"You can't get anything from me, but people suffered." A retired couple has been unable to deregister a large family of emigrants from a Minsk apartment for the second year

Illustrative photo. Photo from social media

"It became clear: all possibilities are being cut off"

Raman, without hesitation, calls himself a "typical runaway". He and his family received international protection in Poland. The family consists of Raman himself, his wife, and three children, one of whom attends kindergarten, and two are primary school students.

"In 2018, my wife and I sold an apartment in Brest and moved to Minsk with our then two children. I got a job at a construction materials sales company, and my wife worked remotely as a freelancer. We took out a loan and bought a relatively small three-room apartment," the man describes the situation. "In 2019, another child was born. We refinanced, now as a large family, worked hard, and paid off the loan completely in 2021."

But they didn't get to live properly in their apartment. Circumstances forced the family to move to Warsaw in the spring of 2022. They packed quickly but prudently obtained new passports and general powers of attorney. They left for the unknown, but didn't consider selling the apartment – after all, their parents remained in Belarus.

"We had Schengen visas and didn't plan to apply for international protection. We planned to return when the situation in the country changed. But daily detentions of protest participants continued, and the situation with the war between Russia and Ukraine was clearly dragging on, so it became clear to us that all this would be long-term," the interlocutor describes the situation. "And then we managed to get the children into a state kindergarten near the rented apartment. They adapted quickly. Then the older ones went to school. Gradually, things with work improved."

Initially, the family didn't think about buying housing in Poland, especially in Warsaw. The price scared them. For example, in December 2022, the average cost per square meter was about three thousand dollars.

"And then we calculated, weighed everything, and decided that with an initial deposit and our current income level, we could get a bank loan. So we decided to sell the Minsk apartment," the man says. "Paradoxically, it was decree number 278, which came into force in September 2023, that forced us to take such a step. According to it, selling real estate in Belarus was now allowed only in person or by power of attorney issued within the country. It became clear: all possibilities are being cut off. We figured if we waited any longer, the state would continue to look for ways to deprive undesirable citizens of their housing."

"The pensioners were concerned that the apartment was being sold with registered people. But the realtors reassured them."

They decided to sell the property with the help of a realtor. They found a specialist with good recommendations. She immediately warned that since a family was registered in the premises, a significant discount would have to be made. According to Raman, their square meters were valued at approximately one hundred thousand dollars. To find a buyer faster, he and his wife were ready to drop the price to 80 thousand. However, before going to the market, it was necessary to collect all the required documents. One of them was from the district administration in Minsk, to which their multi-story building belonged.

"Permission [from officials] was needed for two reasons. Firstly, three minors were registered in the apartment. Secondly, we had a preferential housing loan, and although we had paid it off, by law we could not sell the property earlier than five years after repayment," the interlocutor explains the situation. "For this, we submitted a certificate [to officials] stating that we had moved. In addition, we arranged with a realtor in Poland and concluded a preliminary deal to buy an apartment. This showed that we wanted to stay and did not plan to worsen the living conditions of the children. And we were selling the property because we needed money for new housing. After reviewing the documents, the district administration issued us the [necessary] certificate."

The text of the decision from the administration stated that "due to the relocation" of the family to Poland, they were granted permission to sell the apartment they had acquired with a preferential loan. At the same time, the officials set a minimum price for the square meters — just over 71 thousand dollars. As Raman explains, this amount was specified so that they could definitely buy new real estate and provide housing for their children.

The now former Minsk resident quickly found buyers. They turned out to be a retired couple who wanted to buy property for their adult daughter. She had divorced and was left without housing.

"We literally posted an ad, and our realtor and theirs were already discussing the terms," the interlocutor notes. "The pensioners were concerned that the apartment was being sold with registered people. But the realtors reassured them, explaining that by law, they could deregister us and the children through court. A lawyer, whom they consulted, and an attorney confirmed this to them. The buyers contacted us only when we were about to close the deal. They asked if we could drop the price by another five thousand. We understood that we could probably wait, bargain, but since they were ready to pay immediately, we decided: five thousand dollars is, of course, money. But it's better this way than nothing."

As a result, in the summer of 2024, they settled on a price of 75 thousand dollars. The pensioners paid for the square meters in cash. According to Raman, the new owners should have deregistered them from the apartment in about a month.

"This is common practice. As the lawyer explained, you buy an apartment with people, you go to court and say: a conflict has arisen between us and the former residents. They, allegedly, do not want to deregister voluntarily," the father of many children elaborates on the details. "You explain that this family does not live here, does not pay for utility services, and the court puts an end to the story according to the law."

However, unexpectedly for both the plaintiff and the defendant, the court refused to deregister Raman's family remotely.

"They realized they were caught, and we realized we were caught."

Raman was represented by a lawyer at the trial. According to the father of many children, their lawyer was surprised by the district court's decision, but he suggested continuing to act. He said: "There is hope." A month later, the pensioners filed an appeal with the Minsk City Court. And again, they were denied.

"This time, the reason given was that minors could not be deregistered to nowhere. This allegedly violates their rights," the interlocutor describes the situation. "Although the district administration gave us permission to sell the apartment, because the money received will go towards building a new one."

Raman says that the buyers of their apartment are reasonable people. Despite the difficulties they encountered, they did not call with complaints.

"They had their own lawyer, we had ours. The lawyers communicated with each other, discussed the situation, and relayed it to us," the man recalls. "I spoke with the family themselves only a few times. They realized they were caught, and we realized we were caught. Though not as critically as the buyers."

The buyers initially intended to appeal the decision of the Minsk City Court, but then changed their minds. According to Raman, their lawyers informed them that "Minsk courts have started to deny similar cases like clockwork" and suggested waiting until "the laws start working." However, no one can say how long they will have to wait.

According to the father of many children, lawyers and attorneys he consulted told him that many families in Minsk found themselves in the same situation as they did. Earlier, a realtor reported to "Nasha Niva" that he began noticing problems with deregistration from apartments through court in 2023. In August 2024, the specialist assessed such a possibility as "unrealistic."

"To me, it looks like this: in 2023, a series of proposals were brought to Lukashenka to cause trouble for those who had left (referring to decree number 278. — Note by "Zerkalo"). Seven or eight months passed after the document was issued, they (the authors of the idea. — Note by "Zerkalo") analyzed the situation and saw the loopholes that remained. They wanted to make it impossible to sell apartments, dachas, garages, but it turned out that it was possible by power of attorney. They apparently decided to close this loophole. And, as I understand, they made an effort and gave an unofficial instruction to the courts (the lawyer said this only happens in Minsk) to deregister people under any pretext without their direct presence," the interlocutor shares his opinion.

— But they did not take into account that this problem has two variables. The first are the "runaways". The second are the people who remained in Belarus. And this is about the pensioners to whom we sold the apartment. In 2020, politics was of no concern to them. They were hiding from COVID at their dacha, and this man almost died from it in the hospital. They saved money, sold something, bought housing, but as a result, they found themselves in a trap. They now have an apartment with which, in essence, they can do nothing. No one will want to buy it. Plus, the apartment rent includes at least five residents."

According to Raman, as a "runaway," he is "neither cold nor hot" from remaining registered in the Minsk apartment.

"I sold the property, I was paid, and I officially transferred the money to my account in a Polish bank," the interlocutor continues. "What can you take from me now? Scare me with registration? But the pensioners suffered. Although they acquired the housing according to the laws and rules that were in force at that time. It turns out that the state decided to "dump" people it disliked, but "dumped" those who were completely innocent."

The father of many children says that the buyers of their apartment cannot turn anywhere for help, for example, to the media.

"Well, where to? Call "Sovetskaya Belorussiya" or the National Television? Perhaps that would have helped before. But now, since the situation is connected with politics, no. Call Tut.by? But Tut.by doesn't exist anymore," the man doesn't hide his emotions. "Where should they turn? Only to court. And the court, as I said, rejects them. People have lived long lives and now see firsthand what 'the country is not up to laws' means."

Raman himself continues to monitor the situation. He says he knows a story where the new owner of an apartment went all the way to the Supreme Court to deregister former owners registered there, but failed. When asked why this topic still bothers him, since he received his money for the square meters, he replies:

"Because in 2020, we didn't protest for money, but for justice, for laws to work. And now it turns out that there is simply no one to stand up for those people who remained in Belarus. And they themselves can't say anything.

Although the problem, by and large, is easily solvable. But those who advised Lukashenka [on the decree] should come to him and say that, thanks to the decisions made based on their "recommendations," a social problem has arisen. And who will go to report something like that? I think there are no fools.

Not long ago, a draft of a new Housing Code was prepared. In theory, it might someday simplify the resolution of problems like ours. But no one can guarantee that this law will apply "to runaways" either. In general, they aimed for worse, but it turned out as always."

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