The Competition Committee has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Justice to remove clauses from real estate sales contracts that hold new owners liable for the utility debts of previous proprietors.
According to the committee’s press service, the practice of saddling new buyers with old debts violates Article 21 of the Protection of Consumer Rights Law. The committee stated that any contractual terms that infringe upon or restrict consumer rights are considered unlawful.
To illustrate the issue, the committee cited a case involving a resident of the Samarkand region. During the purchase of a home, the Notarius e-system showed no outstanding debts on the property. However, the local water utility, Samarkand Suv Ta'minoti, later charged the new owner 13 million soums for debts incurred by the previous occupant.
A follow-up investigation found that the debt was the result of a data entry error made by a former utility employee in the billing system. Following the Competition Committee's intervention, the citizen's rights were restored and the debt was cleared.
The committee reminded the public that before any real estate transaction is notarized, the Notarius system performs a mandatory check for utility arrears, unpaid taxes, and property liens. Transactions are legally permitted only when no such debts exist.
According to the committee, these issues are typically caused by human error, such as inaccurate data entry into billing systems, delayed electronic updates, or the inclusion of illegal clauses in sales contracts. The committee emphasized that utility companies are responsible for the accuracy of their billing data and are legally obligated to provide timely updates to inter-agency electronic systems.
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