German courts set rules on night lighting, waste liability and school walk distances

The Amtsgericht München ruled that a property owner must switch off exterior lighting between 22:00 and 06:00 because the light significantly impairs neighboring residents. The court clarified that neighbours are not required to close blinds or install opaque curtains, and that traffic‑safety obligations do not justify permanent illumination. The owner may use dimmer or downward‑facing fixtures.

The Bundesverwaltungsgericht decided that owners of freely accessible land are not automatically responsible for illegally dumped waste placed on their property. In the case of roof‑tar left on a forest plot owned by the Federal Agency for Real Estate, the court held that the public waste‑disposal authority, not the landowner—even a public institution—is liable for removal.

The Verwaltungsgericht Trier held that a 13‑year‑old student must walk to the nearest bus stop even though the route passes unlit fields and forest paths. The court rejected a shorter, poorly maintained alternative and accepted a roughly two‑kilometre route, which is below the legal limit of four kilometres. Lack of lighting, unpaved roads, winter conditions and no mobile signal were deemed normal rural circumstances and not a special danger.