Eigentümerkreis

Eigentümerkreis is a term used in German property law and corporate governance to denote the group of individuals or legal entities that hold ownership rights to a defined object or project. The composition of the circle is determined by the legal title to the property, shareholdings, or membership certificates and can change when ownership is transferred or shares are issued.

In real estate contexts, particularly in multi-owner properties such as condominiums or housing developments, the Eigentümerkreis comprises all owners of individual units. Members have rights and duties related to the property as a whole, including participation in decisions affecting common property, voting at general meetings, and bearing maintenance and operating costs. In many cases the legal instrument governing these matters is the Wohnungseigentumsgesetz (WEG), which prescribes the structure of the Eigentümergemeinschaft; the Eigentümerkreis is the group whose decisions are implemented through the community's bodies.

Beyond real estate, the term also appears in corporate or project contexts to describe all persons or entities that own shares, membership interests, or other forms of equity. The circle grants proportional voting rights and entitlements to distributions, and it can be altered by transfer of shares or changes in the organization's statutes or articles of association.

In practice, the exact scope and rights of the Eigentümerkreis are defined by contracts, statutes, and applicable law, and thus vary between sectors and individual projects. See also Eigentümergemeinschaft, Stimmrecht, Wohnungseigentumsgesetz.