Recognition of ownership of destroyed housing in Avdiivka

Olena’s Family* lived in Avdiivka, Donetsk Region. The apartments they owned in this city were destroyed. Olena and her family tried to submit a notification about the damage to their housing in order to eventually receive compensation. However, their attempts were unsuccessful: there was no record of ownership in the State Register of Property Rights (SRPR). The possibility of resolving the legal issues related to their housing was blocked.

The family sought legal assistance from a lawyer at the civil society organization “STEP.” She provided comprehensive information on the necessary steps, explained the registration procedure, and listed the documents required by the registrar to enter data into the SRPR.

After reviewing the documents, it was established that all family members were the rightful owners of the housing in Avdiivka, Donetsk region. Their ownership rights had been acquired in the 1990s and registered with the Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI). However, this information was not present in the SRPR. Since it was impossible to obtain official confirmation from the BTI, the registrar refused to carry out the registration.

The lawyer assisted the family in gathering evidence and preparing lawsuits to establish their ownership rights. All the courts upheld the claims and recognized the ownership rights of each family member to their respective homes. Based on these rulings, the ownership rights were entered into the SRPR. Now, the family will be able to seek compensation for the loss of their housing.

Free legal assistance in Zaporizhzhia region was made possible through the cooperation between NGO “STEP” and the Danish Refugee Council, with funding from the European Union.

*The name has been changed to protect personal data.