Negotiation on compensation after locker coup at Haspa
In the dispute over compensation payments following the spectacular break-in of more than 600 bank safe deposit boxes in Norderstedt, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court is hearing the appeal by Hamburger Sparkasse (Haspa) today (11.00 a.m.). In August 2021, unknown perpetrators used a core drill to break into the safe deposit box room of the Haspa branch through a concrete ceiling. They stole money, gold, jewelry and many other valuables from the broken open lockers. Lawyer Jürgen Hennemann, who represents three aggrieved customers, estimates the total loss at around 40 million euros. Haspa puts the loss at 11 million euros.
At the end of June, the Hamburg Regional Court ordered the savings bank to compensate the three customers for losses amounting to 110,000, 100,000 and 68,000 euros. The civil court found that the bank had breached its obligations in securing the safe deposit boxes and was liable for the proven losses suffered by the safe deposit box holders. Haspa had only wanted to pay the maximum compensation of 40,000 euros per safe deposit box stipulated in the terms and conditions. The savings bank appealed against the ruling. No decision is expected at the oral hearing before the Higher Regional Court on Wednesday, according to a court spokesperson.
The processes to investigate the bank robbery at Haspa and identify the responsible parties are being handled by the police, as criminal acts like this involve financial institutions and potentially significant financial losses. Despite the bank's attempts to limit compensation payments to the stipulated maximum, the courts have deemed it liable for greater losses, highlighting the importance of banks adhering to their obligations for customer protections.
Source: www.dpa.com
