“I don’t know where to go, I don’t know what to do anymore. I no longer have a penny in my pocket to pay for another accommodation, in addition to my mortgage”. Christophe, on medication and psychological support for months, is disappointed and helpless. On April 9, 2024, this 47-year-old father should have left his house in Cers in the Béziers agglomeration.
The risk of landslide is significant. Moreover, a municipal decree of danger to the residence was issued by the town hall. However, he still lives there and can at any time find himself under tons of materials and die there.
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Damaged and repaired structural trusses
The roof of this 100 m² house threatens to collapse due to defects observed in 2021. This plumber, who is self-employed, first attempted an amicable arrangement. But in vain. He ended up filing a complaint for hidden defects against the former owner, who is also one of the deputies of the Municipal Council.
“You can imagine, I discovered the deception six months after purchasing the house going into the attic. My plan was to isolate them. It was at that moment that I realized that the farms were damaged and repaired according to the expertise carried out. There were wood additions. It was everything and anything.”
Christophe then immediately alerts the seller and the real estate agency in his municipality. “My house is not that old. It dates from the early 2000s. It’s not a castle, not an estate. I didn’t see the reason why I would have put my head in the attic, what’s more is, are not suitable for conversion.
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The seller accuses the buyer of not going into the attic
The seller, deputy of the town hall of Cers, had himself bought this house two years previously, but decided to resell it, to settle 500 meters further in the town. The lawyer for the opposing party allegedly criticized the current owner for not going up into the attic at the time of purchase to check the condition of the roof. “I am neither an expert nor a carpenter. But a simple plumber. Everyone has their own job” deplores Christophe.
The roof can collapse at any time
“I can’t afford to go anywhere else.” The forty-year-old had bought this house (credit over 25 years) to accommodate his two children since his separation. They will not set foot there for safety reasons. “I blindly trusted the seller, whom I knew, and to the real estate agency to whom I gave more than 12,000 euros in commission. I should not have. I didn’t go up into the attic. What if I had? Not everyone uses a ladder.”
The real estate agency refuses to take responsibility
In his defense, the seller, who did not wish to be registered, today produced certificates from neighbors explaining that the first owner had already noticed irregularities. The elected official told France Bleu that he was sorry for this situation which had lasted too long. He assures that he has never had a leak, nor observed a crack in the house, except that in one of the rooms known to the buyer.
3,000 euros invested by the town hall to secure the premises
At the end of 2023, the town hall of Cers, which itself had been alerted of this risk of landslide by the owner, then issued a first order of imminent danger. The municipality undertakes consolidation work at its own expense to the tune of 3,000 euros, but the intervention proved insufficient and did not allow Christophe to stay at home.
“We are scrambling to find a solution.” confides Mayor Didier Bresson. “We have made accommodation available during the construction period. At the beginning of June, we will be able to offer new accommodation, free of charge for one year. But that won’t solve everything. The work is necessary. We do not have the means to take care of them. We are a small town.
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The municipal decree specifies that the town hall undertakes to carry out the work if the owner is unable to do so. Several quotes were made to restore the roof. It takes at least more than 60,000 euros without taking charge of the move and the rental of a box to store the furniture during the work.
“We do not have the means to support the roof of the house. We are a small town says the mayor, very embarrassed by this situation. I put myself in the place of Christophe and his tenants. It has been more than two years since They are going through this situation, it will still take time. I would like the legal procedure to be accelerated. We will check with the bank. If we could block credit, that would be a good thing“.
Christophe’s case would not be unique in the town. Two other expulsion orders for security reasons have already been issued. The latter did not live alone in this 100 square meter house. Sandra, a friend, and her two children aged 3 and 10 joined him in 2022 to allow his eldest son, who suffers from a serious illness, to attend school in Biterrois.
“Today, we live in a room of 15 square meters“adjoining the house. It’s no longer livable. There are three of us inside, while Christophe takes the risk of sleeping in a room inside the house, for lack of anything better” explains Sandra.
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Christophe hopes for a quick solution. The plumber, who lost his footing, is now on sick leave. He cannot afford to find other accommodation. “I gave everything I could. The lawyer’s fees have a cost. I’m being cheated. I had a good life before. Today, it’s a descent into hell”.
Christopher
Christopher
Stéfane Pocher
Christopher
