"Love thy neighbor"

"Even the most pious cannot live in peace if it displeases the wicked neighbor," as Friedrich Schiller already knew. Ideally, everyone should be especially fond of one another during the Christmas season, but perhaps it is precisely these high expectations that foster conflict and frustration. Thus, boundary disputes along neighbors' fences are particularly prevalent at the end of the year.

The impressive tally of a petty feud over a garden fence occupied a disgruntled judge at the Lübbecke District Court: Two dozen chicken eggs, rotten tomatoes, nibbled corn cobs, empty bottles, plastic rollers, and furniture legs had found their way over the plaintiff's fence from the neighboring property. The insults were no less varied.

Here and there, even snow shoveling degenerates into a duel – as in Nersingen, Swabia. And why not take advantage of what the season offers? The snow shovel became a weapon in a brawl between two neighbors. The reason for the commotion: one had shoveled snow against what he considered to be the other's obstructively parked car.

Two Bavarian homeowners were embroiled in a dispute before the Munich District Court because one of them occasionally dropped a shovelful of snow onto his neighbor's property while shoveling it. The final straw: On one occasion, the provocateur even looked the other homeowner straight in the eye and mockingly threw a shovelful of snow over the fence.

The Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main had to deal with a hot trail on cool ground: When using the right of way on the neighboring property, a neighbor had left a trail of needles while transporting the Christmas tree – which the plaintiff took as an opportunity to demand a general cleaning obligation on the part of the person entitled to the right of way.

Flashing fairy lights, life-size illuminated Christmas figures, LED reindeer sleighs – there's no accounting for taste. Often, a neighbor's elaborate or even kitschy Christmas decorations are a thorn in the side of the person on the other side of the fence. This visual nuisance can be exacerbated, for example, by flashing reindeer that bathe the neighbor's bedroom in blinding light every three minutes. And if Santa Claus then starts playing Jingle Bells because a passing cat has triggered the motion sensor, any hope of a good night's sleep is completely gone.

If the apartment catches fire.

For minimalist Christmas enthusiasts, a few flickering candles are enough to create a festive atmosphere. But even here, romance and peace can quickly come to an end – especially if the apartment goes up in flames. One couple was celebrating the holiday with a romantic interlude in the bedroom when their Advent wreath set the kitchen ablaze. The insurance company claimed gross negligence and refused to cover the damage. However, the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf ruled in favor of love: the insurance company had to pay.

The same Higher Regional Court also showed understanding for an overwhelmed young mother who was forced by her whining daughter to take the new doll's pram for a walk outside. Meanwhile, the Christmas tree candles set the tree and the apartment on fire. Here, too, the insurance company had to pay: The exasperated mother deserved understanding; her behavior was stress-related and therefore not to be considered grossly negligent, the judge explained.

Sources: raekuempers.de/urteile-weihnachtszeit, t-online.de, lto.de/recht