Sodna praksa

  • Podatki o zadevi
    • Nacionalna ID: High Court, Decision I Ip 585/2020
    • Država članica: Slovenija
    • Splošno ime:N/A
    • Vrsta odločbe: Sodna odločba v pritožbenem postopku
    • Datum odločbe: 07/10/2020
    • Sodišče: Višje sodišče v Mariboru
    • Zadeva:
    • Tožnik:
    • Toženec:
    • Ključne besede: withdrawal period, unfair terms, imbalance between the rights of the parties, consumer contract, contract
  • Členi direktive
    Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 3 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 3, 1. Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 4 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 4, 2. Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 6 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 6, 1. Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 7 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 7, 1. Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 8 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 8
  • Uvodna opomba

    ECLI:SI:VSMB:2020:I.IP.585.2020


    The Court of Second Instance is bound by the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), which ruled that, in accordance with the principle of the effectiveness of EU law, the enforcement court has the possibility to conduct an examination as to whether the directly enforceable notarial deed of the consumer mortgage loan agreement contains unfair terms within the meaning of Directive 93/13/EEC. Therefore, the enforcement court can decide to postpone the proposed enforcement. The Court emphasises that the concept of minimum harmonisation allows the Member States a wide margin of discretion. The Slovenian legislature did not implement Article 4(2) of Directive 93/13 into Slovenian law. This Article constitutes a restriction on the assessment of unfair terms regarding the main obligations, which are comprehensible and clear. In other words, Slovenian legislature also enables the assessment of clear main conditions. Moreover, the issue of a properly performed obligation to inform does not matter for the scope of the assessment of dishonesty under the Slovenian regulation. In the present case, the Court of the Second Instance took the view that the contractual condition on the pegging of a long-term housing consumer loan to a foreign currency, the Swiss franc (CHF), was covered by an unfair (inadmissible) term in question because it did not contain an appropriate currency risk limit.

    Relevance: The Court takes a newer approach, an innovative and modern interpretation of legal norms regarding unfair terms and regarding the obligation to inform. The Court interprets the obligation to inform in a much broader way than usual.

  • Dejstva

    The litigants (bank and consumer) entered into a mortgaged credit agreement (housing loan) in the form of a directly enforceable notarial deed. The credit obligation with a currency clause was linked to the Swiss franc (CHF). The debtor was obliged to pay the loan in installments in local currency (EUR) at the reference exchange rate of the European Central Bank on the day of payment. Due to non-payment, the bank, as a creditor, filed a motion for enforcement on the basis of a directly enforceable notarial deed of the mortgage credit agreement. The executive court thus allowed the execution of the credit obligation (housing loan).

  • Pravna zadeva
    • Can the executive court rule on unfair terms in the notarial deed in accordance with Directive 93/13/EEC and therefore postpone the proposed enforcement?
    • What is considered an unfair contract term in notarial deed under Article 4(2) of Directive 93/13?
  • Odločba

    The enforcement court has the possibility to conduct an examination as to whether the directly enforceable notarial deed of the consumer mortgage loan agreement contains unfair terms within the meaning of Directive 93/13/EEC and therefore it can postpone the proposed enforcement. The Court of Second Instance states that the Slovenian enforcement procedure, due to its special nature and the system of legal remedies adapted to it, enables the enforcement court to make a substantive assessment of unfair conditions in the enforcement procedure. It is not necessary for the enforcement court to leave the said issues to the court in a separate lawsuit and only to postpone enforcement. The only limitation is that the judgement of the executive court on the preliminary issue and its decision on enforcement will have effect only for the enforcement proceedings, given the objective limits of finality. The Court of Second Instance relied on recent findings of legal theory of distinguishing between enforceable titles and directly enforceable notarial deeds. In the case of the latter, a substantive test regarding the opposition to coercive regulations is allowed. It is crucial to understand that in the case of a notarial deed, the effect of the enforceable title is based on the debtor's procedural disposition regarding direct enforceability. The latter, however, must not allow coercive orders and prohibitions of substantive law to be circumvented.

    In the present case, the Court of the Second Instance took the view that the contractual condition on the pegging of a long-term housing consumer loan to a foreign currency, the Swiss franc (CHF), was covered by an unfair (inadmissible) term in question because it did not contain an appropriate currency risk limit. In accordance with the principle of protection of the weaker party and the principle of good faith, the Court in the present consumer credit case emphasises the obligation of the bank to formulate the pre-prepared content of the contract in such a way that the consumer's interests can be effectively pursued. The bank must follow the consumer's reasonable expectations and protect it from the risk of indemnity and the situation of falling into insolvency and consequently into a spiral of indebtedness that can result in the consumer losing a home.

    Celotno besedilo: Celotno besedilo

  • Povezane zadeve

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Pravna literatura

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Zadetek

    The procedure continues. The appeal is upheld. Judgement is in I. and II. point of the operative part annulled and to that extent, the case is returned to the Court of First Instance for a new procedure. The decision on the costs of the appeal proceedings shall be reserved for the final decision.