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Contractual penalty under the BGB – issued and enforced digitally

Anyone who parks on your property despite the sign generally owes a contractual penalty (§§ 339 ff. BGB). You report via the app; we obtain the keeper details, send the invoice and handle collection.

Digital QR parking ticket for a contractual penalty

From photo to paid penalty.


Process

You document the violation; we take care of everything up to payment.

  1. Report via the app.

    Open FalschParker and record the vehicle that is parked on your space without permission.

    FalschParker: capturing the licence plate
  2. Secure the evidence.

    A photo with a legible plate and the sign in view proves the parking terms were visible.

    FalschParker: photo of the vehicle as evidence
  3. Keeper lookup at the KBA.

    We request the keeper details from the KBA under § 39 StVG – digitally, with no effort for you.

    Keeper lookup for a parked vehicle
  4. Assignment – we enforce.

    You assign the claim to ParkGuard under § 398 BGB. We serve the invoice, send reminders and handle collection if needed.

    FalschParker: overview of your reported cases
Your benefits

Digital from report to payment.

  • Invoices without paperwork.

    The payment request is created automatically and sent to the offender – nothing for you to print.

  • Keeper lookup included.

    We file the request with the KBA's Central Vehicle Register for you – no forms on your side.

  • Collection at no extra cost.

    If the offender doesn't pay, we handle collection – no extra cost for you and no fixed contract term.

3 min read

How high a penalty?

How high may a contractual penalty (Vertragsstrafe) for unauthorised parking on private ground be in Germany? Learn what makes an amount reasonable, which costs cannot be recovered and how to enforce your claim on a sound legal footing.

Read more
FAQ

The contractual penalty in Germany

  • What is the contractual penalty based on?

    A clearly visible sign at the entrance offers a usage contract. Anyone who parks there generally accepts it; on a breach the penalty is due under §§ 339 ff. BGB.

  • How is the keeper identified?

    After your report we obtain the keeper details under § 39 StVG from the Federal Motor Transport Authority. You don't need to do anything else.

  • What if the keeper wasn't driving?

    Under BGH XII ZR 13/19 the keeper must explain who was driving. If they don't, they can generally be held liable themselves.

  • What happens if nobody pays?

    Then we handle reminders and collection – at no extra cost or effort for you.

  • What does it cost me as the owner?

    Nothing. Registration, the app and collection are free for you; the offender bears the cost.

  • Does it work in underground car parks too?

    Yes – a single space in a back courtyard, a WEG's underground garage or a customer car park. What matters is a clearly visible sign.

Make unauthorised parkers pay?

Register for free and issue your first contractual penalty via the app – today.

FalschParker: creating a contractual penalty in the app