RON 4 Million in Compensation for a Property Unlawfully Taken Before 1989

On March 27, 2026, the Timisoara Court of Appeal delivered a final judgment by which it allowed the appeal filed by our clients, private individuals and German nationals, in proceedings against the National Commission for Property Compensation, partially changed the first-instance judgment in respect of the unfavourable solution rendered against them, and recognised their right to fair compensation for the property unlawfully taken by the communist regime, while also ordering the National Commission to issue a new compensation decision.

The dispute is particularly significant because of its duration and complexity. The restitution steps were initiated as early as 2001 by the claimants' predecessor, the son of the owner from whom the property had been unlawfully taken, and the final solution comes more than two decades after the notification was filed. Our clients, his wife and daughters, continued the proceedings in order to secure recognition of their succession rights and obtain effective redress.

The property at issue, a historic villa designed by architect Eduard (Ede) Reiter, a leading figure of early twentieth-century Timisoara architecture, can no longer be returned in kind. In this context, the court's judgment ensures compensation by equivalent, in the amount of RON 4 million, calculated on the basis of the legal provisions applicable in this field.

The solution once again confirms the need for rigorous and up-to-date valuation in compensation procedures, as well as the essential role of the courts in correcting situations of prolonged inequity. For the clients, this judgment marks the conclusion of legal steps begun 25 years ago and represents substantial redress for a historical injustice.

Assistance and representation at first instance were provided by Dan-Adrian Cărămidariu, PhD, attorney-at-law and Maximilian-Andrei Druță, PhD, attorney-at-law, with Alexandra Bob, PhD, attorney-at-law joining on appeal, all within the civil law practice of CDB Legal.