Land associations in Slovakia

• Author: Anna Bandlerová - Jarmila Lazíková - Lubica Rumanovská - Zuzana Lazíková
• Position: Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia - Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia - Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia - Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia
• Pages: 80-94

Land associations in Slovakia

Professor Anna BANDLEROVÁ

1

PhD. Jarmila LAZÍKOVÁ

2

PhD. Ľubica RUMANOVSKÁ

3

PhD. student Zuzana LAZÍKOVÁ

4

Abstract

The land fragmentation is one of the serious problems in Slovakia which is given

by the historical development of the land law. In the past, landowners tried to solve this

problem by creation of various forms of land associations oriented to the common

cultivation of agricultural land and forest land. Nowadays, the Slovak lawmaker decided to

regulate the institute of lan d associations by the law. Land associations in Slovakia are

legal entities conducting agricultural business on agricultural land, forest land or in water

areas; moreover, they can provide also other business activities according to particular

legal regulations. Land associations conduct business on real estate property or, more

commonly, properties, which are usually owned by many co-owners, because the individual

cultivation of small part of land plots would not be effective. However, th e law is a subject

of legal amendments more often than necessary in order to ensure the legal certainty. This

paper in troduces this recondite legal entity, its activities, its internal government and the

ownership rights of its members. A pre-emption right that has a special lega l regulation

different from the general legal regulations of the pre-emption rights in the Civil Code is

one of the special issues.

Keywords: land association, agricultural land, legal regulation, o wner of the co mmon real

estate property, land fragmentation.

JEL Classification: K12

1. Introduction

Land associations sprang from urbarial co-ownership of land and other

similar units established in medieval feudalism. Those units represented a special

type of common (joint) use of land, which has persisted up to the present day and

does not fit into the common ownership and use relations regulated by the Civil

Code. In 1848, serfdom was abolished and the Urbarial Patent of 1853 recognized

the former serfs as owners of the land they had in their personal use.

5

Arable land

1

Anna Bandlerová, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia, anna.bandlerova@uniag.sk.

2

Jarmila Lazíková, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia, jarmila.lazikova@uniag.sk.

3

Ľubica Rumanovská, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia,

lubica.rumanovska@uniag.sk.

4

Zuzana Lazíková, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia, xlazikova@uniag.sk.

5

Bezáková, L. et al. 1996. Pozemkové právo. Nitra: SPU, 1996, pp. 59-60.