat number
Period of application of rent control
1.
Alexander RAUSCHER-NCHWALGER
Ul. 29. augusta 19, Bratislava
4555
6
11/02/2011 - 28/09/2015
10
11/02/2011 - 26/06/2015
12
11/02/2011 - 28/09/2015
14
11/02/2011 -
APPENDIX 4A
Application no. 76478/14
List of applicants
The application was lodged on 28 November 2014 by fourteen applicants, who are all Slovak nationals with the exception of Mr E. Quastler, Ms I. Taussig and Ms O. F. Quastler, who are Israeli nationals.
Mr Peter GÁLFY, who was born in 1954 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Ivan KOVÁČ, who was born in 1958 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Vladimír Slavomír FRŤALA, who was born in 1956 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Dušan BADAL, who was born in 1941 and lives in Prague, Czech Republic,Mr Eyal QUASTLER, who was born in 1956 and lives in Granville, Ohio, USA,Ms Iris TAUSSIG, who was born in 1953 and lives in Herzelyia, Israel,Ms Orly Froydental QUASTLER, who was born in 1967 and lives in Tel Aviv, Israel,Ms Eva GÁLIKOVÁ, who was born in 1951 and lives in Pezinok,Ms Anna MARKOVÁ, who was born in 1949 and lives in Šamorín,Ms Vlasta VEČERÍKOVÁ, who was born in 1954 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Jozef REZEK, who was born in 1956 and lives in Bratislava,NESTVEST, s. r. o., a company with limited liability, with its registered office in Bratislava,IVOS - spol. s. r. o., a company with limited liability, with its registered office in Nitra,STAVEBNÁ SPOLOČNOSŤ RAVING, a. s., a joint-stock company, with is registered office in Piešťany.
APPENDIX 4b
Application no. 76478/14
Property owned by the applicants and the period of application of rent-control
Applicants
Residential house address
Land Registry Entry
Flat number
Period of application of rent control
1.
2.
Peter GÁLFY
Ivan KOVÁČ
Lešková 9, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
2058
1
03/06/2005 -
1
28/03/1984 -
3.
Vladimír Slavomír FRŤALA
Beskydská 6, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
3105
6
03/02/2000 -
10
21/09/1999 -
4.
Dušan BADAL
Šancová 102, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
885
1, 17
31/05/1991 -
5.
6.
7.
Eyal QUASTLER
Iris TAUSSIG
Orly Froydental QUASTLER
Šancová 2, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4287
4 ,5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
27/04/2007 -
8.
9.
10.
11.
Eva GÁLIKOVÁ
Anna MARKOVÁ Vlasta VEČERÍKOVÁ Jozef REZEK
Obchodná 50, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4089
1
12/06/2000 -
12.
NESTVEST, s.r.o.
Galandova 3, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4288
1
06/06/2000 -
13.
IVOS – spol. s.r.o.
Pražská 33, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4225
5, 12, 14, 17, 19, 23
27/02/2009 -
8
27/02/2009 - 31/08/2014
16*
9*
19/07/2010 - 31/08/2014
01/09/2014 -
14.
STAVEBNÁ SPOLOČNOSŤ RAVING, a.s.
Vrbovská cesta 15, Piešťany
7978
14*
25*
27/07/1998 - 31/07/2014
01/08/2014 -
21, 22, 24, 27, 28, 32, 33, 34
27/07/1998 -
* The tenant moved to another flat in the same residential building while the regulated rent continued to apply.
APPENDIX 5A
Application no. 13285/15
List of applicants
The application was lodged on 10 March 2015 by thirteen applicants, who are all Slovak nationals.
Mr Peter MIŠÍK, who was born in 1946 and lives in Kremnica,Mr Branislav MIŠÍK, who was born in 1972 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Radovan MIŠÍK, who was born in 1984 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Mária SOUKUPOVÁ, who was born in 1941 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Eva SOFKOVÁ, who was born in 1947 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Tomáš PLANK, who was born in 1956 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Ingrid PLANKOVÁ, who was born in 1956 and lives in Bratislava,Mr Dušan POHOVEJ, who was born in 1951 and lives in Bratislava,Ms Soňa POHOVEJOVÁ, who was born in 1957 and lives in Bratislava,NOE, s. r. o., a company with limited liability, with its registered seat in Dunajská Streda ,DANY 20, s. r. o., a company with limited liability, with its registered seat in Hlohovec,KONVENTNÁ APARTMENTS, s. r. o., a company with limited liability, with its registered seat in Bratislava, succeeded by FEIGLEROV DOM a. s., a joint-stock company with its registered seat in Bratislava,W.O.C.H. REAL a. s., a joint-stock company, with its registered seat in Bratislava.
By a letter of 27 May 2015 the applicants informed the Court that the applicant company Koventná Apartments, s.r.o. ceased to exist on 15 April 2015 as a consequence of merger with a joint-stock company Feiglerov dom a. s. who is its legal successor.
APPENDIX 5b
Application no. 13285/15
Property owned by the applicants and the period of application of rent-control
Applicants
Residential house address
Land Registry Entry
Flat number
Period of application of rent control
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Peter MIŠÍK
Branislav MIŠÍK
Radovan MIŠÍK
Mária SOUKUPOVÁ
Eva SOFKOVÁ
Zochová 18, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
2907
5
17/06/1992 -
5
17/06/1992 -
5
23/06/2009 -
5
24/02/1992 -
5
24/02/1992 -
6.
7.
8.
9.
Tomáš PLANK
Ingrid PLANKOVÁ
Dušan POHOVEJ
Soňa POHOVEJOVÁ
Námestie Slobody 10, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4884
3, 7, 8
16/08/1995 -
3, 7, 8
16/08/1995 -
3, 7, 8
16/08/1995 -
3, 7, 8
16/08/1995 -
10.
NOE, s. r. o.
Konventná 3, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
4565
A5, A6, B1, B2
27/07/2004 -
11.
DANY 20, s. r. o.
Cukrová 6,
Bratislava - Staré Mesto
9586
1, 2, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
31/01/2014 -
12.
KONVENTNÁ APARTMENTS, s. r. o.
(FEIGLEROV DOM a. s.)
Konventná 5, Bratislava - Staré Mesto
2759
2a, 8, 6a, 4, 3a, 6b, 3b, 1, 2b, 5
14/03/2007 (30/03/2015) -
13.
W.O.C.H. REAL a. s.
Račianska 20, Bratislava – Nové Mesto
4599
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21
27/01/2009 -
APPENDIX 6a
Application no. 34749/15
List of applicants
The application was lodged on 13 July 2015 by six applicants. The first applicant is Slovak national.
Mr Pavol SLÁVIK, who was born in 1949 and lives in Bratislava,APOLLO SPA & LIVING, s. r. o., a company with limited liability, with its registered office in Piešťany,OTP BUILDINGS, s. r. o., a company with limited liability, with its registered office in Bratislava,ŽIDOVSKÁ NÁBOŽENSKÁ OBEC BRATISLAVA, a religious organization, with its registered office in Bratislava,EVANJELICKÁ CIRKEV AUGSBURSKÉHO VYZNANIA NA SLOVENSKU, a religious organization, with its registered office in Bratislava,CIRKEVNÝ ZBOR EVANJELICKEJ CIRKVI AUGSBURSKÉHO VYZNANIA NA SLOVENSKU BRATISLAVA STARÉ MESTO, a religious organization, with its registered office in Bratislava.
APPENDIX 6b
Application no. 34749/15
Property owned by the applicants and the period of application of rent-control
Applicants
Residential house address
Land Registry Entry
Flat number
Period of application of rent control
1.
Pavol SLÁVIK
Štefánikova 31, Bratislava – Staré Mesto
4469
2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21
30/04/2007 -
2.
APOLLO SPA & LIVING, s. r. o.
Nitrianska 1, Piešťany
4672
1
22/02/2013 -
3.
OTP BUILDINGS, s. r. o.
Špitálska 61, Bratislava – Staré Mesto
8178
41, 42, 52, 53, 56, 61
06/07/2005 -
4.
ŽIDOVSKÁ NÁBOŽENSKÁ OBEC BRATISLAVA
Kupeľná 5, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č. 30
4851
3, 4, 5, 6, 10
20/07/1994 -
Svoradova 5, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č. 609
4851
1, 7
20/07/1994 -
Panenská 4, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č. 653
4851
6
20/07/1994 -
Palisády 42, Bratislava – Staré mesto
3086
2, 5
07/06/1996 -
5.
EVANJELICKÁ CIRKEV AUGSBURSKÉHO VYZNANIA NA SLOVENSKU
Svoradová 3, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č. 746
3587
2, 6
14/01/1997 -
Palisády 46, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č. 736
3587
16, 23
18/03/1992 -
Palisády 48, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č. 736
3587
1, 6, 10
18/03/1992 -
8
18/03/1992 - 22/06/2015
Panenská 25, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č. 101676
1895
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
19/05/2004 -
6.
CIRKEVNÝ ZBOR EVANJELICKEJ CIRKVI AUGSBURSKÉHO VYZNANIA NA SLOVENSKU BRATISLAVA STARÉ MESTO
Panenská 27, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č. 677
9559
1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12
18/03/1992 -
11
18/03/1992 - 20/02/2015
Konventná 14, Bratislava – Staré Mesto, bytový dom č.630
9559
1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16
18/03/1992 -
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