I'm planning to start a Verein (non-profit association) - it's a cinema club. In the last 6.5 years in this country, I never had legal insurance (also never had any disputes as such). So now is the high time I should buy one...
I tried shopping online (Die Mobiliar, Dextra etc) - but couldn't decide as I got conflicting answers from different providers. One of them said I could take a Private Cover that will also protect me against the Verein-related potential legal disputes.
However, the Dextra executive told me to buy a Business Cover (and add Private Protection to it). The problem is we haven't registered our Verein yet and hence I don't know the name of the 'Business' - tbh Verein is not a Business (it is a non-profit association)... So I can not buy a Business package without registering the Verein. Apparently, It is possible to add Private cover to the Business package, but not the other way round...
I understand there's a waiting period ranging from 0-90 days. So if I go via the Private Cover route, I'm not sure if I get covered for the Verein that we will be registering in the next few weeks?
Does anybody on this forum was a Verein founder/member? If so, what kind of legal insurance would you recommend? Thanks
I think - but you need to check that - that in order to avoid to be responsible as well for the Verein, the Verein needs to have a memebership fee.
I remember something along these lines but you should look into it in more details.
I think we had to pay something so that the Verein has a specified "income" and so only that amount is responsible if anything happens i.e. not the Board Members. But it has been a while so I am not sure.
Maybe worth looking into because then you could go for a private one and you wouldn't need one for the Verein.
Well... I need coverage against any legal disputes (example : somebody suing me; me having problem with someone at work , neighborhood etc).
Personal liability (example: me accidentally hitting someone or someone's vehicle while riding my bike, or somebody accidentally getting injured at the club run by my verein etc).
How's personal liability different from public liability?
In discussing coverage with insurance companies you might want to be clear as to who you want to insure:
- do you want to insure yourself for any activities that you are doing while being in the Verein. E.g. if you are thrown out of the Verein, or if you are sued as a Vorstand of the Verein, etc. Here you would want to have your own Rechtsschutzversicherung.
- do you want to insure the Verein as its own legal entity, in case the Verein is sued, e.g. if the Verein rents a location, etc. Here you would want the Verein to have its own Rechtsschutzversicherung.
In terms of waiting period, this should not really apply if you are founding a new Verein (but to discuss it with the insurer) since the purpose of the waiting period is to ensure that you do not run into trouble and then quickly try and get insurance. Since the Verein is not yet founded any legal issues, will necessarily be "new".
I'm the treasurer of a small choral group and we have liability insurance (and I believe most similar groups do). I would imagine most of the insurance companies will offer such insurance. You will probably have to supply a copy of your statutes, which you will need in any case to open a bank account. You can find templates for statutes by using your favourite search engine.