Legal support for those whose homes were damaged as a result of the war

When she was young, working at a collective farm in a town in Sumy Oblast, Liudmyla* bought a house for herself and her family. She paid the price of the property and waited for the seller to sign the purchase agreement as agreed. However, almost 35 years have passed, and she has not received the title documents for the house.

As a result of hostilities in the spring of 2022, the woman's house was damaged. As a pensioner, Liudmyla faces numerous difficulties due to her limited financial resources. The war in Ukraine and the constant changes in legislation forced her to go to court to finally formalize the ownership of her house. She realized that she would not be able to fully dispose of her property without the appropriate documents.

However, Lyudmyla had no income, except for a small pension, which would allow her to fully restore the technical documentation and pay the court fee, so she turned to lawyers from the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) for help.

To prepare a statement of claim for the court, the lawyers helped Lyudmyla obtain a new technical passport for the house and pay the court fee. In October 2024, the court ruled in favor of Liudmyla, officially recognizing her right to housing. As a result, the woman can now participate in the state program for the restoration of war-damaged housing and receive compensation for the repair of her house.

Free legal aid in Sumy region is provided by DRC with the financial support of the Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine.

*Name changed.