Berlin Social Court, 24/09/2012, Ref.: S 90 SO 1227/12
In most cases, at least three partners are involved in the social care relationship within the framework of a so-called triangular relationship.
The parties involved are the person entitled to care benefits, the social care provider and the care home or care service.
This triangular relationship can give rise to some very complex legal problems, particularly when it comes to billing for the services provided.
In the above-mentioned case, the Berlin Social Court had to decide whether the defendant social welfare organisation had to pay the plaintiff outpatient care service invoices for the outpatient care of a person in need of assistance after the person in need of assistance had died.
Contract for care services and assumption of costs
The plaintiff, an outpatient care service, concluded a contract with a woman in need of assistance for the provision of home care services. To finance this, the woman applied for care assistance benefits from the defendant social welfare organisation. In a letter dated 4 October 2007, the social welfare agency assured the plaintiff of a "cost guarantee" from 5 June 2007. The scope of the assumption of costs for the utilisation of a special carer in accordance with § 65 SGB XII was described in detail. The plaintiff was authorised to invoice the services provided directly to the defendant, provided that the care services corresponded to the entitlement of the recipient of assistance.
Objection and death of the aid recipient
The recipient's son lodged an appeal against the decision to assume the costs on 16 October 2007. The woman in need of assistance died before the appeal proceedings were concluded. After her death, the claimant issued invoices to the social welfare organisation for the care services provided since June 2007. However, the social welfare organisation refused to pay because the invoices had been issued after the death of the recipient and the woman's claim had not been transferred to the claimant.
Action brought by the claimant and decision of the Social Court
In 2011, the claimant filed a lawsuit with the Berlin Social Court. The court dismissed the claim. It found that although the plaintiff's claim for payment existed in principle, it was time-barred at the time the action was filed. The social welfare agency had acceded to the care contract as a debtor by the decision of 4 October 2007 (accession to debt), which meant that the defendant should have assumed the costs. The decision constituted an administrative act that was to be enforced by settlement and payment.
Limitation of the payment claim
The social court ruled that the claimant's claim for payment was time-barred at the time the action was brought in 2011. The limitation period was three years and was based on Section 195 of the German Civil Code (BGB), as the claim was a civil law claim. The limitation period began at the end of 2007 and therefore expired at the end of 2010. As the action was not filed until 2011, the plaintiff's claim was time-barred and payment by the social welfare organisation was ruled out.
This decision shows the importance of the limitation periods for civil law claims and the consequences of a delayed assertion of claims.
Source: Social Court Berlin
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