Sodna praksa

  • Podatki o zadevi
    • Nacionalna ID: Maribor High Court, Judgement I Ip 701/2019
    • Država članica: Slovenija
    • Splošno ime:N/A
    • Vrsta odločbe: Sodna odločba v pritožbenem postopku
    • Datum odločbe: 09/10/2019
    • Sodišče: Višje sodišče v Mariboru
    • Zadeva:
    • Tožnik:
    • Toženec:
    • Ključne besede: Consumer credit, credit agreement, unfair terms, enforcement, informed decision
  • Členi direktive
    Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 3, 1. Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 8 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 8
  • Uvodna opomba

    ECLI:SI:VSMB:2019:I.IP.701.2019

    In the context of ensuring a high level of consumer protection, the fundamental goal is to effectively establish equality between the supplier and the consumer, who is otherwise subordinate and unable to influence the content of the conditions, and in doing so, also discourage suppliers from continuing to use unfair terms. The duty of a national court is to establish equality by rejecting the effect of unfair contract terms, even if the consumer is not active in this regard. Consumer protection not only realises the private interest of a specific consumer, but also the public interest of raising the standard of living and quality of life in society. The role and responsibilities of the national court are not limited to the possibility of ruling on the unfairness of a condition. It also has the obligation to react immediately as soon as such a condition is detected.

    Applies and explains that the consumer must be provided with effective judicial protection against unfair conditions even during the enforcement phase.

  • Dejstva

    In the present enforcement case, the bank, as a creditor, demanded from the consumer, as a debtor, the execution of the credit obligation (housing mortgage credit) on the basis of a directly enforceable notarial deed of the credit agreement. The credit obligation was bound to the Swiss franc (CHF) and the debtors were required to pay it in domestic currency (EUR) at the reference exchange rate of the European Central Bank on the day of payment. The interest rate was linked to the reference interest rate of CHF LIBOR for six months. In their objection to the enforcement order, the debtors (consumers) stated that the bank had not properly warned them about the currency risk, which led them to enter into an unfair contract, under which they are now obliged to repay a significantly higher credit value than they received from the bank. They considered that this was an unequal position of the parties, in which the debtor could not repay the credit in full, despite the regular payment of the credit, as it had increased completely disproportionately due to a significant change in the exchange rate. In response to the objection, the creditor stated that it had no influence on the change in the exchange rate, but that the debtors voluntarily agreed to the contract and therefore are bound by it. The bank also stated that it had informed the debtor about the currency risk, which is confirmed by the signed statement.

  • Pravna zadeva

    1. May a national court alter or adapt an unfair condition to an acceptable level?

    2. Should a court provide the effective judicial protection for consumer against unfair conditions even during the enforcement phase?

    3. Were the constitutional aspects also important for the decision-making of the court, especially the values of the principle of the welfare state and the social function of the property?

  • Odločba

    The concept of minimum harmonisation leaves the Member States with a wide margin of discretion. The Slovenian legislature also enabled the assessment of clear,  transparent (not just unfair) conditions, whereby the issue of a properly performed explanatory duty does not matter for the scope of the admissible assessment of dishonesty under the Slovenian regulation. In doing so, the Slovenian legislator defined additional criteria for assessing unfair terms than those arising from Article 3(1) of Directive 93/13/EEC, thus enabling better, broader protection for consumers. Due to the nullity of the unfair currency clause, only the sanction of nullity of the entire credit agreement remains. A notarial deed of such a contract shall not have the effect of an enforceable title.

    URL: http://sodnapraksa.si/?q=I%20Ip%20701/2019&database[IESP]=IESP&_submit=i%C5%A1%C4%8Di&id=2015081111433454&rowsPerPage=20

    Celotno besedilo: Celotno besedilo

  • Povezane zadeve

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Pravna literatura

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Zadetek

    Since there has been infringement under both national law and Directive 93/13, a national court may not alter or adapt an unfair condition to an acceptable level. The Court found that the invalidity of the unfair currency clause resulted in a sanction for the annulment of the entire credit agreement. Consequently, the notarial deed of such a contract does not affect an enforceable title. However, as the Court of First Instance did not take into account the clarified legal approach when deciding on the objection against the decision, the Court of First Instance upheld the appeal and annulled the decision and returned the case to the Court of First Instance for a new procedure.