The Tel Aviv District Court has ruled four of the nation’s religious councils will have to refund money levied without authorization. The case refers to money levied from young couple who registered for marriage, with the ruling addressing the religious councils of Bat Yam, Givatayim, Sderot and Haifa. The councils charged for a ‘mehudar kesuva’ from the couple, taking more money than the state-mandated fees permit. In the agreement reached with the court, the councils have agreed to refund the money.

The fee set by law for registering is NIS 700 while active soldiers, students, talmidei yeshivos and some other receive a NIS 420 discount. The payment is made on the first visit, when a couple opens their marriage registration file. The money paid covers all the charges; which includes opening the marriage registration file, kallah classes, chosson classes, performing the chupah, and issuing two copies of the marriage registration following the chupah.

The Itim organization filed with the court against the religious councils and Ministry of Religious Services claiming the councils mentioned exceeded the permitted amount, charging young couples more than the law permits. The ‘excess’ fees ranged from NIS 30 to NIS 70, estimating thousands of couples were overcharged in the past two years, amounting to over NIS 250,000.

It is pointed out the couples were not compelled to pay the additional fee and could have settled for a simple kesuva without any surcharge. Part of the agreement with the court compels the councils to place ads in newspapers informing couples that anyone who overpaid in the past two years is entitled to a refund within a month of requesting it.

The court ordered the Haifa Religious Council to refund NIS 30 per couple, Givatayim Religious Council NIS 60 a couple, Bat Yam NIS 70 a couple and Sderot NIS 50 a couple.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)