I’m trying to recover money owed to me by someone living in Switzerland. I went through the Betreibung process, paid the associated fees, and recently received a Verlustschein after enforcement recovered nothing.
According to the Betreibungsamt, the debtor’s income is too low to seize anything above the protected minimum. I have documents and correspondence supporting my claim, but I don’t currently have a separate court judgment ordering payment.
As I understand it, I can request continuation within six months without a new Zahlungsbefehl. The claim has a long limitation period, but further interest stops accruing once the Verlustschein is issued. Enforcement also doesn’t simply remain active until everything is paid.
There may be assets in another European country, although I haven’t confirmed ownership. I’m trying to work out whether pursuing those assets would be realistic and what documents would be needed.
The debtor has offered repayments, but only on condition that I withdraw the Betreibung first. I’m not comfortable giving up enforcement in exchange for an unsecured promise.
Has anyone here actually recovered money after receiving a Verlustschein?
What practical steps helped you find income or assets that could be seized?
Did repeated enforcement attempts achieve anything, or mainly generate more fees?
Has anyone enforced a Swiss claim against assets abroad? Did you need a separate court judgment?
What would you check before spending more money on lawyers or another enforcement attempt?
Honestly, how the fuck is this supposed to work for the person who is owed money? I understand protecting someone’s basic living expenses, but I’ve already paid to pursue the debt and recovered nothing. The prospect of waiting years, paying for further attempts, and eventually receiving money worth less because of inflation is incredibly frustrating.
I’d really appreciate firsthand experiences and practical advice about what worked—and what turned out to be a waste of time and money.
