Need advice on Ukranian Law

[MarkLeftTX]

I don't know if there are any Ukrainian lawyers out there, or if someone can recommend one... but we have a question.

Viktoriya's father has an apartment he owns via privatization. To the best of our knowledge, her father had no will. He was remarried recently, and he moved in with his wife in her apartment (renting out his old apartment).

As we understand this, that makes Viktoriya (his sole child) the heir for the apartment.

We were told she has to show up, in person, one week prior to the 6th month anniversary of his death to officially claim the apartment. We were also told that she would have to stay a minimum of two weeks (to allow for challenges, paperwork, etc).

This would mean she would have to travel in the middle of May.

What we want to know is:

A) is the 6th month thing a "File before 6 months" or does she specifically have to be there exactly six months from the death?
B) Is there any way to get an extension (we would rather go in June after Stas graduates from high school).
C) is their such a thing as "Power of Attorney" in Ukraine law? Can we hire someone to file the paperwork and stake the claim on her behalf?

Feel free to PM me if you know someone who might be a good contact for this and don't want to discuss it in forum. Any feedback from people who know (or know people who know) is welcome...

Thanks!

[Wayne]

The constitution of Ukraine is available, translated into English, on line. I did some research a few years ago on Ukrainian law and found information on line.

Did you say in your post that the Father is already dead?

[Boethius]

Ukraine's constitution isn't going to resolve these legal issues. 

I suggest your wife retain a lawyer.  Many Ukrainain lawyers have sites online.

[JohnDearGreen]

I don't know if there are any Ukrainian lawyers out there, or if someone can recommend one...
Feel free to PM me if you know someone who might be a good contact for this...

Here is a real estate agency that has been in business quite a while:
http://www.teren.kiev.ua/
Email and offer to pay for a couple of hours of consultation with their legal support.

[MarkLeftTX]

Here is a real estate agency that has been in business quite a while:
http://www.teren.kiev.ua/
Email and offer to pay for a couple of hours of consultation with their legal support.

Thanks for the link... have you done business with them before? We were hoping someone might have a recommendation on a lawyer. I hate to just pull one out of a random search...

[Boethius]

I don't know where your wife is from, but I suggest you go to a larger law firm.  You will generally get someone who knows what they are doing.

[JohnDearGreen]

Thanks for the link... have you done business with them before?

No. use at your own risk. Could be a difficult task to find a reputable law firm in Ukraine.  An independent lawyer might have gotten his degrees at the corner swap shop in exchange for a Celine Dion CD.

If you read the KievPost you would know that recently crooks are forging fake documents,  hiring armed groups, and forcing their way into hundreds of apartments of honest citizens in Ukraine and taking their property away from them.  Is there such a thing as "enforcable law" there?
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/50336/

[Boethius]

No. use at your own risk. Could be a difficult task to find a reputable law firm in Ukraine.  An independent lawyer might have gotten his degrees at the corner swap shop in exchange for a Celine Dion CD.

If you read the KievPost you would know that recently crooks are forging fake documents,  hiring armed groups, and forcing their way into hundreds of apartments of honest citizens in Ukraine and taking their property away from them.  Is there such a thing as "enforcable law" there?
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/50336/

I have many business clients who have interests in Ukraine.  One won a major court case in enforcing property rights against the Ukrainian government, so the courts do work, though there yes, there is corruption.

There are reputable law firms in Ukraine.   There are also branches of US and UK law firms in Ukraine.

[MarkLeftTX]

Thanks all... I appreciate the feedback.

[Brianinaz]

My wife is a lawyer. PM me with a few more details and I will ask her opinion. I am traveling but will be home on Tuesday. Better yet I will PM you my email address as I'm not here that often and I may forget to look back for your message

[MarkLeftTX]

Thanks again to all who replied! (Here and in PMs)

We are still in a fact finding stage, and I appreciate all of the feedback.

[tfcrew]

Ukraine's constitution isn't going to resolve these legal issues. 

I suggest your wife retain a lawyer.  Many [Ukrainian] lawyers have sites [on line.]

If someone can provide those links ?
Seems like you would need to have the particular city involved.
Posting this because my wife is in a similar boat..even though she was there in Odessa this past summer..very little was produced by legal remedy.........................

Karl

[dobradavid]

I don't know if there are any Ukrainian lawyers out there, or if someone can recommend one... but we have a question.

Several US-Ukrainian attorneys' in Chicago - esp in/near the Ukrainian Village. 

[JohnDearGreen]

If someone can provide those links ?
Seems like you would need to have the particular city involved.

I think a simple google.com search will provide you with many links.
Example, I found this link in about 30 seconds:
http://www.hg.org/law-firms/Real-Estate/Ukraine.html