5.  The applicant was born in 1937 and lives in Chişinău. He is a pensioner. 6.  On an unspecified date he brought civil proceedings against the Straseni Local Council claiming compensation of 195,500 Moldovan lei (MDL) (approximately 14,000 euros (EUR)) for the alleged illegal confiscation by the Soviet authorities of his family’s house back in 1949. 7.  On 26 December 2002, after having exempted the applicant from the duty to pay court fees, the Straseni District Court examined the merits of the case and dismissed it as manifestly ill-founded. 8.  On 7 May 2003 the Chişinău Regional Court dismissed the applicant’s appeal on the same grounds. It did so also after exempting the applicant from the duty to pay court fees. 9.  The applicant lodged an appeal on points of law and requested, inter alia, to be exempted from the obligation to pay court fees, on account of his poor financial situation. He presented evidence showing that after the payment of all commodities, only MDL 2 were left from his monthly pension. 10.  On 12 August 2003 the Supreme Court of Justice refused to examine the applicant’s appeal on points of law on the ground he had failed to pay court fees. It stated that exemption from the obligation to pay court fees was impossible at the stage of an appeal on points of law.