Odesa Sees Surge in Condominium Lawsuits Over Utility Debts

In Odesa region, the number of lawsuits against condominium debtors is growing. As of the end of 2024, 547 cases of non-payment of utility bills were filed with the court, which is 15% of the total number in Ukraine.

This is stated on the Opendatabot platform.

According to the court registry, in 2023, condominiums filed 1,400 lawsuits against co-owners, which was a record. This is due to the lifting of the ban on fines for debts at the end of the same year. In 2024, the number of lawsuits did not decrease - by the end of the year, the courts had already considered 3.6 thousand cases of debt.

Most of the lawsuits are filed by condominiums in Dnipropetrovska oblast (18% of all lawsuits), followed by Odesa oblast (15%), and Zaporizka oblast (14%).

More and more often, condominiums are applying for a court order that allows them to collect debts without a court hearing. In 2024, 2.2 thousand such orders were issued, which is almost equal to the pre-war figures.

Experts remind that a lawsuit for debt collection must be filed within three years, otherwise the court may refuse to consider the case.

According to the law, the debt of each apartment owner is his or her personal responsibility and cannot be shared among other residents. However, in practice, some condominiums face situations where the debt of one of the owners has to be compensated to all the neighbors.

Lawyers advise to deal with debtors not only through the courts, but also through mechanisms of influence, such as restricting access to common property or documenting the facts of illegal use of it.

In February, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a procedure for recalculating the cost of utilities. This includes heating, water supply, and garbage collection.

According to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, this is a clear algorithm based on the principle of "pay for what you get."

On May 24, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in the Verkhovna Rada that the government would approve a new electricity tariff by the end of May 2024.

Thus, starting from June 1, the single electricity tariff for households will be UAH 4.32/kW. The decision was made at a government meeting on May 31. The new tariff will be in effect from June 1, 2024, until the end of April 2025, i.e. less than a year.

The gas tariff from Naftogaz of Ukraine will remain unchanged, and the water tariff for small settlements will depend on the decisions of local governments.

Some categories of citizens may pay only 25% of the amount charged on their utility bills. The Pension Fund explained who can claim such a bonus.

Ірина Глухова