CEDH · CASELAW;REPORTS;ENG — 13 avril 1994

.sDD6737AE { font-size:11pt } .s211D6B00 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; widows:0; orphans:0; font-size:8.5pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial }                        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.    <Translation>         "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."   <German>         "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)