Hi, I am a GC holder and a regular reader of this forum.

I need help to decide if I can install a satellite receiver/ dish at my appartment. I belong to a country whose TV channels are not provided in the cable channels of building.

I checked with my flat owner and he asked me to give him some time to take permission from the other flatowners in this Building.
After a couple of weeks he told me that he couldn't get it but "unofficially" he allows me to go ahead and if some one complains, I would have to remove it.
Does anyone know what the law says about forigner's rights in this regards.
Any help is much appreciated.
Khokhar

If he allows you to do it, and most of all unofficially, do what I always say: get him to write it on paper, it will prevent you from problems in case some arise.

D.

Thanks D,
I don't think he's gona write that. That's why he said unofficially.
But is there any law which helps foriegners in this regards.

I have found one court case related to a Turkish national on internet. His house owner didn't agree at all but the court ruled in foriegner's fovour sighting freedom of one's information is greater than a buildings appreance.

In my case the owner agrees but the other flat owners not. I don't know what it has to do with other flats owners. But for my kids its important to have the access to the media and culture of their forefathers land.

I want to go ahead with this installation but still I want to have some more input from my collegue GC holders and others.

Khokhar

Are you a tenant (staying for rent) or do you own your flat?

Foreigners have special rights to view Channels of their native languages. Assuming that you are a tenant (Mieter) then you can proceed with the installation.

"Satellitenantenne (2): Ist ein Kabelanschluss im Haus vorhanden, hat ein (deutscher) Mieter in der Regel keinen Anspruch auf Genehmigung einer eigenen Parabolantenne. Eine Ausnahme besteht für ausländische Mieter, wenn nur eine Parabolantenne, nicht aber der Kabelanschluss den Empfang von Programmen aus ihrer Heimat ermöglicht. Dies gilt aber nicht ohne weiteres, wenn der Mieter die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit angenommen hat (AG Hamburg 45 C 249/98, Urteil vom 19.12.1998)."

Full article here:
http://www.mieterverein-hamburg.de/recht_r-s.htm

http://www.internetratgeber-recht.de/MietrechtAllgemein/Parabolantenne/pa.htm

Google with keywords like "Mieterrecht" etc...

Regards
Fred