Lexploria

EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

FIRST CHAMBER

Application No. 15591/89

Karl and Stefanie Weiss

against

Austria

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

(adopted on 13 April 1994)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

PART I: STATEMENT OF THE FACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

PART II: SOLUTION REACHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

INTRODUCTION

1. This Report relates to the application introduced under

Article 25 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human

Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by Karl and Stefanie Weiss against

Austria on 15 September 1989. It was registered on 10 October 1989

under file No. 15591/89.

The applicants were represented by Messrs. W.L. Weh and

J. Lindlbauer, lawyers practising in Bregenz and Enns respectively.

The Government of Austria were represented by their Agent,

Mr. F. Cede, Ambassador, Head of the International Law Department at

the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2. On 5 May 1993 the Commission (First Chamber) declared admissible

the applicants' complaint under Article 6 para. 1 of the Convention

relating to the length of the proceedings as well as their complaint

under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 that they did not obtain adequate

compensation and declared inadmissible the remainder of the

application. It then proceeded to carry out its task under

Article 28 para. 1 of the Convention which provides as follows:

"In the event of the Commission accepting a petition referred to

it:

a. it shall, with a view to ascertaining the facts, undertake

together with the representatives of the parties an

examination of the petition and, if need be, an

investigation, for the effective conduct of which the

States concerned shall furnish all necessary facilities,

after an exchange of views with the Commission;

b. it shall at the same time place itself at the disposal of

the parties concerned with a view to securing a friendly

settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for Human

Rights as defined in this Convention."

3. The Commission (First Chamber) found that the parties had reached

a friendly settlement of the case and on 13 April 1994 it adopted this

Report, which, in accordance with Article 28 para. 2 of the Convention,

is confined to a brief statement of the facts and of the solution

reached.

The following members were present when the Report was adopted:

MM. A. WEITZEL, President

C.L. ROZAKIS

F. ERMACORA

E. BUSUTTIL

A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK

Mrs. J. LIDDY

MM. M.P. PELLONPÄÄ

B. MARXER

B. CONFORTI

N. BRATZA

I. BÉKÉS

E. KONSTANTINOV

PART I

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

4. The applicant couple are Austrian nationals residing in

St. Pölten, Lower Austria.

5. On 24 May 1977 the Provincial Governor (Landeshauptmann) of Lower

Austria expropriated 12.155 m2 of the real property the applicants own

in Stattersdorf (Austria) and fixed the compensation for the

expropriation at AS 611.293. The applicant's appeal to the Federal

Minister for Construction and Technology (Bundesminister für Bauten und

Technik) was unsuccessful.

6. On 31 August 1979 the applicants filed a claim before the

St. Pölten District Court (Bezirksgericht) for compensation in the

amount of AS 1.397.600 against the Attorney General's Department

(Finanzprokuratur). On 30 December 1987 the District Court fixed the

compensation in the amount of AS 809.839,71. Both parties appealed

against this judgment to the St. Pölten Regional Court (Landesgericht),

which on 11 May 1988 quashed the Regional Court's judgment. On

15 December 1988 the Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) granted the

parties' appeals against the Regional Court's judgment and referred the

case back to the Regional Court. On 3 March 1989 the Regional Court

fixed the compensation at AS 809.839,71 and dismissed the applicants'

further claim. Again, both parties appealed to the Supreme Court,

however, on 3 April 1989 the Attorney General's Department withdrew its

appeal. On 7 September 1989 the Supreme Court dismissed the

applicants' appeal.

PART II

SOLUTION REACHED

7. Following the decision on the admissibility of the application,

the Commission placed itself at the disposal of the parties with a view

to securing a friendly settlement in accordance with

Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention and invited the parties to

submit any proposals they wished to make.

8. In accordance with the usual practice, the Secretary of the

Commission, acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the

parties to explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.

9. In the light of the response of the parties, the Commission

decided to invite the parties to a meeting in Vienna on

14 February 1994 with a view to discussing the possibilities of

reaching a friendly settlement. At the meeting, the Commission was

represented by Mr. Ermacora as Delegate, the Secretary to the

Commission and other members of the Secretariat. As a result of the

negotiations, the parties reached agreement in the terms set out below.

This agreement was confirmed by the parties by letters of 22 February

and 11 April 1994 respectively.

10. "Statements of the parties with a view to a friendly settlement

With reference to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the European

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

the parties in the proceedings concerning Application No. 15591/89,

lodged by Mr. Karl Weiss and Mrs. Stefanie Weiss, declare with a view

to a friendly settlement, reached with the assistance of the European

Commission of Human Rights, as follows:

1. The Government of the Republic of Austria will pay to the

applicants a sum of altogether AS 200,000 as compensation in

respect of any possible claims relating to the present

application. This sum includes also counsel's fees and expenses

incurred in the proceedings before the Commission.

This amount will be paid to the applicants' representative

Mr. Wilfried Ludwig Weh in Bregenz.

2. The applicants declare their application settled.

3. The applicants waive any further claims against the

Republic of Austria relating to the present application."

"Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung

In der Beschwerdesache Nr. 15591/89 des Herrn Karl Weiss und der

Frau Stefanie Weiss einigen sich die Parteien unter Bezugnahme auf

Artikel 28 Abs. 1 lit. b der Europäischen Konvention zum Schutze der

Menschenrechte und Grundfreiheiten und unter Mitwirkung der

Europäischen Kommission für Menschenrechte auf die nachstehende

gütliche Regelung:

1. Die österreichische Regierung zahlt den Beschwerdeführen

als Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche im Zusammenhang mit

der vorliegenden Beschwerde einen Gesamtbetrag von öS 200.000.

Dieser Betrag enthält auch die Gebühren und Auslagen, die im

Rahmen des Verfahrens vor der Kommission entstanden sind.

Dieser Betrag wird an den Verfahrensbevollmächtigten der

Beschwerdeführer Herrn Rechtsanwalt Dr. Wilfried Ludwig Weh in

Bregenz überwiesen.

2. Die Beschwerdeführer erklären ihre oben genannte Beschwerde

für erledigt.

3. Die Beschwerdeführer verzichten auf die Geltendmachung

allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen die Republik Österreich

im Zusammenhang mit dem der Beschwerde zugrundeliegenden

Sachverhalt."

11. At its session on 13 April 1994, the Commission noted that the

parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement.

If further considered, having regard to Article 28 para. 1 (b)

of the Convention, that the friendly settlement of the case had been

secured on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in the

Convention.

12. For these reasons, the Commission adopted this Report.

Secretary to the First Chamber President of the First Chamber

(M. F. BUQUICCHIO) (A. WEITZEL)

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WEISS v. AUSTRIA

WEISS v. AUSTRIA

LEXI