Since October 2016 this practice is explicitly outlawed (for most cases) https://www.bmjv.de/SharedDocs/Artikel/DE/2015/12182015_Verbandsklagerecht.html https:/

Since October 2016 this practice is explicitly outlawed (for most cases) https://www.bmjv.de/SharedDocs/Artikel/DE/2015/12182015_Verbandsklagerecht.html https://www.bmjv.de/SharedDocs/Artikel/DE/2015/12182015_Verb... Although the way you describe it probably wasn't legal for a long time.