Registration of inheritance rights to immovable property located in a temporarily occupied territory
Olena* found herself in a situation where the inherited property was located in an occupied territory and the documents for it had been lost. To resolve the issue of accepting the inheritance after her grandmother’s death, she sought legal assistance from a lawyer of STEP NGO. The notary refused to process the inheritance due to the absence of title documents for the relevant immovable property, which the woman had lost during forced displacement.
The lawyer provided comprehensive step-by-step legal counselling on the possible legal mechanisms for acquiring ownership of inherited property in the absence of title documents. Given that it proved impossible to restore the lost documents out of court, Olena was advised on the possibility of judicial protection of her violated right.
The lawyer helped collect and systematise the necessary evidence confirming family ties, the opening of the inheritance, and the deceased grandmother’s ownership of the property, and also prepared a statement of claim to the court.
The court satisfied the claim and recognised Olena’s ownership of the inherited property. Olena was then assisted in completing the registration of ownership in the State Register of Proprietary Rights to Immovable Property on the basis of the court decision.
As a result of the legal assistance provided, the woman received the inheritance and formalised her ownership of the immovable property.
* The name has been changed to protect personal data, the image is an illustration and does not reflect the specific events described in the story.
Access to free legal aid in Zaporizhzhia region became possible thanks to the partnership between the NGO “STEP” and the Danish Refugee Council, with funding provided by the European Union.
