# Germany: If you don't pay your TV license fee, the government will deflate your car tire **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 14, 2015, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612 "2015-10-14T07:39:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/1 "2015-10-14T07:39:08Z")
No, this is no satire and no hyperbole. In Germany, the license fee is 17.98 Euros per month and every household has to pay it, even if nobody living there even owns a TV set or a radio receiver (or a smart phone or a computer). It’s essentially a household tax. If you don’t pay the fee, local government agencies will forcibly collect it. One of the tools traditionally employed by these agencies (these are the same people who are charged with collecting property taxes and other local charges) are tire deflators: They will put a device on the valves of your care tires which will deflate them after driving a couple of hundred meters. > **[Wer den Rundfunkbeitrag nicht zahlt, bekommt einen Platten](https://www.nordbayern.de/panorama/wer-den-rundfunkbeitrag-nicht-zahlt-bekommt-einen-platten-1.4715412)** > > Forchheim - Wer in manchen Städten und Gemeinden seine Rundfunkgebühr nicht begleicht, dem könnte schnell die Luft ausgehen. Denn mehrere Kommunen gehen mit sogenannten Ventilwächtern gegen Rundfunkbeitrag-Preller vor. Auch in Franken. (in German, with a picture of a tire deflator; this story was widely reported in the last few days) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/2 "2015-10-14T08:41:38Z")
Thanks, Obama. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/3 "2015-10-14T08:44:33Z")
Australia USED to have a TV licence fee, but that got dumped about 40 or so years ago. That really sucks…even moreso when your tire gets sucked! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/4 "2015-10-14T10:21:38Z")
For goodness sake, Forchheim makes the news for _this_? It’s a fine little town with a nice summer festival (Annafest) and a lovely old church…I’ve been there many times. As for deflating their car tires, knowing small towns like this, it’s less about the tire and more about the shame of the big yellow thing hanging off the car. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/5 "2015-10-14T10:30:22Z")
Every city does this, it’s common practice: > **[„Ventilwächter“ gegen Rundfunkbeitrags-Muffel](https://www.wz.de/panorama/ventilwaechter-gegen-rundfunkbeitrags-muffel_aid-29058211)** > > Willich/Köln (dpa) - Warnhinweise pappen auf den Autoscheiben, ein Pfandsiegel klebt am Türschloss und eine Mahnung liegt im Briefkasten des Fahrzeughalters. Doch die eigentliche Drohung ist ein leuchtend gelber Stöpsel unten am Autoreifen, genauer:... BTW, the TV license fee in Germany is a “democracy charge” (according to one broadcasting bigwig). ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/6 "2015-10-14T10:33:12Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > Every city does this, it’s common practice: > > [„Ventilwächter“ gegen Rundfunkbeitrags-Muffel](http://www.wz-newsline.de/home/panorama/ventilwaechter-gegen-rundfunkbeitrags-muffel-1.2036347) > > BTW, the TV license fee in Germany is a “democracy charge” (according to one broadcasting bigwig). Right, I did see it was widespread, I just thought it was funny (for personal reasons) that they used Forchheim for their example. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/7 "2015-10-14T10:44:58Z")
Until very recently, the local collecting agencies (these are actually departments of the city administration) were also charged with collecting the motor vehicle tax. One can see a certain logic when they disable your car if you don’t pay your car tax, but not if you just don’t want to watch the utter crap they show on TV. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/8 "2015-10-14T11:03:47Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > …BTW, the TV license fee in Germany is a “democracy charge” (according to one broadcasting bigwig). Freedom isn’t free. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/9 "2015-10-14T11:14:22Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > . One can see a certain logic Yeah, it does have a certain logic. …as long as you ignore the concept of the legal system, courts, assumption of innocence, burden of proof, etc etc etc. Actually, I like the idea–it does sound pretty damn effective for collecting small debts without any of that famous German bureaucracy. 🙂 So… why limit it to payment of fees? Suppose somebody disturbs the neighbors because his dog barks too much at night? Or he leaves his trash can out on the sidewalk at the wrong time? Or he expresses political opinions that I don’t like? 🙂 gee, this could be fun! ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/10 "2015-10-14T11:43:12Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Yeah, it does have a certain logic. …as long as you ignore the concept of the legal system, courts, assumption of innocence, burden of proof, etc etc etc. > > Actually, I like the idea–it does sound pretty damn effective for collecting small debts without any of that famous German bureaucracy. 🙂 > > So… why limit it to payment of fees? > Suppose somebody disturbs the neighbors because his dog barks too much at night? > Or he leaves his trash can out on the sidewalk at the wrong time? > > Or he expresses political opinions that I don’t like? 🙂 > > gee, this could be fun! Just to be clear, this is about the collecting process. Before that starts, the citizen of course was given the opportunity to appeal the decision and, if necessary, fight it in court. But disabling a car is way over the top under any circumstance, and above that, potentially very dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/11 "2015-10-14T13:30:46Z")
Still, pretty benign. Compared to, you know …piano wire. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/12 "2015-10-14T13:37:49Z")
How are the poor supposed to pay this fee? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/13 "2015-10-14T13:43:24Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Thanks, Obama. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/14 "2015-10-14T13:53:56Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > How are the poor supposed to pay this fee? There are waivers for welfare recipients. But you have to prove it. You also don’t have to pay the license fee if you are (a) blind **and** (b) deaf, but you have to prove that as well (again, I’m not kidding). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/15 "2015-10-14T14:02:56Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > There are waivers for welfare recipients. But you have to prove it. You also don’t have to pay the license fee if you are (a) blind **and** (b) deaf, but you have to prove that as well (again, I’m not kidding). Damned Nazis. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/16 "2015-10-14T14:11:25Z")
Deflating the tire after the car is moving, who says the Germans don’t have a sense of humor? Sounds like a device that if a person put on someones car as a joke they would find themselves in a great deal of trouble. What do they do if you don’t have a car? Follow you around until they get a chance to push you down some stairs? ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/17 "2015-10-14T14:23:58Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Deflating the tire after the car is moving, who says the Germans don’t have a sense of humor? > Sounds like a device that if a person put on someones car as a joke they would find themselves in a great deal of trouble. > What do they do if you don’t have a car? Follow you around until they get a chance to push you down some stairs? You know, until 2013, Germany had a different license fee scheme: You were only required to pay if you actually did operate a TV set or a radio receiver (or a car radio). They did have a small army (5,000 individuals) of free lance investigators whose job it was to hunt down folks who watch TV or listen to the radio without being registered as license fee payers. They were payed provisions for every poor schmuck who was caught red-handed (I have witnessed such an incident myself when I lived in a student dorm). ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/18 "2015-10-14T15:33:03Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > For goodness sake, Forchheim makes the news for _this_? It’s a fine little town with a nice summer festival (Annafest) and a lovely old church…I’ve been there many times. So I looked it [**up**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forchheim). _When the coat of arms was bestowed upon the town at the beginning of the 13th century, people wrongly believed that their town’s name, “Vorchheim” originates from the Old High German word **vorhe** (“trout”). This resulted in the coat of arms showing two trout._ K… ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/19 "2015-10-14T15:41:07Z")
So, “logically” if you don’t register your car, they’ll re-possess your TV? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612/20 "2015-10-14T17:02:02Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > Until very recently, the local collecting agencies (these are actually departments of the city administration) were also charged with collecting the motor vehicle tax. One can see a certain logic when they disable your car if you don’t pay your car tax, but not if you just don’t want to watch the utter crap they show on TV. When the only tool you have is a tire deflator, everything looks like a motor vehicle tax. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germany-if-you-dont-pay-your-tv-license-fee-the-government-will-deflate-your-car-tire/734612.md?page=2)