Skip to content
amtomatic
Language: English

Choose a language

What does Verjährung mean?

Verjährung (limitation) means that after a certain time, a creditor usually can no longer enforce a claim.

die Verjährung

The time depends on the kind of claim. Taxes and contributions also become time-barred, but under their own rules.

A time-barred debt does not disappear by itself. You must rely on the limitation in writing.

If you acknowledge a debt, for example by paying an instalment, the limitation period often starts again. A Mahnbescheid pauses it, and a court judgment makes it run much longer.

If you have already paid a time-barred debt, you usually do not get the money back.

Example sentence

Wir erheben die Einrede der Verjährung.

We raise the defence of Verjährung (limitation).

What you can do

Do not rush to pay a very old claim. First have it checked whether it is time-barred, for example at a debt advice centre (Schuldnerberatung).

  • Gläubiger A Gläubiger (creditor) is a person, company or office that you owe money to, or that claims you do.
  • Schuldner A Schuldner (debtor) is a person or company that owes money to someone else. In letters about debts, this often means you.
  • Mahnbescheid A Mahnbescheid is a letter from a court. Someone uses it to demand money from you.
  • Ratenzahlung Ratenzahlung (payment in instalments) means you pay a debt in smaller amounts, for example part of it every month.
  • Inkasso Inkasso (debt collection) means a company collects money for a Gläubiger that you supposedly owe them.