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Set-off in definitive debt-enforcement proceedings must be proven by clear documents

OG 1991 48Other CourtJan 7, 1991

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Extracted by Omnilex

Omnilex summary

The court restated that in definitive debt-enforcement proceedings the debtor bears the burden of proving the extinction of the enforced claim by documentary evidence under Art. 81(1) SchKG. If extinction is alleged by set-off, the debtor must first establish the counterclaim through fully unequivocal documents showing both enforceability and the exact amount. The court also endorsed the view that a claim which should already have been raised in the merits action cannot later be asserted by way of set-off in definitive opposition proceedings.

Omnilex headnote

Art. 81 Abs. 1 SchKG; definitive debt-enforcement opposition and set-off: A debtor invoking extinction of the enforced claim by set-off must prove the counterclaim by completely unequivocal documentary evidence. Required is a document that would at least support provisional debt enforcement and from which the concrete amount of the claim is ascertainable. In addition, a set-off claim may not be relied upon in definitive opposition proceedings if it could and should already have been asserted in the merits action (consid. 2).

Full text

Wer im definitiven Rechtsöffnungsverfahren als betriebener Schuldner den Nichtbestand der in Betreibung gesetzten Forderung geltend macht, hat ihren Untergang durch Urkunden zu beweisen (Art. 81 Abs. 1 SchKG). Behauptet der Schuldner - wie vorliegend - den Untergang durch eine Verrechnung seinerseits, so hat er zunächst das Bestehen einer Gegenforderung durch völlig eindeutige Urkunden zu beweisen (BGE 115 III 100). Vorausgesetzt ist nach der Rechtsprechung eine Urkunde, die zumindest eine provisorische Rechtsöffnung bewirken könnte (SJZ 83 [1987] S. 257; ferner die Hinweise bei Panchaud/Caprez, Die Rechtsöffnung, Zürich 1980, § 144 Ziff. 3). Aus der Urkunde muss zudem die konkrete Höhe der Forderung ersichtlich sein (JdT 1969 II 96).

Im übrigen darf nach zutreffender Lehre in einem Verfahren betreffend definitive Rechtsöffnung keine Forderung zur Verrechnung gestellt werden, die schon während des Sachprozesses hätte vorgebracht werden können (Fritzsche/Walder, Schuldbetreibung und Konkurs nach schweizerischem Recht, Band I, Zürich 1984, § 19 Rz 20 mit Verweis auf die Tessiner Rechtsprechung).

Keywords

debt enforcementdefinitive oppositionset-offdocumentary proofcounterclaimburden of proof

Extracted by Omnilex

Key legal questions extracted by Omnilex

Key legal question

What proof is required when a debtor invokes set-off to show extinction of the enforced claim in definitive opposition proceedings?

Extracted holding

The debtor must first prove the existence of a counterclaim by completely unequivocal documents; the document must be sufficient for provisional debt enforcement and show the concrete amount of the claim.

Extracted reasoning

Under Art. 81(1) SchKG, extinction of the enforced debt must be proved by documentary evidence. When extinction is alleged by set-off, the debtor must initially establish the counterclaim with clear documents. The required document must at least be one that could justify provisional debt enforcement, and it must reveal the exact amount of the claim.

Key legal question

May a set-off claim be raised in definitive opposition proceedings if it could already have been raised in the merits action?

Extracted holding

No. According to the cited doctrine, a claim that could already have been raised in the merits proceedings may not be set off in definitive opposition proceedings.

Extracted reasoning

Definitive opposition proceedings are not a forum for introducing set-off claims that should have been asserted earlier in the merits litigation.

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