As it appears from an opinion poll, Lithuanian residents approve new means of prevention of unjust enrichment and trust notaries
bernardinai.lt, BNS, 2014-12-31. As it appears from an opinion poll, Lithuanian residents approve new means of prevention of unjust enrichment, which took effect since 1 January 2015 and stipulate mandatory notarial certification of transactions in some cases of funds borrowing, drawing bills and transfer of shares.
Based on survey made by RAIT association in November 2014 a majority of respondents – 42 per cent – approve new legislative requirements, stipulating that in order to prevent unjust enrichment bills of amount exceeding 3 thousand Euros, loans in cash for amount exceeding 3 thousand Euros and also agreements for sale and purchase of shares of limited liability companies if 25 per cent or more shares of a limited liability company are being sold or value of shares being sold exceeds 14.5 thousand Euros in Lithuania must be certified by a notary. These legislative amendments were initiated by the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite and adopted by Seimas. New legal regulations were positively evaluated by 14% of respondents, rather negatively – by 6%, negatively – by 10% of respondents. 28% of Lithuanian residents being interrogated did not know or were not able to answer.
“The society trusts capabilities of notaries to implement new legislative requirements, and notaries are already ready for this. Notaries may have to face customers, whose purpose until now was unjust enrichment; however, citizens, being representatives of fair and transparent business, will also come to us. Thus, notaries are expected to do responsible work in order to ensure justice and satisfy lawful expectations of the State and its citizens”, President of the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries, Klaipeda city notary Marius Strackaitis said.
As every year on request of the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries the sociological association was polling respondents about what legal profession do they mostly trust. According to RAIT survey data, the majority of respondents trust notaries – 61 per cent. Last year similar confidence in notaries during a poll of “Vilmorus” was shown by 75% of respondents.
In terms of confidence the second place is given to lawyers (43% trust or trust more); the third place is given to policemen (42% trust or trust more). Bailiffs are the least favorably regarded by residents: almost two of five residents (37%) do not trust or trust representatives of this legal profession the least of all.
After respondents were asked about how many times they were handling matters in a notary office in the past 2 years it emerged that within the specified period 24% of respondents used notary’s services once, 8% - 2-3 times, 2% - 4 times or more. Two-thirds of respondents (66%) did not use notary’s services in the past 2 years.
According to RAIT data, 15% of respondents evaluated quality of notarial services as very good, 35% - rather good, and just 1% of respondents evaluated quality of notarial services as very poor.
More than half – 51% - of residents, who applied to notaries, were taken up at the time they wished, 13% had to wait one day longer than they wanted, and 14% had to wait longer (7% had to wait for several days and another 7% - for one week or longer).
After respondents, who had visited notaries in the past two years, were asked about impression they had after their meeting with a notary 88% of visitors said that they were satisfied and everything was all right, while 12% told that they had bad impression after their visit to a notary.
By means of direct interviewing the RAIT association has polled 1010 Lithuanian residents aged from 15 to 74 years.