Sodna praksa

  • Podatki o zadevi
    • Nacionalna ID: High Court, Judgement II Cp 928/2021
    • Država članica: Slovenija
    • Splošno ime:N/A
    • Vrsta odločbe: Sodna odločba v pritožbenem postopku
    • Datum odločbe: 08/09/2021
    • Sodišče: Višje sodišče v Ljubljani
    • Zadeva:
    • Tožnik:
    • Toženec:
    • Ključne besede: misleading commercial practices, unfair terms, imbalance between the rights of the parties, nullity
  • 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.
  • Uvodna opomba

    ECLI:SI:VSLJ:2021:II.CP.928.2021

    Annulment as a sanction is possible when the contractual conditions of a contract are unfair. Meaning that both bad faith of a contracting party and a significant imbalance between the rights and obligations of the contracting parties when concluding the contract are present. The bank is obliged to perform the explanatory duty to the extent required for the average consumer standard. Failure or improper performance of the explanatory duty does not in itself lead to an annulment of the agreements. Such a sanction occurs only if there is unfairness regarding the main subject of the contract.

  • Dejstva

    The consumer (the plaintiff) concluded a loan agreement and a real estate pledge agreement with the bank (the defendant) in the foreign currency of Swiss francs (CHF). Before signing those agreements, the employee of the bank explained the possibility of the exchange rate fluctuating, which can influence the consumer’s obligation. The consumer explained that he needed some time to think and left. Upon returning, he concluded both of those agreements. Later on, there was an increase in the value of CHF against the value of the EUR which resulted in an increase of the consumers credit encumbrance, because now, to pay the monthly annuity in CHF, the consumer had to spend bigger quantities of EUR than before. The consumer brought actions for both agreements by claiming nullity due to unfair contractual conditions, because of a significant imbalance between the rights and obligations of the contracting parties and because the bank acted in bad faith.

  • Pravna zadeva
    • Were the contractual conditions unfair due to the bank acting in bad faith and a significant imbalance between the rights and obligations of the contracting parties was present when concluding the contract?
    • Are the agreements null, because of unfair contractual conditions?
  • Odločba

    The consumer failed to prove the bank’s bad faith. The bank clearly and understandably presented both the option of a loan in euros as well as in franks and reminded the consumer of the currency risk that the amount in euros required to repay the monthly annuities in CHF would also depend on a currency ratio that is unpredictable in the long run (25 years). The consumer even signed the bank’s statements confirming that he is aware of the currency risk and accepts the risk of movements and changes in foreign exchange rates. The consumer decided on a credit in Swiss francs because of the lower interest rates and not because of a misleading, incomplete or untrue presentation of the loan by the bank. The plaintiff as an average consumer could and should have been aware of the possibility of changing the monthly annuity in euros due to exchange rate fluctuations. Thus, the bank completely, professionally, diligently, and understandably fulfilled its explanatory duty.

    Additionally, the consumer did not prove that the contractual condition causes a significant imbalance in the contractual rights and obligations of the parties, nor that the performance is unjustified to the detriment of the consumer or that the performance of the agreement is essentially different than what the consumer justifiably expected, which means that the contractual condition is not unfair. The monthly values of the annuities, converted into EUR, varied upwards and downwards from the conclusion of the contract until the judgement was given, in both cases by a maximum of 10 EUR, which the consumer by his own witness statement expected and thus accepted. The consumer has not shown that, in view of his income (monthly net salary of 1,240.00 EUR), he is unable to pay annuities (on the date of the judgement, assuming the annuity is still 310.00 CHF converted into EUR, amounts to 289.00 EUR, which is 7 EUR more than at the time of concluding the contract). In conclusion, the agreements are not null.

    Celotno besedilo: Celotno besedilo

  • Povezane zadeve

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Pravna literatura

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Zadetek

    The Court of Appeal agrees with the evidentiary assessment of the Court of First Instance. The Appellate Court dismissed all of appellant’s claims as unfound and upheld the decision of the first instance.