Matt
A landlord wanted to renovate the roof structure of his house. However, his tenant refused to vacate the premises. Despite this, the landlord still decided to proceed with the renovation work.
As we know, conflicts between neighbors are common, just like disputes between landlords and tenants. And sometimes, such conflicts can lead to completely unusual situations, as in this astonishing story from Vannes, in the Morbihan region, reported by Ouest-France.
In this situation, a landlord decided to expand his house, which was already occupied by a tenant. He notified the tenant about the eviction for the purpose of carrying out the expansion works. The eviction notice was sent on August 1, 2022, with a departure date for the tenant set on June 26, 2023. However, the tenant did not respond to the notice, and the landlord continued to proceed with his renovation project, such as obtaining a building permit and obtaining quotes from contractors.
At one point, the landlord decided to directly contact the tenant to know her stance on the matter. To his surprise, the landlord was shocked when the tenant informed him that she would not leave the premises, despite receiving the eviction notice.
It seems that the tenant flatly refused to vacate the premises and has also stopped paying her rent. As a result, she has been living in the house for 20 months without fulfilling her financial obligations, while also delaying the renovation works that the landlord intended to carry out.
However, it had been two years since the landlord had informed the tenant, who was suffering from Diogenes syndrome, about the upcoming renovations. Nevertheless, the tenant contests the validity of the eviction letter received during the summer of 2022, arguing that it does not mention any “serious and legitimate reason” justifying her departure or “the name of the family member who will be living in this accommodation.” Additionally, she claims that the letter does not include the mandatory tenant information notice.
The house flooded after the roof was removed. Tired of the tenant’s obstinacy, the landlord decided to take drastic measures to evict her by proceeding with the renovations. He began the elevation works by removing the roof. As a consequence, the house ended up flooded with the first rain shower. “It was my son and me who covered it with tarp,” complains the tenant.
The situation doesn’t seem to be moving the landlord emotionally, as he has initiated a legal action to force the unwanted tenant to leave the premises. He expresses frustration with some tenants’ behavior, stating that landlords are becoming reluctant to invest when tenants become insolvent, fail to maintain the property, or even cause damage or destruction.
The outcome of this real estate conflict is uncertain, but it’s difficult to imagine a tenant staying in a house without a roof for long.
