The review of similarities and differences between the land debt and right of retention

The subject of this paper is a review of the relationship between two of the real collateral, as follows: the right of retaining things (retention), regulated in the positive law of Serbia, the Law on Obligations of 1978, and, the land debt (real debt,) which is planned to be introduced into the Draft Law on Ownership and other Real Rights of Serbia from 2006. The first objective of this paper was to evaluate the expediency of introducing this new security right in domestic law concerning the fact that there have already existed a well-established mortgage and retention. In the case of the assessment of appropriateness of its introduction, the second and final goal of the paper is that, by comparing the functions and properties of the rights of retention and land debt accurately to be identified their similarities and differences, primarily due to the necessity of the precise demarcation. The author concludes that the similarities are primarily found in a function which they perform, as real security rights. Talking about other characteristics, these institutes differ, particularly in the structure, principles and legal effect.