FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 56966/09
Stelian ŞTEFĂNESCU against Romania
and 18 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 5 July 2018 as a Committee composed of:
Vincent A. De Gaetano, President,
Georges Ravarani,
Marko Bošnjak, judges,
and Liv Tigerstedt, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above applications lodged on the various dates indicated in the appended table,
Having regard to the observations submitted by the respondent Government and the observations in reply submitted by the applicants,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
1. The list of applicants is set out in the appended table.
2. The applicants’ complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of the Protocol No. 1 concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic judgments were communicated to the Romanian Government (“the Government”). In application no. 56966/09 the applicant also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention.
THE LAW
A. Joinder of the applications
3. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
B. Complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of the Protocol No. 1 (non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic judgments)
1. Preliminary issues
4. As concerns application no. 75623/13 the Government raised a preliminary objection, arguing that the application should be dismissed as incompatible ratione personae. In this connection the Government submitted that the judgment in the applicant’s favor was enforced within a period of 3 years and 7 months. The domestic courts awarded the applicant compensation for the delayed enforcement of the said judgment.
5. The applicant did not bring any arguments capable of disproving these facts.
6. Comparing the compensation granted at domestic level in the present case with the amounts awarded by the Court for comparable delayed enforcement of domestic judgments in similar cases (see Trofim v. Romania (just satisfaction), no. 1193/08, § 15, 3 March 2015), the Court considers that the amount awarded to the applicant cannot be regarded as unreasonable.
7. In the light of the above, the Court finds that the national authorities have acknowledged and then afforded redress for the alleged breach of the Convention. It follows that the applicant can no longer claim to be the victim of a violation of the Convention within the meaning of Article 34 (see Shikunov v. Russia (dec.), no. 23211/04, § 18, 23 January 2018), that the Government’s objection must be upheld and that this application is to be rejected pursuant to Articles 34 and 35 §§ 3 (a) and 4.
8. In respect of applications nos. 61627/14 and 34904/15, the Government submitted that the complaints of some of the applicants, namely Mr Cristian Ștefănescu Zamfir (application no. 61627/14), Mr Niculae Apostol and Mr Grigore Banu (application no. 34904/15) should be dismissed as incompatible ratione personae. In this connection the Government pointed out that these applicants were not parties in the domestic proceedings and could not, therefore, claim to be victims of the alleged violations of the Convention.
9. The applicants did not address this preliminary objection.
10. In light of all the evidence before it, and in particular noting that Mr Cristian Ștefănescu Zamfir, Mr Niculae Apostol and Mr Grigore Banu were not parties in the domestic proceedings, the Court considers that the Government’s objection as regards these applicants’ lack of legal standing must be upheld. It follows that applications nos. 61627/14 and 34904/15 are incompatible ratione personae with the provisions of the Convention in respect of the three aforementioned applicants, within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) and must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 4 of the Convention (see Yavorovenko and Others v. Ukraine, no. 25663/02, §§ 19-21, 17 July 2014).
11. The Court finds that it does not need to rule on the rest of the preliminary objections raised by the Government, because the complaints in the remaining applications are inadmissible in any event, as presented below.
2. Remaining applications
12. Having examined all the material before it, the Court considers that, for the reasons stated below, the respondent Government cannot be held liable for the non-enforcement or the delayed enforcement of the judgments given in the applicants’ favour in the remaining applications.
13. In respect of applications nos. 61627/14, 34904/15, 16114/16, 29599/16 and 29629/16 the Court notes that on 6 December 2013 the debtor company was declared bankrupt and the Brăila County Court duly acknowledged the “objective impossibility” to enforce the outstanding judgment. Therefore, the applicants had become aware that there was no realistic hope of a favourable outcome or progress of the enforcement proceedings at the domestic level on 6 December 2013, more than six months before they lodged their applications with the Court (see Sokolov and Others v. Serbia (dec.), no. 30859/10, § 29, 14 January 2014). It follows that these applications were submitted too late and they must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 1 and 4 of the Convention.
14. In respect of applications nos. 56966/09 and 2113/14 the Court notes the existence of an objective impossibility of enforcing the judgments in the applicants’ favour (see Ciobanu and Others v. Romania (dec.), nos. 898/06 and 3 others, § 27, 6 September 2011).
15. In applications nos. 64930/14, 77000/14, 9404/15 and 14110/15, the Court notes that the judgments in question were enforced within periods ranging from 1 month to 3 years and 7 months. However, taking into account the complexity of the enforcement proceedings, the conduct of the applicants as well as the conduct of the authorities, the Court notes that these periods are not so excessive as to raise an arguable claim under the Convention (see, for example, Şerbănescu v. Romania (dec.), no. 43638/10, §§ 9-10, 1 December 2016).
16. In application no. 68755/14, having regard to the particular context of the case, namely the amount to be paid and the domestic authorities’ assessment as to the impact of an immediate payment of the total amount, the Court considers that the measures taken by the national authorities to pay the amount due in several instalments struck a fair balance between the applicant’s rights to see the judgment enforced within a reasonable time and the public interest at stake (see Dumitru and Others v. Romania (dec.), no. 57265/08, §§ 45-52, 4 September 2012).
17. In applications nos. 54153/14, 54323/14, 60172/14 and 62295/14, in light of the particular circumstances of these cases, namely the high number of creditors and that the applicants are privileged creditors registered on the creditors’ list in liquidation proceedings which are pending, with the possibility still remaining to recover their debt, the Court finds that the enforcement delays are justified and that they are not so excessive as to raise an arguable claim under the Convention (see Murărașu v. Romania (dec.), no. 45733/10, § 33, 10 November 2015).
18. As regards applications nos. 3498/15 and 17627/15 the Court notes that the applicants did not undertake the required procedural steps in order to enforce the judgments, failing to demolish the private persons’ constructions at their expense (application no. 3498/15) and to file a timely request to register on the creditors’ list (application no. 17627/15) (see Li v. Russia, no. 38388/07, §§ 14-21, 24 April 2014).
19. In view of the above, the Court finds that the complaints as described in paragraphs 14 - 18 above are manifestly ill-founded and must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 and 4 of the Convention.
C. Remaining complaints
20. In application no. 56966/09 the applicant also raised other complaints under various articles of the Convention.
21. The Court has examined the complaints and considers that, in the light of all the material in its possession and in so far as the matters complained of are within its competence, these complaints do not meet the admissibility criteria set out in Articles 34 and 35 of the Convention.
22. It follows that these complaints must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 4 of the Convention.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to join the applications;
Declares the applications inadmissible.
Done in English and notified in writing on 26 July 2018.
Liv TigerstedtVincent A. De Gaetano
Acting Deputy RegistrarPresident
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of the Protocol No. 1
(non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic judgments)
No.
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant name
Date of birth/Date of registration
Relevant domestic judgments
Start date of non-enforcement period
End date of non-enforcement period
Length of enforcement proceedings
56966/09
15/10/2009
Stelian Ştefănescu
01/02/1956
Vâlcea District Court, 20/03/1998
02/12/1998
pending
More than 19 years and 8 months and 17 days
75623/13
22/11/2013
Gabriel Popescu
18/03/1976
Bucharest County Court, 21/04/2011
15/12/2011
28/07/2015
3 years and 7 months and 14 days
2113/14
18/12/2013
S.C. VSV Invest Grup S.R.L.
represented by Sorin Virgil Vamos
Cluj Napoca First Instance Court, 25/10/2011
06/09/2012
pending
More than 5 years and 8 months and 18 days
54153/14
24/07/2014
Paul Ioniță
19/07/1963
Dâmbovița County Court, 05/11/2009
02/02/2010
pending
More than 8 years and 3 months and 21 days
54323/14
24/07/2014
Lavinia Marilena Ioniță
09/01/1965
Dambovița County Court, 05/11/2009
02/02/2010
pending
More than 8 years and 3 months and 22 days
60172/14
27/08/2014
S.C. Uzina de Reparații Târgu Jiu S.A.
21/11/1992
Gorj County Court, 11/11/2009
27/05/2010
pending
4 years and 6 months
61627/14
04/09/2014
(86 applicants)
Alexandru Ivan
01/01/1957
Ionel Huiu
19/12/1953
Nicușor-Mihăiță Rusu
10/05/1974
Marian Despa
30/10/1968
Nicoleta Badin (Raicu)
03/08/1961
Ovidiu Deicu
30/01/1961
Florin Gologan
20/09/1967
Anatolie Sîrbu
02/07/1967
Mitica Oiță
20/03/1959
Fănica Dragomir
21/05/1965
Marioara Luță
08/08/1959
Gheorghe Nedelcu
21/09/1960
Mihai-Carolică Parisz
17/02/1962
Viorica Duțu
04/02/1969
Petrus-Iulian Duțu
25/09/1968
Panait Mustață
22/10/1958
Costică Nedelcu
06/03/1953
Matei Teacă
02/06/1962
Ionel Irimia
19/10/1961
Ioana Petre
10/05/1958
Radu Enache
07/03/1967
Gina Dobre
17/07/1968
Alina-Elena Puiu
30/05/1969
Dora Deicu
12/10/1969
Aurel Popa
05/09/1963
Giulio Sălbatecu
01/08/1959
Gheorghe Jinga
16/09/1954
Mariana Maraloiu
23/10/1967
Eduard-Laurențiu Lambru
30/08/1973
Ionel Neagu
31/01/1978
Virgil Robitu
02/09/1954
Marian Jălăveanu
23/07/1967
Maria Hriscu
19/09/1960
Stăvărache Gheorghe
11/11/1954
Neculai Popârțac
02/12/1955
Nicu Iordăchescu
05/08/1958
Elena Stanciu
29/04/1960
Grozea Rotaru
15/06/1959
Stelică Ion
17/05/1965
Crăciunel Modreanu
05/03/1970
Ion Giuvelnic
08/08/1969
Valentina Ciornea
29/11/1968
Nicu-Leonard Raita
16/07/1964
Mihaiță-Adrian Crețu
30/01/1971
Mirela Lalu
27/05/1960
Tudorița Apostol
24/11/1969
Neculai Gavrilă
01/01/1959
Aurelia-Adelina Sărăcilă
12/12/1967
Vasile Todoran
03/09/1955
Iordan Gheorghiță
11/03/1967
Dănuț-Ionel Ciornea
02/12/1968
Ionel Mircioiu
09/04/1958
Vasile Huiu
04/09/1964
Veta Grosu
09/05/1955
Geta-Nicoleta Bălan
19/08/1972
Ionel Popescu
25/10/1967
Stănel Turtoi
26/06/1968
Angelica Datcu
26/05/1970
Claudiu Georgescu
07/01/1959
Doina Martinescu
06/08/1962
Aristide Marica
21/04/1966
Elena Popescu
30/06/1961
Simion Nan
11/06/1962
Costea Drăgan
11/05/1949
Elena Teacă
21/05/1967
Cristian-Ștefăniță Zamfir
31/01/1979
Anita Barabașa
22/02/1969
Silviu-Giovani Ana
17/08/1965
Răducu Cheleș
10/01/1972
Dumitru Ghermeni
11/04/1967
Marian Giuvelic
03/06/1973
Marioara Jinga
12/03/1955
Tache Constantin
02/02/1952
Petre Chipăilă
20/03/1953
Stamate Enache
11/07/1949
Cornelia Milea
04/04/1950
Ion Buda
17/09/1953
Georgeta Buda
31/03/1956
Viorel Panaite
12/05/1964
Violeta Cazan
14/09/1970
Radu Cîrîc
01/02/1956
Emil Stoianof
08/08/1965
Dumitru Pănuță
25/04/1952
Daniela Toma
05/05/1965
Vasile Comșa
11/02/1968
Gheorghe Sîrbu
16/05/1959
represented by
Gheorghiță Pîrlog
Brăila County Court, 06/06/2011
10/11/2011
pending
More than 6 years and 6 months and 14 days
62295/14
26/08/2014
S.C. Sinaia S.A.
represented by Marian Lucu, a lawyer practising in Bucharest
Bucharest District Court, 20/03/2009
06/07/2010
pending
More than 7 years and 10 months and 18 days
64930/14
05/12/2014
Ioan Frățiloiu
19/02/1954
Dâmbovița County Court, 21/03/2013
04/09/2013
04/04/2017
3 years and 7 months and 1 day
68755/14
10/10/2014
Vasile Dumbravă
13/08/1965
Bucharest District Court, 26/04/2012
22/11/2012
pending
More than 5 years and 6 months and 7 days
77000/14
05/12/2014
Ana Suciu
28/12/1932,
represented by Dan-Laurențiu Molnar, a lawyer practising in Bistrița
Bistrița First Instance Court, 05/03/2014
10/06/2014
12/06/2015
1 year and 3 days
3498/15
07/01/2015
Niculae Dumitru
02/07/1941
represented by Gheorghe Marinescu, a lawyer practising in Bucharest
Cornetu District Court, 20/02/2008
16/06/2008
pending
More than 9 years and 11 months and 8 days
9404/15
13/02/2015
Anișoara Vasilescu
02/11/1957
represented by Cătălin Nicolae Pangratie, a lawyer practising in Bucharest
Teleorman County Court, 19/09/2011
14/03/2012
18/08/2014
2 years and 5 months and 5 days
14110/15
13/03/2015
Gheorghe Rotariu
12/12/1966
Timișoara Court of Appeal, 08/03/2011
06/06/2012
22/04/2015
2 years and 10 months and 17 days
17627/15
25/05/2015
Viorel Prefac
16/04/1959
Ploiești Court of Appeal, 14/12/2010
29/03/2012
pending
More than 6 years and 1 month and 25 days
34904/15
01/07/2015
(156 applicants)
Ionel Anghel
26/07/1967
Niculae Apostol
11/06/1962
Ionel Aramă
22/12/1969
Ionel Asiminei
08/03/1971
Costică Baciu
01/01/1960
Grigore Banu
28/03/1969
Emil Barac
01/01/1970
Laura-Daniela Bădașcu
24/11/1970
Victor Berbeci
03/03/1971
Chiva Berdant
24/04/1971
Nicu Berdant
06/04/1967
Tudorel Berdant
27/05/1969
Cristian-Ioan Berger
23/12/1954
Ion Bibicu
03/09/1952
Haralambie Birău
16/09/1953
Dumitru Bobi
04/07/1958
Mariana Bodea
08/02/1956
Danieluța Bucovală
11/02/1970
Ionel Burlacu
14/10/1966
Viorel Butnariu
25/06/1957
Nelu Călin
23/01/1955
Resmie Călin
14/01/1966
Fane Căcrilugăru
17/07/1965
Gheorghe Chirac
29/08/1957
Georgel Cîrstescu
27/07/1967
Ilie Ciuciu
19/03/1967
Georgeta Ciucu
11/01/1956
Stelian Ciucu
06/06/1950
Ilie Cojocea
27/03/1967
Adriana Constantin
16/12/1959
Constantin Copăceanu
17/12/1970
Cristache Crăciun
24/09/1969
Manole Cricia
22/10/1960
Marin Cristea
28/07/1950
Ștefan Cristea
30/01/1951
Gigi Croitoru
19/02/1968
Ionel Cursaru
19/12/1967
Nicoleta-Daniela Cursaru
18/04/1968
Stelică Damian
14/05/1970
Cătălin-Marian Dimcea
12/11/1967
Jenica Dimcea
21/12/1967
Sofica Dinisov
30/08/1964
Marian Dobrotă
07/07/1972
Vasile Dobrotă
18/12/1949
Aurel Drăgan
01/09/1956
Cornel Drăghici
06/08/1967
Mihail-Nelu Drăghici
25/06/1968
Ștefan Dumitrașcu
05/11/1957
Milică Dumitru
18/08/1962
Sandu Dumitru
21/08/1966
Grigore Enache
30/11/1965
Marin Enache
21/02/1956
Niță Enache
14/08/1953
Vasilica Ene
21/09/1957
Lenuța Găgeanu
26/10/1967
Săndel Găgeanu
08/02/1963
Georgel Geru
12/06/1969
Ghiorghiță Ghelase
17/02/1961
Sandu Ghenea
26/03/1961
Ionel Gheorghe
10/06/1961
Marian Gheorghe
25/09/1966
Valentin Gheorghiu
10/03/1957
Gheorghe-Lucian Gherghișan
07/12/1957
Ion Ghinea
13/01/1957
Ionel Gurău
05/08/1962
Marian Gurlea
16/06/1975
Stan Gurlea
03/11/1949
Vasile Hanganu
28/03/1951
Ionel-Leonard Hangeli
24/05/1962
Costel Hăhăianu
08/03/1961
Timofei Iacob
23/06/1955
Constantin Iconaru
03/12/1949
Victor Ioniță
29/01/1963
Liviu Ilie
08/08/1970
Tache Ilie
20/02/1968
Liviu Ioan
26/08/1967
Gabriel Jîrlăianu
06/11/1967
Cristian Lalu
17/08/1961
Louer-Lori Lăzăroiu
06/02/1972
Elena Leșu
10/03/1964
Gheorghe Marcu
06/05/1961
Alexandru Marin
11/07/1967
Daniela Marin
27/10/1968
Georgeta Matei
09/08/1956
Vasile Matei
09/01/1953
Marioara Meiroș
10/10/1964
Valentin Meiroș
07/05/1963
Florin Mihai
07/12/1968
Zaharia Mihai
13/04/1958
Anghel Mirică
15/06/1967
Gica Miron
10/06/1960
Remo Miron
04/10/1967
Vasile Miron
21/02/1952
Ion Mitache
26/07/1949
Florin-Marian Mitu
30/08/1975
Marian Mitu
12/05/1968
Dumitru Mocanu
03/08/1949
Marian Mocanu
06/11/1952
Valentina-Alina Mocanu
14/11/1970
Georgeta Mogoșiu
01/01/1954
Leonard Năstase
01/08/1967
Irimia Neacșu
05/01/1967
Ionel Neagu
26/10/1965
Petrică Neculai
16/01/1961
Nae Nica
03/03/1959
Emil Nicolae
24/11/1967
Marcel Nistor
25/03/1964
Mihaela Nistor
28/01/1968
Adrian Oprea
15/01/1971
Romel Oprea
02/07/1963
Octav-Marian Paveliu
18/09/1970
Dumitru Petre
27/01/1971
Marin Petrescu
27/06/1955
Ionel Pintilie
22/09/1958
Mărgărit Pistol
01/08/1950
Eugeniu-Valeriu Pitulice
02/05/1970
Marioara Popa
20/12/1952
Gheorghe Popîrțac
23/08/1950
Gheorghe Poterași
18/01/1959
Petrică Prică
03/03/1970
Ion Puia
30/10/1951
Viorel Radu
24/11/1974
Eugen-Luigi Rădulescu
13/04/1963
Olguța-Florentina Robu
20/01/1969
Ștefan Roman
12/10/1971
Rodica Roșculeț
13/11/1959
Titi Rusea
29/08/1967
Mihalache Sîrbu
26/02/1958
Sică Sîrbu
16/08/1973
Mihai Soare
01/01/1961
Ștefan Spânu
18/04/1953
Costel Surdu
10/06/1961
Ion Șerban
01/03/1962
Carmen Ștefan
16/12/1964
Ionel Ștefan
13/11/1961
Ion Tacea
20/03/1966
Maria Tacea
24/11/1960
Dumitru Didel Tarachiu
08/07/1967
Rodica Tarachiu
07/01/1969
Nicolae Tănase
20/08/1967
Iordan Tătaru
29/10/1956
Adrian Traian
17/02/1956
Niculae Tropcea
13/09/1949
Sorin-Adrian Trufașu
06/12/1970
Jan Tudor
20/12/1952
Mariana Tudor
18/05/1959
Carmen-Adina Tudorache
02/03/1964
Tudora Tudose
12/11/1957
Nicu Tureac
01/03/1966
Constanța Turtoi
07/01/1958
Eugen Turtoi
06/04/1959
Dorina Vasilescu
28/10/1961
Mihaela-Lilica Vlad
01/10/1976
Marioara Voicilă
07/06/1958
Corneliu Vrabie
20/03/1973
Steluța Zainea
10/02/1966
represented by Haralambie Birău, a lawyer practising in Bucharest
Galați Court of Appeal, 10/11/2011
10/11/2011
pending
More than 6 years and 6 months and 14 days
16114/16
08/02/2016
(4 applicants)
Vasilica Dobrotă
18/10/1949
Ion Oțelea
10/04/1950
Mihaela Zaieț
08/11/1965
Leon-Dorian Trandafir
27/06/1965
represented by Leon-Dorian Trandafir
Brăila County Court, 06/06/2011
10/11/2011
pending
More than 6 years and 6 months and 14 days
29599/16
16/05/2016
Ioana Condrea
07/06/1954
Octavian Condrea
15/02/1975
Brăila County Court, 06/06/2011
10/11/2011
pending
More than 6 years and 6 months and 14 days
29629/16
16/05/2016
Mărioara Chiţoiu
19/06/1958
Eugen Chițoiu
24/06/1987
Brăila County Court, 06/06/2011
10/11/2011
pending
More than 6 years and 6 months and 14 days
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