It is very common that architects and engineers working either by themselves without fee or design contracts to subcontract, for which no compensation will be paid. Also be agreed upon among acquaintances smaller standard fees as a favor. Often from personal motives are supposedly awarded small contracts or requests, even without the agreement of a planning fee or inherited. Whether it is also accepted for errors of planning without fee liability, the subject of a series of court decisions.
In the Higher Regional Court (OLG) Karlsruhe (15 U 243/08) case decided an engineer to design a house installation was commissioned. The engineer was planning galvanized water pipes for the construction of a hotel after he had confirmed the suitability of a laboratory on request. Based on personal acquaintance, the laboratory had determined the engineer for the information no fee. After installation of the galvanized pipes there were signs of corrosion (pitting) and subsequently to significant remedial costs in five-figure sum. is taken as the engineer of the bad planning in claim this was also the laboratory to the high cost of the pitting damage involved.
OLG Karlsruhe ordered the lab to be replaced a part of the damage. The objection that the information was given without a fee, let the court do not apply. Who in the building at considerable economic significance in planning, executing and it was only in the form of technical information, is liable under the principles of factory contractual liability. Although the present case, the Court of Appeals saw a significant contributory negligence of the engineer, so that the laboratory is only part of the damages have to bear. However, the liability is normally in full and without the opportunity for a kindness to invoke.
The author of this paper is a lawyer