Legal Irony in Indonesia: Even with Property Rights Certificate, Residents Can Be Evicted from Their Home

Solo, Indonesia — A married couple residing in Solo, Suyadi and his wife Sri Marwini, have experienced severe hardship after being forcibly evicted from their home, despite having legally acquired it and holding a valid Certificate of Ownership (SHM).

Suyadi and Marwini were compelled to leave the residence they purchased in 2013. On Thursday afternoon, 12 February 2026, the Solo State Court (PN) executed a ruling against the disputed property in which they resided. Their belongings were progressively transferred to a rented house located near the disputed property.

Even in the final moments before the execution, Suyadi attempted to assert his rights, emphasising that the house had been purchased legitimately and was accompanied by an SHM.

According to Marwini’s account, the dispute originated in 2013 when she purchased a house built on a plot of land measuring 479 square metres in Pajang Village, Laweyan District, Solo City. Suyadi was attracted to the property being sold by the previous owner, Subarno. The transaction was conducted formally before a notary public.

At that time, Suyadi and the notary also visited the National Land Agency (BPN) office in Surakarta to verify the status of the land being purchased. The BPN Surakarta subsequently confirmed that the land was clean and without disputes involving any other parties.

However, their peace was short-lived. A woman with the initials SWT from Wonogiri arrived and claimed that the house belonged to her. The dispute escalated to legal proceedings. SWT filed a suit against Suyadi’s SHM at the State Administrative Court (PTUN).

In its ruling, the PTUN panel of judges upheld SWT’s claim and declared Suyadi’s SHM void. Beyond suing the couple, SWT also sued BPN Surakarta as the agency that had issued the certificate.

“I am bewildered about what to do. I purchased the house legitimately, the SHM was issued officially by BPN, yet the judge at PTUN was able to invalidate it. During the proceedings, many facts that we presented seemed not to have been considered,” Marwini told Kompas.com on Thursday, 26 February 2026.

The certificate’s annulment has left Marwini, who admits to being unfamiliar with legal matters, deeply distressed. She noted that the dispute has drained her energy, time, mental health, and substantial financial resources.