Overcoming an error in the register and restoring ownership
A man — the owner of a residential house in Donetsk region — turned to lawyers of the Danish Refugee Council for free assistance. He unexpectedly encountered a problem: he was unable to confirm his ownership of the house in the modern state register. Although this right had been formalised back in 1977 on the basis of a gift agreement and registered with the Bureau of Technical Inventory, when he tried to enter the data into the electronic register, he received a refusal.
In the past, two neighbouring houses had the same address. In 2013, the local authorities streamlined the numbering and changed the address of one of them. However, these changes were not fully reflected in the state register. As a result, the system retained information only about the neighbouring house, whose owner was a woman who had died many years ago. In practice, this meant that the man’s house disappeared from the register — together with the possibility of fully exercising his rights in respect of his property.
A lawyer of the Danish Refugee Council helped restore the ownership history literally piece by piece. Archival documents and BTI records that are not reflected in electronic systems were collected, along with decisions of local authorities regarding the address adjustment. These documents became decisive — they confirm both the ownership right and the way the house address changed over time. On this basis, the lawyer prepared a claim to the court and built a clear legal position.
The case has already been referred to the court. Importantly, no one disputes the man’s ownership of the house — the issue is only to correct the mistake in the register. Therefore, we expect a positive decision that will make it possible to restore justice and ensure that the man can fully use and dispose of his property. This case demonstrates how important legal support is in situations where even seemingly minor technical errors in registers can significantly restrict a person’s basic property rights.
DRC provides free legal aid in Donetsk region thanks to funding from the European Union.
