Mr T.K. and Mrs T.K. v. HUNGARY



              EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

                         FIRST CHAMBER

                   Application No. 26209/95

                    Mr T. K. and Mrs T. K.

                            against

                            Hungary

                   REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

                 (adopted on 9 December 1997)

                       TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                          Page

INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

PART I  : STATEMENT OF THE FACTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

PART II : SOLUTION REACHED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

                         INTRODUCTION

1.   This Report relates to the application introduced under

Article 25 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human

Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by Mr T. K. and Mrs T. K. against

Hungary on 24 March 1994.  It was registered on 13 January 1995 under

file No. 26209/95.

2.   The Government of Hungary were represented by their Agent,

Dr Károly Bárd, then of the Ministry of Justice.

3.   On 21 May 1997 the Commission (First Chamber) declared the

application partially admissible insofar as it concerns the

applicants' complaints relating to the length of the civil court

proceedings in question.  It then proceeded to carry out its task under

Article 28 para. 1 of the Convention which provides as follows:

     "In the event of the Commission accepting a petition referred to

     it:

     a.   it shall, with a view to ascertaining the facts, undertake

     together with the representatives of the parties an examination

     of the petition and, if need be, an investigation, for the

     effective conduct of which the States concerned shall furnish all

     necessary facilities, after an exchange of views with the

     Commission;

     b.   it shall at the same time place itself at the disposal of

     the parties concerned with a view to securing a friendly

     settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for Human Rights

     as defined in this Convention."

4.   The Commission (First Chamber) found that the parties had reached

a friendly settlement of the case and on 9 December 1997 it adopted

this Report, which, in accordance with Article 28 para. 2 of the

Convention, is confined to a brief statement of the facts and of the

solution reached.

5.   The following members were present when the Report was adopted:

          Mrs  J. LIDDY, President

          MM   M.P. PELLONPÄÄ

               E. BUSUTTIL

               A. WEITZEL

               C.L. ROZAKIS

               L. LOUCAIDES

               B. CONFORTI

               N. BRATZA

               I. BÉKÉS

               G. RESS

               A. PERENIC

               C. BÎRSAN

               K. HERNDL

               M. VILA AMIGÓ

          Mrs  M. HION

          Mr   R. NICOLINI

                            PART I

                    STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

6.   The applicants, husband and wife, both pensioners, are Hungarian

citizens born in 1933 and 1928, respectively, and resident in

Budakeszi, Hungary.

7.   The applicants complained under Article 6 para. 1 of the

Covention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 about the length of

proceedings which concerned their claim of possession of part of a

disputed real estate and their request that a related land registry

entry be rectified. They brought their action before the Buda

Surroundings District Court (Budakörnyéki Bíróság) in March 1984. On

20 November 1996 the District Court took a partial decision as to the

borders of the applicants' lot. To the extent that the impugned land

registry entry was concerned, the District Court ordered that this

question be separated and dealt with by the Administrative Chamber of

the District Court. On 23 September 1997 the Pest County Regional Court

(Pest Megyei Bíróság) suspended, pending the proceedings before the

Administrative Chamber, the appeal proceedings concerning the partial

decision. The proceedings before the Administrative Chamber are still

pending.

                            PART II

                       SOLUTION REACHED

8.   Following the decision on the admissibility of the application,

the Commission (First Chamber) placed itself at the disposal of the

parties with a view to securing a friendly settlement in accordance

with Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention and invited the parties

to submit any proposals they wished to make.

9.   In accordance with the usual practice, the Chamber Secretary,

acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the parties to

explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.

10.  By letters of 12 June and 10 July 1997, respectively, the

applicants and the respondent Government indicated their willingness,

in principle, to reach a friendly settlement.

11.  On 19 September 1997 the Chamber Secretary, acting on the

Commission's instructions, indicated to the parties that the

Commission, having regard to the case-law of the European Court of

Human Rights under Article 50 of the Convention in comparable cases and

the particular circumstances of the present case, considered that a

friendly settlement could be reached on the basis of a payment to the

applicants of a sum of money amounting to a total of 600,000 Hungarian

forints (HUF) with regard to the applicants' non-pecuniary damage.

12. The Government notified the Commission, by letter dated

29 September 1997, that they were prepared to pay the applicants

HUF 600,000 in full and final settlement of the matter.  On

16 October 1997 the applicants informed the Commission that they

accepted the Government's offer.

13.  The agreement, as approved by the parties, is as follows:

"Statements of the parties with a view of a friendly settlement

     With reference to Article 28 para. 1 of the European Convention

of Human Rights and to the assistance of the European Commission of

Human Rights, the parties in the proceedings concerning Application

No. 26209/95, lodged by Mr and Mrs , declare as follows:

     1.   The Government of Hungary will pay 600,000 Hungarian

     forints to the applicants as compensation in respect of any

     possible claims relating to the present application. The

     Government will transfer this sum directly to the applicants'

     bank account no. ... at OTP Bank Rt (II. kerület, Széna tér 7.).

     2.   The applicants declare their application settled.

     3.   The applicants waive any further claims against the

     Government of Hungary relating to the present application."

   "A felek nyilatkozata a kérelem békés rendezését illetoen

     "A és által benyújtott, 26209/95 számú

kérelemmel kapcsolatban a Felek, hivatkozással az Európai Emberi Jogi

Egyezmény 28. Cikk (1) bekezdésére, valamint az Európai Emberi Jogi

Bizottság közremuködésére, kijelentik:

     1.   A Magyar Köztársaság Kormánya, a jelen kérelembol eredo

     valamennyi követelés vonatkozásában nyújtandó kárpótlás gyanánt,

     megfizet a kérelmezok részére 600 000 Ft-ot. A fenti összeget a

     Kormány közvetlenül a kérelmezok ...... számú, az OTP Bank Rt.

     II. kerület, Széna tér 7. számú fiókjában vezetett bankszámlájára

     utalja át.

     2.   A kérelmezok kijelentik, hogy ezzel a fenti számú

     kérelemmel kapcsolatos ügyet rendezettnek tekintik.

     3.   A kérelmezok a jelen üggyel kapcsolatos, a Magyar

     Köztársaság Kormányával szembeni valamennyi további követelésüket

     elejtik."

14.  At its session on 9 December 1997, the Commission noted that the

parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement.

It further considered, having regard to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the

Convention, that the friendly settlement of the case had been secured

on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in the Convention.

15.  For these reasons, the Commission adopted the present Report.

       M.F. BUQUICCHIO                  J. LIDDY

          Secretary                     President

     to the First Chamber          of the First Chamber

 

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