Have you received an FHM notice?

What is an FHM?

FHM stands for notification to the vehicle keeper or driver (Fahrzeughalter- bzw. Fahrzeuglenkermitteilung). You receive this letter when your vehicle was parked on a private parking area managed by us without a valid permit or contrary to the parking rules. An FHM relates exclusively to private car parks with their own parking rules. In legal terms, parking without authorisation on private property in Austria constitutes what is known as interference with possession (Besitzstörung).

Why have I received an FHM notice?

The specific reason is clearly ticked on the notification itself. Common reasons for a vehicle keeper notification are:

• missing parking permit or parking card
• parking in a visitor space without a valid visitor card
• exceeding the maximum permitted parking time under the parking rules
• parking in a private short-stay zone without a correctly set parking disc
• unauthorised parking in a designated disabled parking space

A note on signage: Private short-stay zones are indicated by corresponding signs. Blue road markings may additionally be present but are not required – putting up the signs alone is sufficient.

What happens if I do not pay?

If payment is not made, we pass the case along with the available photographic evidence to our law firm – which results in additional costs. If you have already paid and still received a letter from the lawyers, the payment usually lacked the FHM number or the registration number, so it could not be matched to your case. In that case, simply send us your payment receipt. You will find all the details in our frequently asked questions as well as in our detailed guide on the vehicle keeper notification.