Slovakia

1. Under what circumstances can a stolen vehicle be seized in your country?

• Under Article 21 of Law No. 171/93 on the Police, any object suspected of being connected with an offence may be seized and kept for at most sixty days.

1. What channels are used to notify the owner of the vehicle’s location (Interpol or other)?

• The police inform the owner, through the Slovakian NCB, of how the vehicle may be recovered.

1. Who is responsible for the storage of seized vehicles?

• The police have concluded a contract with a private company, Auto Danubius spol. s.r.o., on the storage of seized vehicles. The contract is appended to Police Regulation No. 11/94.

1. Are there any costs associated with storage of a seized stolen vehicle and who is responsible for these costs?

• The fee for vehicle storage is for foreign persons 200,- SKK per day (approximately 4,- USD).

1. How does a stolen vehicle get restored to its legal owner?
   Do the police have authority to restore the vehicle?

• If the vehicle was not stolen on Slovakian territory, the Investigation Bureau does not take criminal proceedings against the person responsible for the theft or misappropriation. The vehicle is returned to its owner by the Crime Department using an administrative procedure.

If the vehicle was stolen in Slovakia, the appropriate Investigation Bureau takes criminal proceedings against the suspected thief, or against a person or persons unknown, and the vehicle is returned by the Investigation Bureau using an administrative procedure.

As a rule, the Crime Department or the Investigation Bureau concerned draws up a report stating that the vehicle was returned to its owner on the premises of the Auto Danubius Company.

Is it the local court who authorises release of the vehicle?

• No.

Is it necessary to have a “commission rogatoire” to recover the vehicle?

• No.

What documentation does the owner have to provide in order to recover the vehicle?

• Following documents owner must supply (except mentioned in your questionnaire):
• the original registration document or its copy verified by the notary,
• a record of the fact that the theft was reported, issued by local police,
• the vehicle keys.

1. Are there any time limits associated with recovery of the vehicle? (i.e. after a certain period of time the vehicle becomes the property of the state or police, etc.)?

• If vehicle owner is not known after one year, the vehicle became a state property .

1. Please give details of relevant legislation

• Crime Department: the procedure for seizing and returning vehicles was modified by Article 21 of the Law on the Police.
  Investigation Bureau: seizure is governed by Articles 78 and 79 of the Law on Criminal Procedure and recovery is governed by Article 80/1 of the same Law.
  Police Regulation No. 11/94, issued on 7th June 1994, governs the procedure for checking on vehicles registered in other countries and for storage of seized vehicles.

1. If the law in your country precludes the restitution of a stolen vehicle to its original owner, please give the reasons why

• If the person is in possession of the stolen vehicle, the latter must be handed over for restitution. There are no exceptions to this rule.

1. Does your country have any bilateral treaties, conventions, or agreements with other countries dealing with the recovery of stolen property? If so, please describe how they operate and give details of the countries concerned

• No.

1. Reference point, for assistance in case of difficulties

• NCB Bratislava, tel.: +421-961050318

Last Update: January 2008