Sodna praksa

  • Podatki o zadevi
    • Nacionalna ID: Maribor High Court, Judgement I Ip 712/2019
    • Država članica: Slovenija
    • Splošno ime:N/A
    • Vrsta odločbe: Sodna odločba v pritožbenem postopku
    • Datum odločbe: 06/11/2019
    • Sodišče: Višje sodišče v Mariboru
    • Zadeva:
    • Tožnik:
    • Toženec:
    • Ključne besede: Consumer credit, unfair terms, enforcement, professional diligence, vulnerable consumer
  • Členi direktive
    Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 3 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 4
  • Uvodna opomba

    ECLI:SI:VSMB:2019:I.IP.712.2019

    As regards the condition of a significant contractual imbalance, the Court of Second Instance explains that a contractual provision on unlimited currency risk can affect the consumer much more than the bank. As a capital-strong financial institution, equipped with special expertise, important data and experience, a bank manages currency risk more easily than the consumer does . Therefore, the nominal (harmful) change in the exchange rate is much more detrimental to the consumer. The average consumer is highly vulnerable in such a contractual relationship, as they do not have the ability to manage the risk. The average consumer can handle only small changes in the amount of a credit instalment. The variable interest rate itself can significantly affect the amount of the loan instalment, so additional management of currency risk for the average consumer is expected to be minimal. The banking product should be designed to only leave the consumer with  the risks that the average consumer can be expected to manage. However, the credit agreement in question does not even contain the possibility for the consumer to withdraw from unmanageable currency risk during the term of the agreement.

    Applies and explains that the consumer is a highly vulnerable contractual party in a consumer loan contract and therefore the banking product should be designed to only leave the consumer with  the risks that the average consumer can be expected to manage.

  • Dejstva

    In the enforcement case, the Court of First Instance allowed the enforcement of a credit obligation (housing loan) proposed by a Slovenian bank as a creditor against a Slovenian consumer debtor on the basis of a directly enforceable notarial deed of a mortgage loan agreement. The credit obligation was pegged to the Swiss franc (CHF). The debtors undertook to pay credit instalments from a personal account. The loan agreement stipulated that the costs of loan approval and insurance, converted into EUR at the reference exchange rate of the Bank of Slovenia, were also to be paid from the personal account. An administrative payment ban on the debtor's salary was agreed to as a condition for drawing credit.

  • Pravna zadeva

    1. What does the bank need to do to follow the consumer's reasonable expectations and protect them from the risk of indemnification and the situation of insolvency?

    2.  When can it be defined that credit is socially functional?

  • Odločba

    A loan in foreign currency for a Slovenian consumer who has an income in domestic currency (EUR) means currency risk, which can cause a large loss for the consumer. With regard to the assessment of the unfairness of an unrestricted foreign currency loan, it is essential to respect the principle of diligence and fairness, which the Court of Second Instance linked to respect for the consumer's legitimate interest in stable credit and refusal to understand that such financing is speculative. In this regard, the principle of protection of the weaker party is important, as well as the requirement for responsible credit lending and professional diligence of the bank in designing the credit product. The bank must follow the consumer's reasonable expectations and protect them from the risk of compensation and the situation of falling into insolvency and, consequently, into a spiral of indebtedness.

    URL: http://sodnapraksa.si/?q=I%20Ip%20701/2019&database[IESP]=IESP&_submit=i%C5%A1%C4%8Di&rowsPerPage=20&page=0&id=2015081111434265

    Celotno besedilo: Celotno besedilo

  • Povezane zadeve

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Pravna literatura

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Zadetek

    The Court of First Instance paused the pending proceedings until the decision of the CJEU in Case C-407/18, in which the CJEU ruled in regard to the question of the Court of Second Instance. This fulfils the condition for continuing the procedure. However, there is a new reason to stay in the proceedings. In the present case, litigation is pending at the same time as the enforcement proceedings, in which the debtors claim protection against an unfair condition in the credit agreement in the form of a directly enforceable notarial deed. The possible annulment of the legal transaction under that credit agreement is a preliminary issue in the present enforcement case. The Court of  Second Instance has ruled that the civil case is in its final stage, so it is advisable to suspend the enforcement proceedings and wait for the final decision of the Civil Court. The Court of Second Instance paused the proceedings.