Communiqué of the department of Real Estate of the Armenian Patriarchate
The Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem – 16/4/18
Communiqué
1. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem wants to communicate the following statement.
2. The Armenian Patriarchate has won its case against Mr. Serop Sahagian.
3. Mr. Serop Sahagian illegally rented out the apartment house to others in the Gulbengian Building in the old city of Jerusalem without the permission of the Real Estate department of the Armenian Patriarchate.
4. He was always in arrears (sometimes in years) on his rental payments to the Patriarchate.
5. Mr. Serop Sahagian had an agreement with the late Patriarch, His Beatitude Torkom Manougian of blessed memory; the agreement obliged Mr. Serop Sahagian to evacuate the aforementioned property after ten years of residency. In violation of that agreement, and his disregard of rental and residency responsibilities, as well as his disregard towards many warnings sent by the Real Estate department to him, the Armenian Patriarchate had no other choice but to bring the case to the Israeli court.
Where after two years, the court confirmed in its verdict the rights of the Armenian Patriarchate and stated that Mr. Serop Sahagian acted illegally and was in breach of the agreement.
6. The court decision was that Mr. Serop Sahagian is not a protected tenant in the property, as he claims; even his being an Armenian doesn’t obligate the Patriarchate to give him an apartment. The court decided for his eviction within sixty days, and to pay to the Patriarchate 10,000 NIS toward expenses.
Real Estate Department of the Armenian Patriarchate
April 12, 2018
