Overpaying on energy bills happens frequently due to the complexity of invoicing. How long overpaid amounts can be claimed back in front of Hungarian courts? Should the claim for refund be understood as a statutory claim, governed by the general 5 years’ limitation period? Or is it a contractual claim, where the shorter limitation regime of the Electricity Act applies? In a recent decision, the Hungarian Supreme Court addressed these questions.
Aiming to create a modern, transparent, and unified regulatory framework by replacing the current fragmented regime, the new Hungarian Construction Act was adopted in December 2023.The new Act makes such substantial changes that most of its provisions will enter into force in phases between 2024 and 2027. In the following, we outline the basic features of the new Act.
Due to the recent amendment of the Companies Act with effect from 1 August 2022, EU citizens and companies can form a limited liability company or a branch office in Hungary fully online, in a fast-track registration procedure. The new provisions make it easier and faster to start a business in Hungary, even if there is minor restriction in relation with capital contributions. In this article we sum up the most important new rules.
While the reviewing of questions of law by higher courts is generally permitted at the judicial remedy stages of civil litigation in Hungary, questions of fact, and the free deliberation of evidence, can only be reviewed exceptionally by the Hungarian Supreme Court under well settled case law. Is this rule also applicable under the new Civil Procedure Code? This article answers this question by analysing the recent judgment of the Supreme Court in a case concerning the impacts of covid-19 on the Hungarian phase of the Giro d'Italia cycling race.
In its recent decision, the Hungarian Supreme Court examined whether liquidation proceedings can be started against a debtor who received online invoices via email and failed to pay them. Is the principle of free evaluation of evidence in civil litigation also valid in insolvency proceedings in Hungary? Are contract provisions relating to the service of contractual notices applicable in such cases? This article analyses the decision and answers the above questions
After the bill, passed in 2018 on restrictions of foreign investments, Hungary further limits the domestic investments of the foreigners because of the COVID-19. The new decree extends the scope of the investments to be notified and introduces fines, too. We explain the most important provisions of the decree in this article.
Measures taken due to the corona virus in recent weeks in Hungary affected the enforcement of securities over real estate, as well. The Governmental Decree regarding this matter provides more assistance to the Debtors who got into trouble due to State of Emergency to overcome the difficult period and may affect indirectly the enforcement proceedings started earlier, weakening the chances of creditors to satisfy their secured claims within reasonable time.
Is a penalty for delayed performance enforceable if the purchaser fails to reserve its rights immediately? Or is enforceability excluded only if the purchaser expressly waives its right? This article analyses the Supreme Court's judgment in a recent construction dispute, in which the court appears to have maintained its estoppel-based practice despite recent legislative changes.
Can the unfairness of cross-border claim be reviewed ex officio in case of consumer contracts in such a simplified procedure, like the European order for payment procedure? In our article, we analyse the recent judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Bondora case and its possible effects on cross-border debt recovery, covering also the Hungarian legal regulations.
The case law of Hungarian construction disputes in the last years sheds light on the intention of courts to protect the “weaker party”. The Supreme Court has already started to protect subcontractors by declaring certain contract terms invalid, and its recent decision even places more risks at general contractors. How to cope with these challenges in Hungary? We address this question in our article.
Employers often use non-compete agreement in Hungary, but labour courts frequently declare them invalid. Can a training course serve as compensation of the agreement? Or what to do, if it turns out after years, that the leaving colleague does not mean a real and serious threat for your company? In its opinion published recently, the Hungarian Supreme Court gave a guidance on non-compete agreements, which we summarise in this article.
In the recent days you may have heard the name of Amazon mostly because of the rainforest fires in Brazil. But if you operate a web shop, or just plan to do it, you will be more interested by the Amazon case in Luxembourg. Indeed, the Court of Justice of the European Union has delivered a judgment in the summer, which sheds light on how customer relation with online buyers should be maintained by web-shops in the EU