AI Uncovers Five Years of Judicial Failure: Belgian State Illegally Acquired Property

Brussels, May 11, 2025 – In a striking development within an ongoing legal saga, a Belgian family has uncovered serious judicial irregularities with the help of ChatGPT — an AI-powered analysis tool. These errors had gone unnoticed for years by courts, notaries, bailiffs, and government agencies.

🔍 What happened?

After five years of legal battles, citizens discovered — through the use of AI — that their properties had been unlawfully transferred to the Belgian State. This occurred without notification of the ruling, without any formal order of transfer, and without informing the owners. By analyzing legal documents and mortgage records, the AI reconstructed the case and identified critical facts now forming the basis of an urgent procedure before the Belgian Council of State.

📍 When and where?

The events span from 2020 to 2025 and occurred across multiple judicial districts in Belgium. The AI-assisted analysis was initiated in the spring of 2025, after conventional legal approaches failed to provide clarity for five years.

Who is involved?

• The Belgian State, as recipient of the unlawfully transferred properties
• The affected citizens, who have filed a complaint with the Council of State
• Multiple legal actors: bailiffs, mortgage offices, and the COIV (Central Office for Seizure and Confiscation)
• ChatGPT, used as a legal analysis tool

What was uncovered?

The AI analysis revealed serious structural and procedural flaws, including:

• Unlawful transfer of two properties despite a ruling that only mentioned the forfeiture of a monetary amount
• Four service notifications filed by a bailiff in the mortgage registry without judicial oversight
• Mortgage office accepted registrations based on incomplete or misleading information
• The COIV failed to issue a motivated decision, yet approved public sale via third parties
• ING bank placed full seizure on two properties belonging to different owners, with separate mortgages — without valid legal grounds

Why does this matter?

According to the Belgian High Council of Justice, 65% of the population cannot adequately understand legal language. That is more than a technical issue — it opens the door to systemic abuse, unchecked decisions, and loss of fundamental rights without citizens even realizing it.

This case shows what can happen when people are unable to understand legal procedures: the law ceases to protect, and becomes a tool of power.

More broadly, the case points to systemic failures in Belgium’s enforcement procedures:

• Lack of oversight
• Lack of transparency
• Inadequate protection of fundamental rights

The accessibility and clarity of justice are seriously undermined — and this is precisely where AI reveals its societal potential.

AI as a tool, not a replacement

ChatGPT was used here as an instrument for legal research. By simply uploading documents and asking targeted questions, the AI returned precise references to applicable laws, case law, and legal interpretations.

While AI does not replace legal advice, in this case it functioned as a powerful guide — something that five years of conventional litigation failed to achieve.

A call for reflection

This case underlines the urgent need for digital tools in the justice system, particularly in an era of growing legal inequality. Justice must become more transparent, more comprehensible, and more accessible. AI can play a crucial role in this — as a watchdog, a safeguard, and a bridge between the citizen and the law.

Media Contact:
Antonius Hoffmann
📧 anitahoffmanna@gmail.com
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