Restitution of agricultural land abandoned outside Polish borders after World War II

The notion of Bug River property regards the property abandoned within the territory of the Republic of Poland within its pre–war borders which after the year 1945 were abandoned outside the present–day territory of the Republic of Poland. For objective reasons, and because of the lack of the concept providing the final solution, only in 2005 an act to ensure comprehensive regulation and procedure of awarding compensation for movable property abandoned outside the present–day borders of the territory of Poland was passed. In the Act of 2005 the Bug River People were granted a right to compensation for the property left beyond the Polish borders. The entitlement to have the value of property abandoned outside the present–day Polish borders offset is affirmed by the voivodship offices competent with regard to the place of residence of the applicant – the property’s owner and in case of inheritors – with regard to the last place of residence of the property’s owner. The voivod’s decision confirming the right to compensation determines persons eligible for this right, the value of abandoned property, the amount of compensation and the form of its implementation. The right to compensation may also be implemented through allowing the value of property left by Polish nationals beyond the Bug River to be offset against the price to be paid for State–owned land.Uniwersytet Marii Curie–Skłodowskiej w Lublini