Ten years after the first cracks, will the house of this Vendée resident finally be repaired?

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It is a charming detached house like so many in Vendée. Located in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, a few kilometers from the sea, it has everything to offer comfort and tranquility.

Except that we sometimes feel the ground warps under our feet.

The terrace has collapsed about four centimeters.

The five centimeter crack which cracks the ceiling of the bedroom is spectacular.

But she is far from the only one. Many of them pass through the house.

A fight since 2017

In truth, this house built in 1994 is for its owner Paul Moyon, since 2017, the object of a fierce struggle. Because this house is, like thousands of others in France, marked by cracks caused by drought. These houses are built on clay soils which shrink in periods of drought and swell when humidity returns. Houses move and cracks appear. Owners are most often helpless, because they depend on recognition of the state of natural disaster, an essential prerequisite for any insurance compensation.

But more often than not, it's an uphill battle. The example of Paul Moyon is particularly eloquent. Since the cracks appeared in 2017, he has been waging a fight that is far from over. The chronology of his fight clearly illustrates the difficulty of the situation.

2017, the beginnings of the struggle

“The first cracks appeared during the month of July, in the bedroom. We had wondered, with my wife, who has since died,” says the owner.

“Then, cracks appeared all over the house. The following months, there were some in the bedroom, the living room, the east gable… We quickly realized that we were not the only ones. »

A meeting brings together around 80 people concerned. This is how the association of victims of the drought of built properties in Vendée (ASSPB85) was created.

The state of natural disaster is recognized for the municipality of Talmont-Saint-Hilaire in October 2018. The owner, like many, declares the loss immediately to his insurance which forwards the file to the national level.

2019 to 2024: time for experts

We will have to wait until March 2019 for a first expert to arrive. “The meeting went badly,” regrets Paul Moyon.

“We feel that the experts are looking for the loophole, the element that will allow the insurance to avoid any compensation. »

We will have to wait until July for a second expert to arrive. The Covid crisis is further delaying things and we will have to wait until July 2020 for a new meeting of experts to take place. Without progress.

Paul Moyon uses a legal expert in 2021. Which passes for the first time in July 2022, then in December. To finally submit its report in April 2023! Will patience be rewarded? The insurance gives its approval for the consolidation work on the house in July 2024.

“The estimated cost of the work, which was 70,000 euros in 2017, has nevertheless increased to €87,000 in the meantime! »

And the time of the work?

Could the end of the tunnel be in sight? Not even.

“The agreement for the work has been passed to a specialist company which works with my insurance company. She told me that she was overwhelmed and would not be able to intervene before the fourth quarter of 2026! »

And this won't be the end of the problem yet. Once most of the work has been done, you need to wait to check that the house is no longer moving. In fact, Paul Moyon does not expect a happy end to events before 2027, ten years after the first cracks appeared. Waiting for, “new cracks appear. The house is moving. As proof, sometimes I manage to close my cupboards, sometimes not. »

The owner filled the cracks with silicone. Cement is categorically excluded. And he waits.

“I can’t do absolutely anything with my house. In winter, I can't sleep in my own room. You have to be strong. Fortunately, I'm not alone. »

Paul Moyon thinks in particular of his children, those of his late wife, the association. And wonders. How many victims of these cracks have given up?

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