Decision of the Regional Court in Krakow, 1st Civil Division, dated October 5, 2015

The Regional Court in Krakow, 1st Civil Division, composed of:

Presiding Judge: SSO Kamil Grzesik

Judges:                 SSO Marta Woźniak, SSO Wojciech Żukowski

having examined on October 5, 2015, in Krakow, at a hearing the case brought by W.G., representative of a group consisting of [data of 14 group members] against W.N. for payment,

decides:

to discontinue the proceedings against W.B.,

to declare that the group consists of: [data of 13 group members].


Decision of the Regional Court in Krakow, 1st Civil Division, dated June 28, 2013

The Regional Court in Krakow, 1st Civil Division, composed of the following:

Presiding Judge: SSO Kamil Grzesik

Judges: SSO Marta Woźniak, SSR Wojciech Żukowski (delegated)

having examined on June 28, 2013, at a hearing the case brought by W.G., representative of a group consisting of [data of 14 group members] against W.N. for payment

decides:

  1. to oblige W.G. to submit, within 1 month from the date of this ruling becoming final, a deposit in the amount of PLN 10,425.00 (ten thousand four hundred and twenty-five) to secure the costs of the proceedings,
  2. to hear the case in group proceedings.

Decision of the Regional Court in Opole, 1st Civil Division, of October 14, 2019

The Regional Court in Opole, 1st Civil Division, composed of:

Presiding Judge: SSO Bogusław Kamiński

Judges:                 SSO Katarzyna Waszczuk, SSO Izabela Bogusz

having examined on October 14, 2019, at a hearing the case brought by [data of 35 group members] against (…) Sp. z o.o. with its registered office in O. for payment,

decides:

to declare that class action proceedings in this case are admissible.


Decision of the Regional Court in Opole, 1st Civil Division, of October 23, 2019

The Regional Court in Opole, 1st Civil Division, composed of the following:

Presiding Judge: SSO Bogusław Kamiński

Judges:                 SSO Katarzyna Waszczuk, SSO Izabela Bogusz

having examined on October 23, 2019, in Opole, at a closed session, the case brought by [data of 35 group members] against (…) Sp. z o.o. with its registered office in O. for payment,

decides:

to correct the decision of October 14, 2019, by adding the following to line 10 from the top, after the words “A.S.”: “[data of 34 members of the group]”.


Decision of the Regional Court in Katowice, 1st Civil Division, dated June 18, 2020

  1. In light of Article 12, sentence 2 of the Act on Pursuing Claims in Class Action Proceedings, it is necessary to specify the deadline by which the claimant is required to prepare and submit to the court a list of persons who have joined the class action. For such a list to be effective, it is important that the statements of accession to the group, which are attached to the list, are submitted within the time limit set by the court.
  2. The main purpose of dividing into groups or subgroups is to standardize claims and facilitate the pursuit of monetary claims. However, it is not possible to standardize a single claim. Standardization of claims is only possible when there are at least two claims. Furthermore, it is not permissible to create a subgroup for two persons who are jointly entitled to a single claim.

The Regional Court in Katowice, 1st Civil Division, composed of the following:

Presiding Judge: SSO Krzysztof Żyłka

Judges:                 SSO Agata Młynarczyk-Śmieja, SSR Katarzyna Zadora

having examined on June 18, 2020, in Katowice, at a closed session, the case brought by J. D., acting as the representative of a group of thirty-three persons, i.e. [details of 32 members of the group], who is also a member of the group against (…) Spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością spółka komandytowa in Ś. for payment, regarding the complaint of the plaintiffs’ representative of June 1, 2020,

decides:

  1. pursuant to Article 395 § 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, to revoke the decision of February 6, 2020, in part, i.e. in respect of points 1 and 2;
  2. to determine the composition of subgroups, which shall include the following persons:

– Subgroup 1: [data of 10 group members];

– Subgroup 2: [details of 7 group members];

– Subgroup 3: [details of 11 group members];

– Subgroup 4: [details of 6 group members];

– Subgroup 5: [details of 5 group members];

– Subgroup 6: [details of 4 group members];

– Subgroup 7: [data of 6 group members].


Decision of the Regional Court in Warsaw, 25th Civil Division, dated May 6, 2019

The Regional Court in Warsaw, 25th Civil Division, composed of:

Presiding Judge: SSO Piotr Bednarczyk

Judges:                 SSO Anna Błażejczyk, SSO Paweł Duda

having examined on May 6, 2019, in Warsaw, at a closed session, the case brought by M. P. as representative of the group against Bank (…) S.A. with its registered office in W. (…) Bank (…) in C. Bank (…) in S. W. Bank (…) with its registered office in J. for a determination,

decides

pursuant to Article 359 § 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure to amend point 2 of the decision of December 18, 2018, regarding the announcement of the initiation of group proceedings in such a way that the current representative of the group, M. P., “legal advisor V. P., Legal Advisor’s Office, ul. (…) (…)-(…) K.” with the details of the current representative “legal advisor K. L., ul. (…) (…)-(…) K.”.


Decision of the Regional Court in Warsaw, 1st Civil Division, dated December 13, 2021

The Regional Court in Warsaw, 1st Civil Division, composed of:

Presiding Judge: SSO Piotr Królikowski

having examined on December 13, 2021, in Warsaw, at a closed session, the case brought by M. P. against Bank (…) S.A. with its registered office in W., (…) (…) in C., (…) in S., (…) with its registered office in J., for a declaration,

decides:

pursuant to Article 17(1) of the Act of December 17, 2009, on the pursuit of claims in class action proceedings, to determine that the group represented by M. P. consists of the following persons: [details of group members].


Decision of the Regional Court in Warsaw, 25th Civil Division, dated December 18, 2018

The Regional Court in Warsaw, 25th Civil Division, composed of:

Presiding Judge: SSO Piotr Bednarczyk

Judges:                 SSO Anna Błażejczyk, SSO Paweł Duda

having examined on December 18, 2018, in Warsaw, at a closed session, the case brought by M. P. as representative of the group against Bank (…) S.A. with its registered office in W. (…) Bank (…) in C. Bank (…) in S. W. Bank (…) with its registered office in J. for a determination,

decides:

  1. to order the announcement of the initiation of group proceedings;
  2. to give the announcement of the initiation of group proceedings the following content:

Before the Regional Court in Warsaw, 25th Civil Division, class action proceedings were initiated pursuant to the Act of December 17, 2009 on pursuing claims in class action proceedings (Journal of Laws of 2010, No. 7, item 44) on the basis of a claim brought by M. P. against Bank (…) S.A. with its registered office in W., (…) Bank (…) in C., Bank (…) in S. and W. Bank (…) with its registered office in J., pending under file reference number XXV C 843/17.

M. P., as the representative of the group, requested that the defendant Banks be held jointly and severally liable for the damage caused to the claimant and the members of the group in connection with the conclusion of a contract in violation of the provisions of the Act of August 29, 1997 – Banking Law in the scope of determining creditworthiness:

  1. by (…) Bank (…) in C. in the case of loan agreement No. (…) of September 18, 2013, and loan agreement No. (…) of May 28, 2014,
  2. by Bank (…) in S. in the case of loan agreement no. (…) of 19 March 2014, amended by Annex no. (…) of 14 May 2014, and then by Annex no. (…) of 14 August 2015,
  3. by Bank (…) S.A. with its registered office in W.,
  4. and W. Bank (…) with its registered office in J. in the case of loan agreement No. (…) of October 25, 2011, constituting an integral part of bank consortium agreement No. (…) of October 25, 2011,

concluded with I. S., conducting business activity under the name (…) in liquidation bankruptcy, which led to an excessive burden on the assets of I. S. and prevented him from settling his previously incurred liabilities towards the purchasers of holiday and residential premises in the Hotel (…) in O..

Any person whose claim may be covered by this class action may join the case by submitting a written statement of joining the group within a strict deadline of two months from the date of publication of this announcement and sending it to the group representative – M. P., to the address of his legal representative, legal advisor V. P., Legal Advisor’s Office, ul. (…) (…)-(…) K..

Joining the group after the above deadline is not permitted.

Submitting a statement of joining the group is tantamount to consenting to M. P. acting as the group’s representative and to the rules of remuneration of the representative.

The rules for the remuneration of the representative, as current remuneration and for the so-called (…) are specified in the agreement of February 16, 2017, for the provision of legal assistance and are as follows:

A. Current remuneration:

  • for the first instance, PLN 1,845 gross from each member of the group, payable within 7 days of signing the Agreement,
  • for the second instance, PLN 922.50 gross from each member of the group, payable to the Law Firm within 7 days of filing the appeal or response to the appeal,
  • for proceedings before the Supreme Court, PLN 922.50 gross from each member of the group, payable within 7 days of filing the cassation appeal or response to the cassation appeal;

B. remuneration for “Success” – 10% of the value actually obtained (enforced) in the course of or as a result of the proceedings, including through the conclusion of a settlement by a given member of the group. The amount calculated in this way includes VAT at the rate applicable on the date of issue of the invoice.

C. The announcement referred to in points 1 and 2 shall be published in the newspaper (…) – Announcements page.


Judgment of the Regional Court in Wrocław, 1st Civil Division, of May 25, 2023

  1. It is generally accepted in case law and doctrine that a legal interest within the meaning of Article 189 of the Code of Civil Procedure exists when there is uncertainty as to the legal status or law, giving rise to a need for legal protection. This uncertainty must be objective in nature, i.e., it must exist on the basis of a reasonable assessment of the situation in which the claimant brings such an action. Therefore, legal interest in a claim for determination of a legal relationship or right cannot be questioned when it is relevant to both current and future possible, but objectively probable, legal relationships and rights or the legal situation of the entity bringing the claim. On the other hand, the absence of such an interest can be said to exist both when the claimant has no need to establish a right or legal relationship, and when he can fully protect his rights in a simpler and easier way, e.g. in proceedings for the performance or establishment of a right or legal relationship.
  2. The concept of “conditions for changing the interest rate” within the meaning of Article 69(2) of the Banking Law should be understood in such a way that the content of the agreement allows for a precise determination of when the interest rate should increase and when it should decrease.
  3. The extent to which the party exercised the rights resulting from the prohibited contractual provisions is irrelevant to the resolution of the case. This is because the invalidity of contractual provisions has an ex tunc effect and is enforceable by law, and therefore the manner in which they are exercised is irrelevant.
  4. The method of determining the interest rate, which meant that the borrower was, in fact, entirely dependent on the creditor’s decision, and the creditor himself largely determined the level of the benefit due to him, is contrary to the nature of the contractual relationship and, consequently, invalid. The consequence of this invalidity is the invalidity of the entire agreement. Without specifying the conditions for changing the interest rate, the entire variable-rate loan agreement is invalid.
  5. The interest rate on a loan is one of the essential elements (essentialiae negotii) of a loan agreement provided for in Article 69(1) of the Banking Law. The elimination of such a provision means that the loan agreement loses its character and, as a consequence, is invalid.
  6. The assessment of the agreement from the point of view of prohibited clauses is made according to the status at the time of conclusion of the agreement. It is therefore not possible to effectively amend an agreement that has been invalid since its conclusion.
  7. The issue of choosing a loan indexed to a foreign currency does not in itself mean that a specific indexation mechanism has been individually negotiated.
  8. The risk of exchange rate volatility is one thing, but the arbitrary setting of exchange rates by the bank’s management, which clearly affects the consumer’s situation, is another. On the other hand, specifying the conditions for determining the exchange rate at which the loan is to be repaid according to the selling rate applicable at the National Bank of Poland cannot be considered an abusive provision. The latter is an objective criterion, independent of both parties to the legal relationship resulting from the agreements concluded between them.

Decision of the Regional Court in Warsaw, 1st Civil Division, dated January 16, 2024

The Regional Court in Warsaw, 1st Civil Division, composed of:

Presiding Judge: SSO Piotr Królikowski (rep.)

Judges:                 SSO Ewa Ligoń-Krawczyk, SSO Agnieszka Onichimowska

having examined on January 16, 2024, in Warsaw, in a closed session, the case brought by the Financial Ombudsman representing a group consisting of: [data of 13 persons] against (…) Branch in Poland with its registered office in G. for a determination

decides:

to dismiss the claim.