EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
FIRST CHAMBER
Application No. 15591/89
Karl and Stefanie Weiss
against
Austria
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
(adopted on 13 April 1994)
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 Karl and Stefanie Weiss against
Austria on 15 September 1989. It was registered on 10 October 1989
under file No. 15591/89.
The applicants were represented by Messrs. W.L. Weh and
J. Lindlbauer, lawyers practising in Bregenz and Enns respectively.
The Government of Austria were represented by their Agent,
Mr. F. Cede, Ambassador, Head of the International Law Department at
the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. On 5 May 1993 the Commission (First Chamber) declared admissible
the applicants' complaint under Article 6 para. 1 of the Convention
relating to the length of the proceedings as well as their complaint
under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 that they did not obtain adequate
compensation and declared inadmissible the remainder of the
application. 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."
3. The Commission (First Chamber) found that the parties had reached
a friendly settlement of the case and on 13 April 1994 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.
The following members were present when the Report was adopted:
MM. A. WEITZEL, President
C.L. ROZAKIS
F. ERMACORA
E. BUSUTTIL
A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK
Mrs. J. LIDDY
MM. M.P. PELLONPÄÄ
B. MARXER
B. CONFORTI
N. BRATZA
I. BÉKÉS
E. KONSTANTINOV
PART I
STATEMENT OF THE FACTS
4. The applicant couple are Austrian nationals residing in
St. Pölten, Lower Austria.
5. On 24 May 1977 the Provincial Governor (Landeshauptmann) of Lower
Austria expropriated 12.155 m2 of the real property the applicants own
in Stattersdorf (Austria) and fixed the compensation for the
expropriation at AS 611.293. The applicant's appeal to the Federal
Minister for Construction and Technology (Bundesminister für Bauten und
Technik) was unsuccessful.
6. On 31 August 1979 the applicants filed a claim before the
St. Pölten District Court (Bezirksgericht) for compensation in the
amount of AS 1.397.600 against the Attorney General's Department
(Finanzprokuratur). On 30 December 1987 the District Court fixed the
compensation in the amount of AS 809.839,71. Both parties appealed
against this judgment to the St. Pölten Regional Court (Landesgericht),
which on 11 May 1988 quashed the Regional Court's judgment. On
15 December 1988 the Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) granted the
parties' appeals against the Regional Court's judgment and referred the
case back to the Regional Court. On 3 March 1989 the Regional Court
fixed the compensation at AS 809.839,71 and dismissed the applicants'
further claim. Again, both parties appealed to the Supreme Court,
however, on 3 April 1989 the Attorney General's Department withdrew its
appeal. On 7 September 1989 the Supreme Court dismissed the
applicants' appeal.
PART II
SOLUTION REACHED
7. Following the decision on the admissibility of the application,
the Commission 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.
8. In accordance with the usual practice, the Secretary of the
Commission, acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the
parties to explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.
9. In the light of the response of the parties, the Commission
decided to invite the parties to a meeting in Vienna on
14 February 1994 with a view to discussing the possibilities of
reaching a friendly settlement. At the meeting, the Commission was
represented by Mr. Ermacora as Delegate, the Secretary to the
Commission and other members of the Secretariat. As a result of the
negotiations, the parties reached agreement in the terms set out below.
This agreement was confirmed by the parties by letters of 22 February
and 11 April 1994 respectively.
10. "Statements of the parties with a view to a friendly settlement With reference to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the parties in the proceedings concerning Application No. 15591/89, lodged by Mr. Karl Weiss and Mrs. Stefanie Weiss, declare with a view to a friendly settlement, reached with the assistance of the European Commission of Human Rights, as follows: 1. The Government of the Republic of Austria will pay to the applicants a sum of altogether AS 200,000 as compensation in respect of any possible claims relating to the present application. This sum includes also counsel's fees and expenses incurred in the proceedings before the Commission. This amount will be paid to the applicants' representative Mr. Wilfried Ludwig Weh in Bregenz. 2. The applicants declare their application settled. 3. The applicants waive any further claims against the Republic of Austria relating to the present application." "Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung In der Beschwerdesache Nr. 15591/89 des Herrn Karl Weiss und der Frau Stefanie Weiss einigen sich die Parteien unter Bezugnahme auf Artikel 28 Abs. 1 lit. b der Europäischen Konvention zum Schutze der Menschenrechte und Grundfreiheiten und unter Mitwirkung der Europäischen Kommission für Menschenrechte auf die nachstehende gütliche Regelung: 1. Die österreichische Regierung zahlt den Beschwerdeführen als Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche im Zusammenhang mit der vorliegenden Beschwerde einen Gesamtbetrag von öS 200.000. Dieser Betrag enthält auch die Gebühren und Auslagen, die im Rahmen des Verfahrens vor der Kommission entstanden sind. Dieser Betrag wird an den Verfahrensbevollmächtigten der Beschwerdeführer Herrn Rechtsanwalt Dr. Wilfried Ludwig Weh in Bregenz überwiesen. 2. Die Beschwerdeführer erklären ihre oben genannte Beschwerde für erledigt. 3. Die Beschwerdeführer verzichten auf die Geltendmachung allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen die Republik Österreich im Zusammenhang mit dem der Beschwerde zugrundeliegenden Sachverhalt." 11. At its session on 13 April 1994, the Commission noted that the parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement. If 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. 12. For these reasons, the Commission adopted this Report. Secretary to the First Chamber President of the First Chamber (M. F. BUQUICCHIO) (A. WEITZEL)
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