Vietnam court rules for prosecutors in Ho Chi Minh City’s first public-interest civil case

A Ho Chi Minh City court has ruled for the regional procuracy in what was described as the city’s first public-interest civil case. The dispute concerns state-owned property at 17/3 Street 27 in Hiep Binh Ward.

The property became state-owned in 1994 and was assigned to a public-service company in Thu Duc for management and operation. That company leased the site to H.B. Trading Co. from July 2003 for production and business activities. The lease was terminated on July 6, 2020, but H.B. continued managing and using the property despite repeated requests to return it.

The regional procuracy asked the court to declare the continued use unlawful, require H.B. to end its possession and return the land and buildings, and order it to pay more than 58 million dong per month until the property was handed back. At the hearing, H.B. largely agreed to those demands and accepted the obligation to return the property and pay through the actual handover date.

The company said it had paid rent through August 2026. It also asked the court to record more than 35 years of management, use and improvements at the site, along with nearly 15 billion dong in financial obligations and costs. H.B. said it had twice nearly completed procedures to buy the property, but both efforts stalled after policy changes. It reserved the right to file a separate case over related rights and losses and said it hoped to pursue a long-term lease if approved.

The court accepted all of the procuracy’s claims. H.B. must return the property and continue paying more than 58 million dong a month until it does so.