Croatian Families Urge Government Action on Property Recovery

The Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Gordan Grlić Radman, met with families from the Boka Kotorska region to discuss ongoing challenges in recovering seized properties. During the meeting, representatives from the families presented specific issues they have faced for years in their efforts to reclaim stolen and expropriated assets.

The Tripković family detailed their struggle, highlighting that following the end of World War II, a significant portion of their property was nationalized. They experienced further losses between 1991 and 2000, when more than 90 percent of their land—over 500,000 square meters in the cadastral municipalities of Dobrota, Kavac, and Škaljari—was unlawfully transferred to third parties. In 1990, the family owned six parcels with structures and sixty parcels of land, but by 2000, only one parcel remained. Despite numerous claims and lawsuits, the family has seen little success in regaining their property.

Another family, the Dabinović-Kokot family, has a long history in Dobrota. They built Kokot’s Tower over three hundred years ago, which has been protected as a cultural monument since 1949. The tower suffered damage during a significant earthquake in 1979, and since then, the family’s rights to the site and other properties have been increasingly restricted.

The integrity of Kokot’s Tower has been compromised due to inadequate spatial documentation and legal uncertainties. The physical structure has been endangered by surrounding construction activities, along with theft of stone elements. The visual integrity of the site has also been marred by vandalism and weather-related damage, including graffiti.

During the discussions, family representatives expressed their appreciation for the support received from Minister Grlić Radman and the Government of Croatia. They voiced hope for more proactive engagement from relevant institutions in Montenegro and other bodies to address these long-standing issues systematically.

The meeting included family members Bogdan and Toni Dabinović, along with Mirjana Tripković and her husband Mladen Pantar, and Ivo Tripković. They emphasized the need for a concerted effort to resolve property rights issues that have lingered for over a decade without resolution.

Through this dialogue, the families aim to encourage governmental action that would finally enable them to reclaim their rightful properties and restore their family’s legacies.