The New People party, led by group deputy leader Sardana Aksentyeva, is pushing a fresh rule on how vehicles can be bought and sold. The document circulating in the Duma outlines a measure that would require written consent from both spouses for transactions that involve personal cars, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, and snowmobiles. This proposal aims to tighten the management of jointly held property, ensuring that actions affecting such assets reflect the agreement of both partners rather than a single decision maker in a household. The conversation surrounding this initiative highlights a shift in how family assets are treated in legal practice and public policy, particularly for items registered in an individual’s name yet broadly used within a family context.
“The spouse whose written consent to carry out the specified transaction has not been obtained has the right to request that the transaction be recognized as invalid in court within one year from the day on which he learned or should have learned that this transaction was completed,” reads the text of the Draft. The provision emphasizes accountability and a formal path for contesting actions that affect shared property, potentially creating a clear window for dispute resolution and legal review. The drafting team frames this safeguard as a check against unilateral disposal of assets that both spouses may rely on, even when the asset is typically treated as personal property in certain registrations.
For the new law to come into force, it would be necessary to amend the Family Code of the Russian Federation. The authors argue that currently, when one spouse executes a transaction involving the disposal of joint property, there is a presumption of permission from the other spouse. The draft notes that for transactions involving property with rights that require state registration, additional steps such as notarization are already in place to ensure formal verification. The proposed change would formalize a stance that joint consent is essential not only for ownership transfer but for significant disposition of assets that families rely on together, bringing more clarity to legal expectations in everyday life.
Vehicles used by families would come under heightened scrutiny if children ride in them without seat belts, with the draft suggesting that such vehicles could be subject to lien actions or other enforcement measures. This component signals a broader concern with safety alongside the property control element, tying a safer, more compliant use of motor vehicles to the same framework that governs consent and the management of family assets. The overall approach reflects a trend toward explicit consent for major family transactions, paired with procedural safeguards designed to protect both spouses and any dependent children who rely on those vehicles for daily transport.