Release
AYY
16 Oct 2015
For immediate release

Aalto University Student Union AYY has decided to apply for permission to appeal the verdict on the property dispute to the Supreme Court. At its meeting 39/2015 on 2 Oct, the Board decided to propose the Representative Council to confirm the Board’s authorisation to apply for permission to appeal and the Representative Council confirmed the authorisation at its meeting on 15 Oct 2015. Executive decision was made in the Board meeting on 16 Oct. Dissenting opinions on the decision were recorded in the minutes of the Representative Council and the Board meeting.

Background:

The property dispute between AYY and KY Foundation began in 2010, when the Student Unions of the Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Art and Design Helsinki merged into Aalto University Student Union. In connection with the merger, it became clear that the Student Union of the Helsinki School of Economics had transferred over 42 million euro of its property out of reach of the new student union to KY Foundation, which had been established through an intermediary.

Helsinki District Court issued a decision on the property dispute between AYY and the KY Foundation on 28 Apr 2014 and AYY Board decided to appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal at its meeting on 6 June 2014. The Court of Appeal issued its verdict on 4 Sept 2015. The majority decision (2:1) of the Court of Appeal stated that the outcome of the District Court verdict will not be changed. However, the member who disagreed had the view that donations should be made reasonable and the KY Foundation should refund EUR 37.4 million euro to AYY.

Similarly to the District Court, the Court of Appeal stated that AYY was in such a position that it had the right to request the donations to be nullified. The District Court also approved AYY’s views on the fact that the decisions of the Administrative Court were not relevant in this case. The decision also showed that KY had established KY Foundation by using an intermediary and the donations were shrouded in secrecy.

The requirements of the KY Fundation for the reimbursement of their costs in the Court of Appeal were rejected. Thus, both parties will pay their own legal expenses in the Court of Appeal.

The verdict of the Court of Appeal and the statement of a member who disagreed can be found at: /materiaalipankki/

Further information:
President of AYY Board Niko Ferm, niko.ferm@ayy.fi, 050 520 9420
Secretary General Janne Koskenniemi, janne.koskenniemi@ayy.fi, 050 520 9415

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