My girlfriend is on vacation and these signs came up after she left. Car is parked on the street and she can’t move it because she is on vacation and has key. Government saying that she will have to pay to have it towed and pay a fee. Is this allowed?

5 comments

  2. Yes, this is allowed, if they signs were placed with a sufficient time before they start being valid. There is no law, but a judgment from the federal administrative court, which says that the signs have to be there at least for 3 days, after which a car can be towed. ADAC has some (german) explanation here: [https://www.adac.de/verkehr/recht/verkehrsvorschriften-deutschland/mobiles-halteverbot/](https://www.adac.de/verkehr/recht/verkehrsvorschriften-deutschland/mobiles-halteverbot/)

    What you can do in place of your friend (if you also don’t have a replacement key) is to call a tow truck yourself and tell them to just relocate the car somewhere near the current place, where parking is allowed. In that case your friend only has to pay the tow truck for the driving distance and the short time of work for relocating the car, but doesn’t have to pay the impound fee and the parking violation fee.

  3. In short: Yes. If your girlfriend parks her car in a parking zone on a street she has to check it regularly and be able to move it. Depending on where this is – most courts say that a warning given about three days prior is enough.

    Try to get a spare key and find another parking spot.

  4. pretty sure it is since it’s not a private parking spot (not a lawyer, so take that with a grain of salt, but i’m like really, really sure). maybe let her send you the car key via express delivery just to move it to another spot if there’s still time.

  5. If you park your car on public roadspace, you have to move it regularly, and you have to look out for sings like those and move your car in time.

    What your girlfriend would have been expected to do is find a place where she can park her car while she’s gone, e.g. in a parking garage.

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