As is well known, the wheels of justice grind slowly and an unresolved legal dispute can quickly become an incalculable risk. To prevent this from happening in the first place, BVfK and Deuvet have set up a new arbitration board.
The Bundesverband freier Kfz- Händler (BVfK) and the Bundesverband für Clubs klassischer Fahrzeuge e.V. (Deuvet) have set up a joint arbitration board for classic cars; in future it will be responsible for disputes in connection with the purchase or restoration of classic cars. Deuvet President Maik Hirschfeld presented the new body during the Techno Classica in Essen on 2 April. The purpose of the arbitration board is to make the classic car trade safer.
and more calculable and to avoid unnecessary disputes, some of which could threaten the existence of the business: "The classic car trade often suffers from severe
calculable risks in connection with specific problems in damage and warranty law. These problems result from the fact that the judges of the civil jurisdiction are extremely seldom occupied with the matter of classic cars and therefore usually cannot have detailed knowledge about classic cars," the press release states. More than 160 classic car clubs with over 30,000 classic car enthusiasts are organised under the umbrella of Deuvet. The BVfK, founded in 2000, has already gained experience in the work of an arbitration board. According to its own information, the already existing BVfK Arbitration Board deals with more than 1000 disputes a year, mainly in the field of the law of obligations. The arbitration rate
is over 90 percent. According to its own statement, the joint arbitration board is intended to "spare buyers as well as sellers, restorers and vehicle owners often protracted and cost-intensive court proceedings", which are often conducted with little technical expertise. The Arbitration Board can act both in a
mediative procedure, as well as make a binding ruling in a decisive procedure. The decision as to whether the
arbitration board acts in a purely mediative capacity or is given decision-making authority is chosen by the parties when concluding the arbitration agreement. The parties invoking the arbitration board must conclude a contract in which they agree to bear the costs of the proceedings. The suspension of any time limits, such as the limitation period or warranty period, results from the law when the arbitration agreement is concluded. The head of the arbitration board is the advisory board as a competence team. The members are Dr Christof Eggert, former presiding judge at the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court, Klaus Kukuk, motor vehicle expert specialising in classic carsNorbert Schroeder, motor vehicle expert specialising in classic cars, Friedrich Rückert, motor vehicle expert and owner of Motorenbau Rückert, specialising in the restoration of classic cars, Dr. Götz Knoop, specialist in traffic law, Peter Schneider, Vice-President of Deuvet, Ansgar Klein, automobile businessman and member of the board of BVfK and Dr. Kurt Reinking, lawyer.
The arbitration board will soon be accessible via the internet. Those seeking arbitration will find more information and an application form here.
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