In the North of France, a couple was forced to demolish their house because of the work carried out by a neighbor, which affected the foundations of the dwelling. Without the support of his insurance, the couple must now repay 42,000 euros to the town hall.
Although it is common to have conflicting relationships with neighbors, this family’s problem is beyond anything you can imagine. In August 2021, Carole and Thierry bought a house which they completely renovated to live with their six children.
However, a few months after they moved in, their neighbor started doing some work. He brought a crane to the land next to their house and dug a 3-meter-deep hole over 100 m2, with the aim of constructing two buildings.
Unfortunately, the work affected the foundations of Thierry and Carole’s house , and cracks quickly appeared in the housing.
“During this hole, it hit the foundations of our house ,” explained Carole. And he said to us: ”It’s good, I have a building permit. I know what I’m doing. It’s my job, I’ll be fine!” And finally, what happened happened. »
The house was demolished
Over time, the couple’s house became so unstable that it threatened to collapse at any moment. The family had no choice but to have their house demolished, at the price of 42,000 euros.
“My life has been ruined for me today, we are speechless. We are disarmed in the face of this situation , ”said Carole.
The couple decided to file a complaint against their neighbor at the origin of the work, and the courts agreed with them since the man was ordered to pay 350,000 euros in compensation. However, the latter declared itself insolvent. On top of that, Carole and Thierry received nothing from their insurance, because they had taken out a multi-risk home contract which did not include a “collapse guarantee”.
They must repay 42,000 euros
To top it off, the town hall of the village is now claiming from the couple the 42,000 euros that were advanced to demolish the house.
“It is not a communal expense and therefore I cannot count it with the commune’s expenses. It is appalling that there is no insurance compensation and we will always support the couple in their legal proceedings, but the town hall must be reimbursed ,” said Joël Perrache, the mayor of the village.
This situation is totally unfair according to the family, who are distraught.
“There is a lot of anger. 42,000 euros is a large sum, but it’s nothing compared to what we have just lost, because we are talking about a complete house” , regretted Thierry.
A petition has been posted online by the couple who want to delay the reimbursement of the 42,000 euros, in the hope of finding another solution. Today, the petition has gathered more than 200 signatures, and a deliberation could take place at the next town meeting.
“We want to mobilize public opinion, the town hall of Pecquencourt and the politicians who would like to help us , declared Thierry. That’s all we have left.”
