Arbitral Digest

Matter

Carl Hirschhorn v Romania (European Court of Human Rights, Application no. 29294/02)

  1. 24 June 1999Romania

    24 June 1999Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest District Court dated 24 June 1999

    Bucharest District Court

    Decision summary
    The court allowed Carl Hirschhorn's action to recover possession and ordered the defendants to restore the building at 16 Negustori Street, Bucharest, and adjoining land, finding that the State had taken possession without valid title.

    Supporting details

    4 participants
    Carl Hirschhorn
    Bucharest local council
    Rental Property Administration Department
    Titan
    Bucharest District Court

    5 months and 12 days later · 165 days

  2. 6 December 1999Romania

    6 December 1999Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest County Court dated 6 December 1999

    Bucharest County Court

    Decision summary
    The court upheld the first-instance judgment ordering restitution of the building and adjoining land to Carl Hirschhorn.

    6 months and 15 days later · 198 days

  3. 21 June 2000Romania

    21 June 2000Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest Court of Appeal dated 21 June 2000

    Bucharest Court of Appeal

    Decision summary
    The court declared the further appeal inadmissible for failure to give reasons, making the restitution judgment final.

    11 months and 9 days later · 343 days

  4. 30 May 2001Romania

    30 May 2001Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest District Court dated 30 May 2001

    Bucharest District Court

    Decision summary
    The court dismissed Carl Hirschhorn's action seeking to set aside the lease of the building and evict the United States Peace Corps, holding that Locato had authority to manage the property and that the lease was valid.

    Supporting details

    3 participants
    Carl Hirschhorn
    Locato
    United States Peace Corps
    Bucharest District Court

    5 months and 6 days later · 159 days

  5. 5 November 2001Romania

    5 November 2001Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest County Court dated 5 November 2001

    Bucharest County Court

    Decision summary
    On Carl Hirschhorn's appeal, the court set aside the first-instance decision, allowed his action, set aside the lease and ordered eviction of the tenant organisation.

    Supporting details

    3 participants
    Carl Hirschhorn
    Locato
    United States Peace Corps
    Bucharest County Court

    1 month and 16 days later · 46 days

  6. 21 December 2001Romania

    21 December 2001Romania

    Order of the Bucharest District Court dated 21 December 2001

    Bucharest District Court

    Decision summary
    The court authorised the bailiff to evict the tenant organisation under the Bucharest County Court's decision of 5 November 2001.

    2 months and 19 days later · 81 days

  7. 12 March 2002Romania

    12 March 2002Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest Court of Appeal dated 12 March 2002

    Civil Division of the Bucharest Court of Appeal

    Decision summary
    The court allowed Locato's appeal on points of law and dismissed Carl Hirschhorn's action, finding that the lease had been entered into in good faith even though Locato was not the owner.

    Supporting details

    2 participants
    Carl Hirschhorn
    Locato
    Civil Division of the Bucharest Court of Appeal

    9 days later · 9 days

  8. 21 March 2002Romania

    21 March 2002Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest District Court dated 21 March 2002

    Bucharest District Court

    Decision summary
    The court rejected Carl Hirschhorn's complaint against the bailiff, holding that the bailiff had not failed to enforce the restitution judgment after being told that the United States Peace Corps enjoyed immunity.

    Supporting details

    1 participant
    Carl Hirschhorn
    Bucharest District Court

    1 month and 22 days later · 53 days

  9. 13 May 2002Romania

    13 May 2002Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest County Court dated 13 May 2002

    Bucharest County Court

    Decision summary
    The court allowed Carl Hirschhorn's claim for restitution of the building but rejected his request for eviction because the United States Peace Corps was not a party to the proceedings.

    Supporting details

    3 participants
    Carl Hirschhorn
    Locato
    United States Peace Corps
    Bucharest County Court

    9 months and 4 days later · 280 days

  10. 17 February 2003Romania

    17 February 2003Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest County Court dated 17 February 2003

    Bucharest County Court

    Decision summary
    The court declared Carl Hirschhorn's second action to recover possession inadmissible while the action under Law no. 10/2001 remained pending.

    Supporting details

    2 participants
    Carl Hirschhorn
    State Diplomatic Property Management Agency
    Bucharest County Court

    8 months and 12 days later · 254 days

  11. 29 October 2003Romania

    29 October 2003Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest Court of Appeal dated 29 October 2003

    Bucharest Court of Appeal

    Decision summary
    The court upheld the County Court's decision declaring the second action to recover possession inadmissible.

    5 months and 2 days later · 154 days

  12. 31 March 2004Romania

    31 March 2004Romania

    Judgment of the Bucharest Court of Appeal dated 31 March 2004

    Bucharest Court of Appeal

    Decision summary
    The court allowed Locato's appeal and dismissed Carl Hirschhorn's restitution claim because he had not proved that title had passed to him as heir or that he had not been compensated under the 1959 France-Romania agreement.

    Supporting details

    2 participants
    Carl Hirschhorn
    Locato
    Bucharest Court of Appeal

    1 year, 3 months and 6 days later · 463 days

  13. 7 July 2005Romania

    7 July 2005Romania

    Judgment of the High Court of Cassation and Justice dated 7 July 2005

    High Court of Cassation and Justice

    Decision summary
    The court allowed Carl Hirschhorn's appeal on points of law and remitted the second possession case to the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

    Supporting details

    1 participant
    Carl Hirschhorn
    High Court of Cassation and Justice

    2 years and 19 days later · 749 days

  14. 26 July 2007International

    26 July 2007International

    Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, Third Section, in the case of Hirschhorn v. Romania (application no. 29294/02) dated 26 July 2007

    European Court of Human Rights, Third Section

    Case no.
    Application no. 29294/02
    Decision summary
    The Court held that Romania violated Article 6 § 1 of the Convention by failing to enforce the final judgment ordering the return of the applicant's building and by denying him a hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal. It also held that Romania violated Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 by depriving him of the effective enjoyment of his property. Romania was required to return the building within three months after the judgment became final or, failing restitution, to pay EUR 1,900,000; it was also required to pay EUR 200,000 for pecuniary damage and EUR 10,000 for non-pecuniary damage, with default interest, and the remainder of the just-satisfaction claim was dismissed.

    Supporting details

    29 authorities · 13 participants
    Carl Hirschhorn
    Representative
    L. Andreiescu (For: Carl Hirschhorn)
    Romania
    Representative
    R. Rizoiu (For: Romania)
    Representative
    B. Ramascanu (For: Romania)
    European Court of Human Rights, Third Section
    Other
    Court Reporter
    Santiago Quesada

    Authorities cited

    29
    • Romanian Decree No. 92/1950 on Nationalisation (Romanian Decree no. 92/1950)
      statute
    • Romanian Law No. 10/2001 on Immovable Property Wrongfully Nationalised by the State (Law no. 10/2001)
      statute
    • Romanian Administration of Justice Act (Law no. 92/1992)
      statute
    • Romanian Law No. 247/2005 (Law no. 247/2005)
      statute
    • Romanian Status of Judges Act (Law no. 303/2004)
      statute
    • Romanian Administration of Justice Act (Law no. 304/2004)
      statute
    • Romanian Law on the Supreme Council of the Judiciary (Law no. 317/2004)
      statute
    • Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (Vienna Convention of 18 April 1961)
      treaty
    • European Convention on State Immunity (Basle, 16 May 1972)
      treaty
    • United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and their Property, December 2004
      treaty
    • Agreement between the United States and Romania concerning the United States Peace Corps in Romania (Agreement signed 24 January 1992)
      treaty
    • Manoilescu and Dobrescu v. Romania and Russia (Application no. 60861/00, ECHR 2005-VI)
      case-law
    • Golder v. the United Kingdom (21 February 1975, Series A no. 18)
      case-law
    • Hornsby v. Greece (19 March 1997, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1997-II)
      case-law
    • Waite and Kennedy v. Germany (Application no. 26083/94, ECHR 1999-I)
      case-law
    • Metaxas v. Greece (Application no. 8415/02, 27 May 2004)
      case-law
    • Roman and Hogea v. Romania (Application no. 62959/00, 31 August 2004)
      case-law
    • Findlay v. the United Kingdom (25 February 1997, Reports 1997-I)
      case-law
    • Daktaras v. Lithuania (Application no. 42095/98, ECHR 2000-X)
      case-law
    • Buscemi v. Italy (Application no. 29569/95, ECHR 1999-VI)
      case-law
    • Sramek v. Austria (22 October 1984, Series A no. 84)
      case-law
    • James and Others v. the United Kingdom (21 February 1986, Series A no. 98)
      case-law
    • Iatridis v. Greece (Application no. 31107/96, ECHR 1999-II)
      case-law
    • Immobiliare Saffi v. Italy (Application no. 22774/93, ECHR 1999-V)
      case-law
    • Brumarescu v. Romania (Application no. 28342/95, ECHR 1999-VII)
      case-law
    • Prodan v. Moldova (Application no. 49806/99, ECHR 2004-III)
      case-law
    • Nikolova v. Bulgaria (Application no. 31195/96, ECHR 1999-II)
      case-law
    • Popescu Nasta v. Romania (Application no. 33355/96, 7 January 2003)
      case-law
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro (Judgment of 26 February 2007)
      case-law

Matter record

Report a correction

Carl Hirschhorn v Romania (European Court of Human Rights, Application no. 29294/02) · Matter