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Codice Civile, art. 337-sexies — Assegnazione della casa familiare e prescrizioni in tema di residenza

Jurisdiction: Italy · Citation: Codice Civile, art. 337-sexies · Authoritative source: brocardi.it — art. 337-sexies

Two distinct duties bundled in one article: (1) the family-home is assigned with primary regard to the children's interest, and (2) each parent must notify the other within 30 days of any change of residence or domicile — a "perentory" (mandatory, non-extendable) deadline, with civil-damages liability for failure to comply. The second-paragraph residence-notification duty is one of the strongest statutory levers in Italian family law against silent-relocation alienation tactics.

Verbatim text (current consolidated)

Art. 337-sexies. (Assegnazione della casa familiare e prescrizioni in tema di residenza)

Il godimento della casa familiare è attribuito tenendo prioritariamente conto dell'interesse dei figli. Dell'assegnazione il giudice tiene conto nella regolazione dei rapporti economici tra i genitori, considerato l'eventuale titolo di proprietà. Il diritto al godimento della casa familiare viene meno nel caso che l'assegnatario non abiti o cessi di abitare stabilmente nella casa familiare o conviva more uxorio o contragga nuovo matrimonio. Il provvedimento di assegnazione e quello di revoca sono trascrivibili e opponibili a terzi ai sensi dell'articolo 2643.

In presenza di figli minori, ciascuno dei genitori è obbligato a comunicare all'altro, entro il termine perentorio di trenta giorni, l'avvenuto cambiamento di residenza o di domicilio. La mancata comunicazione obbliga al risarcimento del danno eventualmente verificatosi a carico del coniuge o dei figli per la difficoltà di reperire il soggetto.

English working translation

Art. 337-sexies. (Assignment of the family home and prescriptions on residence)

The use of the family home is assigned giving priority to the interest of the children. The judge takes the assignment into account in regulating the economic relationships between the parents, considering any title of ownership. The right to enjoy the family home ceases if the assignee does not live or ceases to live stably in the family home, or cohabits more uxorio, or contracts a new marriage. The assignment order and any revocation order are transcribable and opposable to third parties pursuant to article 2643.

Where minor children are present, each parent is obliged to communicate to the other, within the peremptory term of thirty days, any change of residence or domicile. Failure to communicate gives rise to liability for damages eventually sustained by the spouse or by the children due to the difficulty of locating the subject.

Why this matters for PA

  • The 30-day notification duty is a statutory anti-alienation weapon. A parent who relocates with the child without notice — a classic alienation tactic to sever contact with the other parent — breaches a peremptory civil-law duty and is liable in damages to both the other parent and the children.
  • "Difficoltà di reperire il soggetto" (difficulty of locating the subject) is broad enough to capture the indirect economic harms (legal-fees in tracing, missed contact periods, school-disruption costs) that alienating relocations typically cause.
  • The family-home assignment rule's primary regard to children's interest (interesse dei figli prioritariamente) is the Italian-law analogue of the welfare-paramountcy principle and underpins judicial reasoning where the home itself is part of the child's stability and relational continuity with both parents.
  • The transcrivibility and opposability-to-third-parties rule (per art. 2643) means the assignment binds purchasers and creditors — a non-resident parent cannot defeat the assignment by transferring property.

Sources & authoritative references

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