Compulsory enforcement of the fee for the transformation of the perpetual usufruct right into ownership of real estate

Abstract

In the Polish legal system, there are two ways of compulsory enforcement of obligations. It takes place either in administrative enforcement proceedings, which have no connection with the administration of justice, or in judicial enforcement proceedings, which are part of civil proceedings, ultimately determining the fulfilment by the courts of their respective judicial functions. Those proceedings are separate and independent of each other. Sometimes the obligation meets the conditions for administrative and judicial enforcement at the same time. Such an example is the fee for the transformation of perpetual usufruct into ownership. It has a civil law character, results from the operation of law or from an administrative decision, and a special provision does not specify the way of its enforcement. There is a convergence of criteria distinguishing between administrative and judicial enforcement.Currently, there is no doubt that the compulsory recovery of the transformation fee resulting from an administrative decision takes place in the mode of administrative enforcement, despite the civil law nature of this fee. Uncertainty arises as to the method of enforcement if the fee arises by operation of law. There are both sentences in favour of the admissibility of administrative enforcement and dissenting opinions favouring the admissibility of compulsory recovery of the fee in question by way of judicial enforcement.The aim of the article is to indicate the decisive criterion demarcating the path of administrative and judicial enforcement and to determine the method of enforcement of the fee for the transformation of the perpetual usufruct right into ownership. The work uses a formal-dogmatic method of work.