From the entrance hall, the shock. Added to the acrid odor, characteristic of stagnant water, is mold, spreading its blackish traces above the mailboxes: “welcome” to entrance B of Central Square…
“During the sunny days, it’s full of mosquitoes and midges,” whispers a tenant on the 4th floor. This thirty-year-old, who took over the premises, rue Jean-Gras, in October 2023, is at the end of her rope.
Because if the water has invaded everything from the ground floor – and much more, since an enormous pump, placed in the street since the spring, “continues to suck water up to level – 5” – the same goes for the floors. In his apartment, the walls, warped by humidity, attest to this. “It’s been like this since the bad weather in Februaryshe whispers. I woke up with my feet in water, it seeped through the window…”
The terrace is poorly inclined, the water flows into them
She points construction defects: “Already, the gutters above are too short, and when it rains, the water comes directly onto my terrace. As it is tilted to the wrong side, the water flows inwards. I put towels in front, but it also seeps through the walls…”
A tilt problem which affects a tenant on the 1st floor in the same way. “And several other apartments”, swears this fifty-year-old, who moved in in September 2023. “Look: already, there is no step between the inside and the outsideshe points, pointing to the terrace. Since the slope is on the wrong side and it's surrounded by concrete, everything leaks in my house. Especially since, under the slab, the rainwater drains are blocked.” Thus, also last February, she indicated “having been flooded three times in two weeks.” Problems which, according to the two women, predate their arrivals.
“The whole building needs to be destroyed!”
“I already had traces of mold when I arrived; Foncia [le syndic] told me: on the 4th floor, you risk nothing; I finally realized that there were problems from the start[l’immeuble a été construit en 2011]. I have the impression of having signed with a hidden defect…”, assures the first. “The whole building needs to be destroyed.” adds the second altogether.
Exhausted, both explain that they hit a wall when it comes time to demand accountability. “With Foncia, there is no communication. We pay rent every month, we are up to date. How can they leave us like this?”
The tenant of the 1st ensures: “Since September, I have done everything: Adil (1), the town hall and the Hygiene service (which recently came to observe), the La Bocca justice branch, etc. Reports on the Histologe platform [pour signaler les logements non décents]Also.”
“Rise of stress” with each weather alert
The tenant of the 4th takes over: “There have already been makeshift works, here and there. But, before embellishing, we must deal with the problem at the source. Otherwise, every time it rains hard, it will be the same…”
A situation which is starting to affect their health. Physics, between “saltpeter allergies” et “bad bronchitis”due to constant humidity. Mental, too. “We can't feel good at home, they despair, determined to leave the place at the first opportunity of rehousing. At the slightest weather alert, stress increases.”
Disappointed by her cupboards, the fifty-year-old from the 1st concludes: “I threw away a lot of shoes, clothes. When it flooded, everything was affected: carpet, furniture, fridge, etc. Now, I'm tired, it's enough to tear your hair out.”
1. Departmental housing information agency.
“Without a court decision, no major work is possible”
When contacted, the management of the Foncia de La Bocca agency did not beat around the bush: “It’s not the case of the century, that’s obvious…” And confirmation: it’s not new … “The first subpoena dates from 2016. There were major problems with the delivery, and a judicial expertise procedure has been underway for years [Foncia a pris la charge de syndic « il y a 4 ou 5 ans »] to establish the responsibilities of the manufacturer. » Thus, in March 2020, we already reported in our columns the misfortunes of the residents of Central Square (but entrance A, on the Avenue Michel-Jourdan side), struggling with untimely water infiltration.
Foncia continues: “The building was delivered with serious design defects, the work having obviously not followed the recommendations of the control office and the architect. »
Work estimated at nearly €1M
Since then, the legal proceedings have continued. And it takes a lot of time, especially since the promoter, who has since been placed in compulsory liquidation, “no longer exists. » Nevertheless, insurers, notaries and others, “everyone has been assigned and we are looking at years of postponement. As no one wants to pay, everyone passes the buck and it lasts…” Problem: “As long as there is no court decision and financial conviction, it will not be possible to initiate major works. » And everyone loses… “I understand the anger of the tenants, but as trustee, we are in contact with the owners. They have been paying procedural fees for years and end up with a real estate investment that costs money. The garages, flooded, were never delivered, it is almost impossible to resell and the rental value is in sharp decline. »
Tenants will appreciate…
Small emergency jobs? “If it’s not sustainable, it’s useless. » Major work at advanced costs, then? “Financially, it’s too heavy [en 2021, l’expert judiciaire a estimé le montant à 975 000 €]the owners [43 lots principaux dans la résidence] cannot absorb this. » So, apart from being patient while waiting for the court decision, the problem seems insoluble: “To be frank, we can sometimes be late on certain files, but this is really not our fault . »
