Pledge principle
The acquisition of contractual liens on movable property requires the physical delivery of such property, in accordance with the principle of publicity in lien law. This requirement may also be satisfied by the security interest being held in safekeeping by a third party (the pledgee). Only where physical delivery is not practicable may delivery be effected by means of a symbol. In the case of the pledging of motor vehicles, the possibility of physical delivery is recognised; therefore, the handover of the vehicle registration certificate is not sufficient for the acquisition of a security interest in a motor vehicle.
If the assets in question are means of production required by the debtor-pledgor for the operation of their business, they cannot be pledged on the basis of the principle of the ‘Faustpfand’. Nor can this be achieved by creating a security interest in property, the valid creation of which is also subject to the principle of the ‘hand-pledge’. Consequently, there have been repeated calls for some time now for the creation of a so-called registered pledge, as already exists in the case of patents, designs and trade marks through entry in the patent, design and trade mark registers.
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