#431: Landlord fined, Autobahn dogs, more bad bridges
Maybe have your lease reviewed
Dear 20 Percent,
Since I earn part of my living as a German-language comedian, people often ask me about the German sense of humor — and I almost always deflect. I didn’t really have a simple answer until someone invented the word “cringe”. But the first thing I have always thought about is the above car.
(Disclaimer: German comedy fans, however, have a much more open, intelligent sense of humor.)
VW made something over 1,000 of the multi-color Polo Harlequin in 1995. I’ve just always pictured a handful of engineers in Wolfsburg coming up with the idea and then laughing non-stop for a week.
“Zis car! It vill haff different colors all offer! Who vil beeleev it?”
Sure, Klaus, it’s cute but let’s settle down, shall we? The Harlequin now has a cult following, like anything limited and automotive.
And it was also the first thing I thought when I heard about this whole eating-pudding-with-a-fork flashmob craze. It feels like the kids of those engineers were sitting on the patio at Gymnasium and thought — “Who will believe it?” (they speak better English now).
Ultimately I’m glad though. As a parent of corona-generation kids, I’ve seen how socially damaging the pandemic was for them. I’m happy for anything that gets them out and together.
And it reminds me that I’m still an expat/immigrant here: I’ll never fully understand the Germans.
Have a good weekend!
Andrew
Finally fining crook landlords
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg fined a landlord €26,253 Thursday for charging a rent 190% over the maximum allowable, the first time Berlin has prosecuted a greedy landlord, according to Tagesspiegel. The landlord also owes the renter of the 38m² abode €22,264 in excessive rent but the renter must sue to get the refund. Politicians from both the leftist Die Linke and conservative CDU told the paper they hope the lawsuit is just the first of many in an effort to punish landlords who seem to lack a moral compass — Frankfurt (am Main) apparently regularly sues landlords with success. Side fact: taz says rent 20% higher than the maximum allowed is a code violation while anything 50% higher is an actual, real crime. Prosecute. Prosecute. Prosecute.
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Dogs on the Autobahn
Berlin detectives closed the A100 and A113 Autobahns at several locations in southern Berlin Thursday and Friday to allow sniffer dogs to, well, sniff the highway after a suspected leftist arson attack last month, according to RBB24. The dogs are tracking the as-yet unnamed suspects in the attack, which led to the largest blackout in the Hauptstadt since WWII. A note that claimed responsibility said a high-power line was set ablaze to punish defense-related tech companies in Schöneweide — but it also punished 30,000 Berlin households for days.
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The next crumbling bridge
And if it’s not canines closing the A100 it’s cracks in the cement. Officials have found yet another A100 bridge in questionable condition, this time at Mecklenburgische Straße in Wilmersdorf, just a few hundred meters from the two bridges over the Ringbahn that had to be torn down this summer. The outer-most westward lane as well as the exit to Detmolder Straße on the other side will be closed until Autobahn GmbH, the public entity that operates Germany’s highways, can determine the extent of the damage, says RBB24.
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🛂 No more fast-track citizenship for skilled workers
🚁 Clearing the way for cops to down drones
🔪 High-profile mayor attack was family, not politics
Factoid
177 of 190 residential rental contracts reviewed by a special Berlin office since March were excessive, according to RBB24. Berlin in March began offering office hours in various boroughs for renters who fear they’re paying too much rent — hours and locations here. The service unfortunatley only serves as advice and renters have to pursue their sometimes-criminal (see above) landlords themselves.
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Glad to see that rent gouging is finally being addressed in this city. Unfortunately, suing the landlord for a refund does not guarantee that you'll actually get any money. Our personal experience with lawsuits has shown that the defendant can simply ignore the court order, ignore the bailiff, and ignore the warrant for his arrest. Berlin doesn't have the resources to fully prosecute this type of white collar crime. Even our lawyer has called Berlin a "failed state".
Interesting. I filled the Die Linke form last winter, and the Bürgeramt came back to me with some questions in February but fell silent afterwards. This month my rent was 163 euro less than the month before without any explanation (just noticed it today when checking my account). Nebencosten re-calculation papers usually came in November and had effect in December, also it was usually more like 1000 euro for me. I thought maybe Mietwucher-App had effect, but I'm in Reinickendorf. I'm a bit anxious to ask the landlord why directly.