Yellow envelope: by when do I have to react?
Two weeks from service – calculated to the day, weekends and public holidays taken into account. The calculator says which day is the last, what you tick and what happens if you do nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Does the court examine whether the claim is justified?
No. The dunning procedure is automated: the Mahngericht only checks whether the application is formally complete – not whether the claim exists. That is why time-barred, inflated or invented claims also arrive as court payment orders. The objection is your only lever, and it costs nothing.
Do I have to give reasons for the objection?
No. A cross in the box “Ich widerspreche dem Anspruch insgesamt”, date, signature – that is enough (Section 694 ZPO). You can provide reasons later in the contested proceedings. What matters is only that the objection is RECEIVED by the Mahngericht within two weeks.
What happens after the objection?
The creditor has to decide whether to sue. Only then does a court examine the claim on its merits – with your objections (limitation, excessive debt collection costs, never ordered). Many debt collectors do not sue after a reasoned objection. Without an objection they get the title without any examination.
I missed the two weeks – is everything lost?
Not immediately. The creditor first has to apply for the enforcement order; against that you again have two weeks from service for an objection (Section 700 ZPO). A late objection is also treated as an objection to the enforcement order. Only when that deadline also passes is the claim titled – enforceable for 30 years.
Does a court payment order lead to a SCHUFA entry?
The court payment order itself does not. An enforcement order or a judgment, by contrast, is a titled claim that may be reported regardless of Section 31(2) no. 4 BDSG – even if you dispute the claim. That is why the objection deadline is the most important deadline on the whole route.