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2017 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

11. Unforeseeable Changes in Circumstances in Contracts in the New Romanian Civil Code

Author : Johanna Szekrényes

Published in: New Civil Codes in Hungary and Romania

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

The new Romanian Civil Code regulates the legal institution of unforeseeability, aiming to resolve situations in which one of the contractual subjects faces disproportionate and impossible burdens in his/her contractual legal relationship du to unforeseeable changes of circumstances intervened after the conclusion of the contract. With the entry into force of this code, the institution of unforeseeability enjoys explicit regulation, and as such, it becomes compulsory in the judicial practice. This, however, was not always the case: the legal institution known as the principle unforeseeability had existed before the entry into force of the new Civil Code, but only on a theoretical level, and in this respect, case law was not coherent. The present study offers a retrospect of the case law, with a special regard to the acceptance or rejection of this principle in the different judicial decisions.

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previous chapter New Particular Agreements in the New Hungarian Civil Code

next chapter Perceptions of Simulated Contracts in the Hungarian and Romanian Legal Systems

Costin, M. N.; Deleanu, S.: Dreptul comerţului internaţional. Vol. II. Partea specială, Ed. Lumina Lex, Bucureşti, 1995, p. 134.

The new Civil Code, Article 1271. Unforeseeability.

The parties must fulfil their contractual obligations even if these obligations become more burdensome for one of the parties than at the conclusion of the contract.

The judicial authorities have the possibility to intervene in a contract in the case when as the result of a substantial change in circumstances, execution becomes excessively burdensome and as a result the debtor’s obligation to execute would obviously be unjust. They can order the following:

(a)

to adapt the contract in such a way that the contractual losses and benefits resulting from the change in the initial conditions are divided equally between the parties;

(b)

the termination of the contract at a specified time and in a specified manner.

The provisions of para (2) can be applied only if the following conditions are met:

(a)

the changes in conditions occurred after the conclusion of the contract;

(b)

the changes in conditions could not have been foreseen at the conclusion of the contract;

(c)

the party suffering the damage does not have to bear the risk of these changes;

(d)

the party suffering the damage will try within reasonable time and in good faith to renegotiate and adapt the contract to the new conditions.

Paragraph (3) of Article 43 of Law No. 8 of 1996 on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Published in the “Monitorul Oficial”—Official Gazette of Romania Part I, No. 60/March 26, 1996), para (2) of Article 60 of the Government Ordinance 42/1997 on civil navigation (Published in the Official Gazette of Romania Part I, No. 221/August 29, 1997), Article 14 of law No. 195/2001 on Volunteering. (Republished in the Official Gazette of Romania Part I, No. 276/April 25, 2006).

Földi A, Hamza G.: A római jog története és Institúciói. Nemzeti Tankönyvkiadó, Budapest, 1996, p. 585.

Lukács, N.: A clausula rebus sic stantibus elv az ókori és középkori jogtudomány tükrében—article. Iustum Aequum Salutare. XI.2015.1. p. 241. http://ias.jak.ppke.hu/hir/ias/20151sz/12.pdf [Last accessed on March 20, 2017].

Zamșa, C. E.: Teoria impreviziunii. Studiu de doctrină și jurisprudență. Editura Hamangiu, Bucharest, 2006, p. 8.

Lukács, N., op. cit., p. 243.

The clausula, understood objectively and having a non-contractual position, offers an opportunity for the party negatively affected by the changes in the circumstances to ask for the modification of the contract or the termination of its legal effect. According to some objective theories, it would be contrary to the principle of good faith if the contracting party would be expected to bear the additional burdens and performance difficulties arising from changes in circumstances by himself/herself. Source: http://jog.unideb.hu/documents/tanszekek/jogtorteneti/romai-jogi-anyagok/2012/ohmaganjog7-12.pdf. [Last accessed on: March 20, 2017].

Zamșa, C. E., op. cit., p. 53.

Dobrev, D.: Impreviziunea, o cutie a Pandorei în Noul Cod Civil?, in: Noul Cod Civil al României, Comentarii, 2nd edition, Editura Universul Juridic, Bucharest, 2011, p. 213.

Zamșa, C.E., op. cit., pp. 317−322.

Pop, L.: Tratat de drept civil, Obligațiile, II. Vol., Contractul. Editura Universul Juridic, Bucharest, 2009, p. 534.

Pătru, R. S.: Teoria impreviziunii din perspectiva dimensiunii economice și juridice a analizei contractului. Juridical Tribune, Volume 1, Issue 1, June 2011. Link: http://www.tribunajuridica.eu/arhiva/An1v1/nr1/art%207.pdf [Last accessed on: March 20, 2017].

Based on Article 1271 of the new Civil Code, the conditions of fundamental changes in circumstances are the following: they occurred after the conclusion of the contract, they were not reasonably foreseeable at the conclusion of the contract, the damaged party does not have to carry the risks of these changes.

Anton, G.: Teoria impreviziunii în dreptul român şi dreptul comparat, Dreptul, nr. 7/2000, p. 27.

Zamşa, C.E, op. cit., pp. 231–234.

Beleiu, Gh.: Teoria impreviziunii – rebus sic stantibus – în dreptul civil român. Dreptul, 10–11/1993, p. 34.

Chelaru, E.: Forţa obligatorie a contractului, teoria impreviziunii şi competenţa în materie a instenţelor judecătoreşti. Dreptul, 9/2003, p. 50.

The principle of the pacta sunt servanda is valid only until the circumstances are not fundamentally changed.

The old Civil Code, Article 981. The usual clauses within a contract are self-evident even if they are not included in the contract.

Beleiu, Gh., op. cit., p. 32.

The contracts need to be interpreted according to the common intention of the parties rather than according to the literal meaning of expressions.

Trib. Mehedinţi, s. II., Pandectele Române, 1926, part III. p. 136. in Zamşa, C. E.: Teoria impreviziunii. Studiu de doctrină şi jurisprudență. Editura Hamangiu, Bucharest, 2006, pp. 231–234.

Agreements between contracting parties have legal force. These can be withdrawn by mutual consent or if permitted by law.

Decision no. 33/1921., C. Hamangiu, Codul civil adnotat. Ed. All Beck, Bucharest, 1999, p. 468.

Munteanu, C.; Ungureanu, O.: Reflecţii privind moneda în dreptul privat. Revista de drept privat, 2/2010, p. 218.

Curtea Supremă de Justiţie, Secţiile unite, Dec. 21/1994. Dreptul, 12/1994, p. 59.

Financial Times Lexicon: To allow prices to move according to market forces. Link: http://lexicon.ft.com/Term?term=price-liberalisation [Last accessed on: March 20, 2017].

Article 970, para (2): Not only the express obligations must be performed; the agreement can implement the execution of every consequence that is required by fairness, custom or law according to the nature of the obligation.

Old Civil Code, Article 1420, para (2): The lessor, due to the nature of the contract, without the need for any other clauses, is required to perform the intended maintenance of the rented object.

The balance between the rent and the consideration would be altered as the landlord could not perform the intended maintenance of the apartment from the price of the rent.

Zamșa, C. E. op.cit., p. 240.

Chelaru, E., op. cit., p. 58.

Decizia nr. 96/1994, Decizia nr. 412/1994, published in M. Tăbăraş: Răspunderea contractuală. Daune-interese. Culegerea de practică judiciară, Ed. All Beck, Bucharest, 2005, pp. 21–24.

The old Civil Code, Articles 970 and 977.

Lisievici, A.: Clauza de impreviziune. Dreptul, 6/2010, p. 103.

Anton, G., op. cit., p. 32.

Bobaşu, C. M.: Consideraţii privind teoria impreviziunii. Dreptul, 3/2006, p. 29.

Pop, L.; Popa, I. F.; Vidu, S. T.: Tratat elementar de drept civil. Obligaţiile conform noului Cod Civil. Editura Universul Juridic, Bucharest, 2012, p. 155.

Lisievici, A., op. cit., p. 108.

Turcu, I.: Noul Cod civil, Legea nr. 287/ 2009 , Cartea V. Despre obligații, Articles 1164−1649, Editura C. H. Beck, Bucharest, 2011, p. 336.

Lisievici, A., op. cit., p. 105.

New Civil Code, Article 1271, para (2).

New Civil Code, Article 1271, para (1).

Voirel, G.; Viorel L. A.: Configuraţia impreviziunii în Codul civil. (Legea nr. 287/ 2009 , Republicată). Dreptul, 2/2012, p. 30.

Papp, T.: Opuscula civilia. Magánjogi látlelet. Lectum Kiadó, Szeged, 2013, p. 137.

Voirel, G.; Viorel, L. A., op. cit., p. 46.

Anton, G.: Teoria impreviziunii în dreptul român şi dreptul comparat. Dreptul, 7/2000.

Beleiu, Gh.: Teoria impreviziunii – rebus sic stantibus – în dreptul civil român. Dreptul, 10-11/1993.

Bobaşu, C. M.: Consideraţii privind teoria impreviziunii. Dreptul, 3/2006.

Chelaru, E.: Forţa obligatorie a contractului, teoria impreviziunii şi competenţa în materie a instenţelor judecătoreşti. Dreptul, 9/2003.

Costin M. N.; Deleanu S.: Dreptul comerţului internaţional. Vol. II. Special part, Ed. Lumina Lex, Bucharest, 1995.

Dobrev D.: Impreviziunea, o cutie a Pandorei în Noul Cod Civil? Noul Cod Civil al României, Comentarii, 2nd edition, Editura Universul Juridic, Bucharest, 2011.

Földi A, Hamza G.: A római jog története és Institúciói. Nemzeti Tankönyvkiadó, Budapest, 1996.

Lisievici, A.: Clauza de impreviziune. Dreptul, 6/2010.

Lukács N.: A clausula rebus sic stantibus elv az ókori és középkori jogtudomány tükrében - article. Iustum Aequum Salutare. XI.2015.1.

Munteanu C.; Ungureanu O.: Reflecţii privind moneda în dreptul privat. Revista de drept privat, 2/2010.

Papp, T.: Opuscula civilia. Magánjogi látlelet. Lectum Kiadó, Szeged, 2013.

Pătru, R. S.: Teoria impreviziunii din perspectiva dimensiunii economice și juridice a analizei contractului. Juridical Tribune, Volume 1, Issue 1, June 2011.

Pop, L.: Tratat de drept civil, Obligațiile, vol. II, Contractul. Editura Universul Juridic, Bucharest, 2009.

Pop, L.; Popa, I. F.; Vidu, S. T.: Tratat elementar de drept civil. Obligaţiile conform noului Cod Civil. Editura Universul Juridic, Bucharest, 2012.

Turcu, I.: Noul Cod civil, Legea nr. 287/2009, Cartea V. Despre obligații, art. 1164–1649, Editura C. H. Beck, Bucharest, 2011.

Veress E.: Drept civil. Teoria generală a obligațiilor, ed. 2, Editura C.H. Beck, Bucharest, 2016.

Viorel, G.; Viorel L. A.: Configuraţia impreviziunii în Codul civil. (Legea nr. 287/2009, Republicată). Dreptul, 2/2012.

Zamşa, C. E.: Teoria impreviziunii. Studiu de doctrină şi jurisprudență. Editura Hamangiu, Bucharest, 2006.

Title: Unforeseeable Changes in Circumstances in Contracts in the New Romanian Civil Code
Author: Johanna Szekrényes
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Book: New Civil Codes in Hungary and Romania
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63326-8

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-63327-5

Copyright Year: 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63327-5_11