Overview

• The Bundesgerichtshof (BGH) in Karlsruhe will decide if a Brandenburg family must vacate their home and demolish it after a 2010 auction error.
• The family purchased the property in a forced auction, unaware that the original owner, a U.S. citizen, had not been properly notified of the sale.
• A 2014 ruling declared the auction invalid due to a procedural error by the Amtsgericht Luckenwalde, awarding ownership back to the original owner.
• A 2023 court order required the family to vacate, demolish their home, and pay additional costs, but the BGH is now reviewing the case.
• The family may receive compensation from the state for damages caused by the auction error, and discussions of a potential settlement are ongoing.