A meat loaf can cause a lot of harm. And we’re not talking about fat spots or factory farming here. In his estimation, Helmut G. cost the sausage luck 1264 euros, not to mention the court costs. The Munich resident parked illegally in front of a butcher’s shop in August 2019. When he came back from shopping, a ticket was stuck to the window of his Mercedes and a wiper was broken. It was clear to him: the police hostess broke it. The 84-year-old then sued through all instances – and withdrew his appeal on Thursday before the 1st civil senate at the Munich Higher Regional Court.
“We have really tried to clear things up,” says the presiding judge Thomas Steiner at the end. And if you consider the damage that Helmut G. stated in the first instance in front of the regional court at 100 euros, you can already think about relations. Now Helmut G. says there was also a scratch in the car window, hence the increased amount of damage. Helmut G. not only brought the broken windshield wiper and the broken connecting part into the courtroom, but his white Mercedes is also parked in the courtyard of the Higher Regional Court. The court invites you to an on-site meeting.
“For 50 years I made vehicle reports as an expert,” cries Helmut G. The wiper was clearly broken off by force. There could be no question of wear and tear. And the police hostess Christine S. explains: “I’ve been working on the street for over 30 years. I don’t touch the windshield wipers, I push the parking tickets under the rubber.” The Senate wants to see that then. Helmut G. lets the windshield wipers whiz back and forth until they are in position, as on the fateful August 12, 2019. G. then parked on Kufsteiner Platz to buy the rolls. However, it took a little longer in the butcher’s shop. The wipers are almost vertical. Christine S. demonstrates how she pushes “the VMZ” (warning with demand for payment) from above or below under the wiper with one movement without touching it.
“You have to prove that the police hostess damaged her car”
“When I came out of the butcher’s shop, the right windshield wiper was pulled all the way down and broke off. And that’s where the parking ticket was,” said the 84-year-old indignantly. So the police hostess tries to touch the windshield wiper from the passenger side. She hardly gets there, “and I don’t lean on the cars either, otherwise I’ll get dirty”. In order to realistically recreate the whole thing, a judge dips water on the windshield to simulate rain. The result remains the same.
Back in the courtroom, Chairman Tacheles speaks and submits to the Senate: “You have to prove that the police hostess damaged her car,” says Thomas Steiner. But G. had no witnesses for this, and neither did he see it himself. The fact that the wiper worked “up to the tragic Leberkässemmel” and then suddenly no longer could not be explained by damage to the material. Most likely with the fact that a passerby wanted to see the parking ticket and therefore pulled the wiper down, or that a passerby was annoyed about the wrongly parked car and willfully damaged it. All in all: “The accusation against the police hostess has not been proven.”
G. continues to protest and withdraws the appeal. “At 84 years of age, I have gained one life experience,” he adds, and packs up the broken wiper again.