Check whether a contractual penalty is grossly excessive. Art. 484 § 2 Civil Code — guidance only; the court decides on reduction.
Under Art. 484 § 2 of the Civil Code the court may reduce kara umowna if the obligation was performed to a significant extent or if the penalty is grossly excessive. The Act does not set a percentage threshold. The calculator shows what percentage of the performance value the penalty is and flags exceeding the indicative threshold (approx. 15%) from case law — only the court decides on excess.
Art. 484 KC does not set a percentage threshold for excess. The court assesses whether the penalty is "grossly excessive". Case law suggests that a penalty well above foreseeable loss (e.g. over approx. 15% of performance value in typical contracts) may be questionable.
| Indicative (not from statute) | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical range (case law) | up to approx. 15% of performance value |
| Potentially "grossly excessive" | above approx. 15% |
As of: 2026-02-01. Only the court decides on excess.
State of law as of: 2026-02-01.
Legal information
Calculations are for information and estimation only. They do not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice. For individual matters, consultation with a lawyer, tax adviser or other specialist is recommended.
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