4.  The applicant was born in 1955 and lives in Šabac. 5.  In 1992 the applicant concluded a purchase contract with a socially-owned company called GDP Izgradnja-Šabac. The company was obliged to erect certain offices and hand their keys over to the applicant by November 1993. 6.  On 10 February 2001 the applicant filed a civil claim with the Municipal Court in Šabac, seeking damages for the company’s failure to fulfil its contractual obligation. 7.  On 1 October 2002 the Municipal Court ruled in favour of the applicant. In particular, the court ordered the company to pay the applicant:
(a) the compensation for existing damages in the amount of 757,500 Serbian dinars (RSD)[1];
(b) the compensation for any future damages in the amount of RSD 7,500 (approximately EUR 113) monthly in respect of any additional delay in the construction of the offices in question;
(c) RSD 81,775 (approximately EUR 1,200) for the legal costs. 8.  On 26 May 2003 the District Court in Šabac reduced the amount of damages awarded by the Municipal Court for RSD 378,000 and ordered the company pay the applicant the compensation for existing damages in the amount of RSD 379,500[2]. The court upheld the remainder of the judgment. The appeal judgment became final on the same date. 9.  On 27 July 2003 the applicant lodged an extraordinary remedy – an appeal on points of law – with the Supreme Court. 10.  On 4 July 2003 the Commercial Court in Valjevo opened insolvency proceedings in respect of the company in question. 11.  In August 2003 the applicant duly submitted his claim. He requested the Commercial Court to: (i) recognise him as the owner of the business premises in question, which were yet to be finished; (ii) exclude these premises, as well as the RSD 553,298.10 needed for their completion, from the total mass of the company’s insolvency assets; and (iii) confirm his compensation claims as recognised in the Municipal Court’s judgment of 1 October 2002. 12.  On 28 January 2004 the Commercial Court accepted the applicant’s requests under (i) and (ii) above. The Court accepted the applicant’s compensation claim in the amount of RSD 379,500 as recognised in the District Court’s judgment of 26 March 2006. The part of the applicant’s claim in the amount of RSD 378,000 was contested and the applicant was informed that he could bring a separate civil lawsuit concerning the contested part. 13.  The applicant did not institute separate civil proceedings. 14.  On an unspecified date the Supreme Court dismissed the applicant’s appeal on points of law due to the opening of insolvency proceedings against the debtor. 15.  On 14 April 2006 the applicant came into possession of the business premises. 16.  Following several unsuccessful auctions the debtor was finally sold on 12 January 2007 to Jovanović company from Šabac. 17.  On 18 June 2007 the Commercial Court in Valjevo adopted the decision on final distribution of the company’s insolvency assets, classifying the applicant into the fourth sequence of payment. Pursuant to this decision the applicant received only RSD 150,683.63. 18.  On 31 December 2007 the Commercial Court concluded the insolvency proceedings against the debtor.