Official court notices
Compulsory auctions from official court notices
In a compulsory auction the owner is not the seller: a local court sets a date at a creditor's request. Bidding happens at the hearing itself, against the market value the court has established, and there is no right to view the interior beforehand. The houses, flats and land come from those notices and can be filtered by place and property type.
3180 properties from the current court notices are searchable.
From the creditor's application to the award
A compulsory auction is a court procedure, not a sales negotiation. If you plan to bid, know the four stages, because each one fixes a deadline or an amount.
The local court orders the sale
A creditor, usually the mortgage lender, applies for the auction. The court orders it, records it in the land register and appoints a surveyor.
Market value and public notice
The surveyor values the property and the court sets that figure as the market value. Only then is the hearing scheduled and published together with the property details.
The bidding hearing
After the formal announcements, bidding runs for at least 30 minutes. Bring ID and, if a party to the proceedings asks for security, ten per cent of the market value in non-cash form.
Award and transfer
The court decides on the award, often at a separate hearing. Ownership passes with that decision; there is no notarised contract, the court order takes its place.
Common questions about compulsory auctions
How much do I have to bid?
Two thresholds apply at the first hearing: below half the market value the court must refuse the award (section 85a ZVG), and between 50% and 70% of it a creditor can block the award (section 74a ZVG). At a later hearing both thresholds fall away, which is why second hearings sometimes end well below value.
What security do I need to provide?
If a party to the proceedings asks for security, it is ten per cent of the market value the court has set, and it cannot be cash: a Bundesbank cheque, a bank cheque or a transfer to the court's account beforehand. Without security your bid is rejected.
Can I view the interior first?
There is no right to do so. With occupied properties you may only get to see the outside. The valuation report is available at the court and usually includes floor plans, photos and notes on condition; read it before you bid.
What costs come on top of the bid?
Transfer tax at the rate of the federal state, court fees for the award and the order, and any arrears attached to the property, such as service charges owed to an owners' association. Estate agent commission and notary fees do not arise. Interest from the award onwards is on the buyer.
What happens to tenants in the property?
Existing tenancies continue and the buyer becomes the landlord. The special right of termination under section 57a ZVG applies only at the first permitted date and only where tenancy protection does not override it, so with a let flat the tenancy agreement is part of the calculation.
Is an auction cheaper than the open market?
It happens, but not as a rule. Any discount depends on condition, on how many people bid and on whether it is a first or a later hearing. Set against that: no interior viewing, possible arrears, and financing that has to be in place before the hearing.
Where the data comes from
The listings follow the notices published by the local courts as they reach us in provider feeds. The court's own notice is always the authoritative version, and the court decides whether a hearing is cancelled or moved. The complete register of hearings is the federal-state portal zvg-portal.de.