02.04.2025 Kharkiv

Registers in the slavery of Melnyk and Volyk, holding Ukrainians and registrars hostage

Немає опису світлини.

Registries in the thrall of Melnyk and Volyk, holding Ukrainians and registrars hostageValentyn Melnyk is a lawyer who has turned the practice of law into a tool of blackmail, bribery, and intimidation. Using his connections in the government, he has organized a network that covers state registration, courts, and even personnel policy. His main accomplice is his godfather, Dmytro Volyk, head of the notary department in Kharkiv region of the Eastern Interregional Department of the Ministry of Justice. Together they keep dozens of registrars in fear, forcing them to pay monthly “tributes” for the right to work.

Let us recall the essence of the scheme under which the men work:

  1. Registrars who refuse to pay lose access to the registries or receive fabricated disciplinary cases.
  2. Those who agree become part of the system, transferring part of the profits to Melnyk and Volyk.
  3. Citizens who apply for services are forced to pay inflated rates – 3-5 times higher than market rates.

By the way, back in 2016, the SBU detained Volyk for a similar scheme – extortion of UAH 1500 per month from his subordinates. Case No. 42016220000000531 is still pending in the Kyiv District Court of Kharkiv, dragged out by lawyers and prosecutor Roman Yarov, who is sabotaging the process.

Currently, Volyk and Melnyk are subordinated to a whole galaxy of registrars. Among them: Serhiy Zotkin, Oleh Zhbadynskyi, Ihor Teslenko, and Iryna Romanyuk. Moreover, all of them work not in local governments, but in Melnyk’s private office at 96 Sumska Street, Kharkiv. Is this a violation? Obviously, it is. Registrars should operate only in the official premises of communities, not in private offices of lawyers.

Interestingly, each of the listed registrars has already been caught committing fraud by entering false information into the registers. However, Melnyk’s lawyers successfully appealed the decision of the Ministry of Justice in courts. Now, once again, based on our materials, Zotkin, Teslenko, and Zhbadynskyi’s access has been revoked. But for how long?

“Black registrars” under the leadership of Melnyk and Volyk

To understand the scope of criminal activity of the Melnyk and Volyk group, we propose to analyze several real-life examples.

  1. On September 18, 2024, registrar Teslenko registered the ownership of the property located in the village of Staryi Saltiv (1-B Molodivskyi Shlyakh Street) with an area of 198.1 square meters. Contrary to the requirements of the law, the registration was based only on the technical passport. The registrar did not request a certificate of ownership or any other documents confirming the ownership of the extension. Three months later, Teslenko again entered the information into the state register in favor of citizen Syvoplias. This time, he changed the type of object to a country house. And again, without any permits, relying only on the technical passport, not on the title documents, which is absurd in itself.
  2. On 11.11.2022, notary Korobets issued a certificate of inheritance to Antonova O.I. for a one-story house in the city of Dergachi, on Vokzalna Street. The total area of the building is 48.1 square meters, of which the residential part is 28.7 square meters. After 2 years – on 19.09.2024, guided only by an information certificate from technicians (with a note on the absence of unauthorized construction and alterations), without DABI, permits, registrar Teslenko conducts a registration action, as a result of which the object changes its description. And most importantly, the area of 221.8 square meters of total area and 172.4 square meters of residential area.
  3. Another example – on May 16, 2001, notary Pavlenko N.V. certified a contract of sale of an unfinished building with 67% completion. It was a house in Chuhuiv district, Khotomlia village. On September 24, 2024, according to the old scheme, registrar Teslenko implements the procedure for registering ownership, without any information about the commissioning of the object and without a declaration from the SACI. Thus, another object with an area of 148.5 square meters (79.1 square meters of residential) illegally changes its status.
  4. On November 04, 2007, notary Momot S.V. notarized the contract of sale of the object. On July 25, 2008, an extract was obtained on the ownership of Ms. Yemelianenko for premises in a non-residential building (former Robotnyk Cinema) in Krasnohrad at 19 September Street, 98-A, with an area of 307 square meters. At this stage, all actions comply with regulatory requirements. Then, on 20.09.2024, the case falls into the “reliable” hands of registrar Teslenko, who masterfully, using only a technical passport, registers the ownership of the entire building with an area of 2216.6 square meters to the same Emelianenko. We can assume that the former cinema was not transferred to the community’s balance sheet in time and was safely transferred to private hands as an “ownerless” object.
  5. On June 11, 2024, notary Yemets I.A. certifies and registers the contract of sale of non-residential premises on the 1st floor at 122 Moskovsky Avenue, with an area of 139.7 square meters. On 06.12.2024, Teslenko registers 237.5 sq.m., adding non-residential premises of the basement and ground floor to the description of the object. Again, without any documents, permits, approvals, or even a technical passport. The basement was simply added to the existing area.
  6. On 10.08.1995, a state notary certified a deed of gift of a residential house in the village of Vilcha, Vovchansk district, in favor of I.A. Kel, with a living area of 30.4 square meters. On February 18, 2025, registrar Zhbadynskyi carried out a registration action, as a result of which, without inquiries about ownership (due to outdated documents), without declarations of the SACI and relying only on the gift agreement, he registered the object with new parameters, namely: a total area of 121.7 square meters, a living area of 71.3 square meters.

Given the ongoing hostilities in our country, the region where the above facilities are located has suffered significant losses of human life and property! Assistance in bringing the documents in line with the current legislation is, of course, an important and responsible task for lawyers and leading experts. Especially in the light of ensuring the possibility of receiving compensation for the destroyed housing.

However, the unscrupulous work of state registrars such as Zotkin, Teslenko, Zhbadynskyi and others, who artificially increase the area of objects to obtain more compensation without determining its presence, configuration, etc. leads to theft of budget funds and causes significant financial losses to the country.

We will publicize this situation and initiate an investigation, cancel the actions and records made, and bring everyone involved to justice, regardless of the statute of limitations.

Lawyer Melnyk’s scandals and attempts to “launder” himself: from diplomatic fakes to bought likes

Media reports: Melnyk published a video created by AI for the PR campaign of his law firm Melnyk and Partners. It was about a diplomatic briefing of the President of Ukraine. After the video became public, the owner of the law firm frantically deleted it, closed its Facebook page, and ordered ads on local telegram channels to try to whitewash its reputation.

For example, in the Kharkiv public “Kharkiv 1654” Melnyk not only bought PR posts, but also cheated the reactions for the “status”: more than 6,000 likes and 3,000 shares. By the way, the comments on the channel are limited, so it is difficult to have an idea of the real reaction of citizens to such advertising.

With the assistance of a lawyer, the channel “Kharkiv 1654” also published posts about the NGO “Non-Stop Ukraine” that directly discredited our activities, aiming to stop the coverage of the schemes of “black registrars” Melnyk and his godfather Volyk.

What’s next? The struggle continues

While Melnyk is trying to return the disconnected registrars through the courts and delay Volyk’s case, we are preparing new materials. Every fact will be analyzed, every document will be made public. Based on our materials, the investigating judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Poltava has already ordered the authorized persons of the State Bureau of Investigation in Poltava to start a pre-trial investigation. So, let’s continue.

If you have become a victim of Melnyk and Volyk’s scheme, don’t hesitate to contact us. Share your evidence, documents, and testimonies.

Did you witness a crime?

Let us know about it. We will help protect the violated rights!

Share the post:

Last news

ALL NEWS ALL ARTICLES