Possibility of modifying limitation periods for claims on the example of contract for specific work
Abstract
The statute of limitations for claims is an important institution of civil law. It occurs when, after the expiry of a time limit set by the legislator, a claim cannot be effectively pursued in court. The rules governing this matter are mandatory, which also includes banning the possibility of modifying limitation periods. However, according to some representatives of the doctrine an exception to this rule is contract for specific work. This concerns situation where the payment deadline stipulated by the parties falls after the expiry of the two-year limitation period calculated from the date of delivery of the work. Given the doubts that arise in this matter, the subject of this article will be to examine the possibility of modifying the limitation periods on the example of contract for specific work. Hence, the aim is to try to answer the question of whether such a change is actually possible and, if so, in which cases. A non-reactive research method was used, i.e. analysis of legal acts, literature and case law. The author hypothesises that a modification of the limitation period is only possible if a special regulation provides for this. The only exception to the rule is provided for in the Maritime Code. This is because the legal regulations concerning the institution of the statute of limitations are ius cogens norms, and the Civil Code explicitly indicates that limitation periods cannot be shortened or extended by a legal action.
Keywords:
statute of limitations for claim, contract for specific work, maturity of claims, limitation periodsReferences
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Uniwersytet w Białymstoku
The author is a master of law and a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences of the University of Białystok in the discipline of legal science. The area of research within the scope of conducted scientific activity is financial law. The author is also a trainee attorney-at-law at the Białystok Bar Association of Attorneys-at-Law, as well as works at the Law Firm of Attorney-at-Law. Therefore, his area of interest also includes civil and economic law.
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