Basic Limitation Periods
General period: 6 years (Art. 118 CC). Business claims: 3 years. Period expires at the end of the calendar year (since 2018).
Special Periods
Warranty: 2 years. Work contracts: 2 years. Transport: 1 year. Promissory notes: 3 years. Insurance: 3 years. Tort: 3 years from learning of damage, max 10 years.
Interruption of Limitation Period
Since 2022: filing a lawsuit, acknowledgment of the claim, initiation of mediation. Conciliation summons no longer interrupts — only suspends.
Suspension
During mediation, conciliation, force majeure, and during court proceedings.
Consequences
Gives the debtor a procedural defense. Since 2018, courts apply ex officio for consumers. In B2B, the debtor must raise it themselves.
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