Saturday, December 4, 2010

Holiday chalets are rented illegally

Grindelwald is increasing evidence that the Lex Koller is bypassed for some foreigners.

The Grindelwald Winter attracts people from all over the world in warm and sometimes luxuröse wooden houses. (Keystone)

Meeting with dynamite
Grindelwald made headlines when it became known that the rules for the fight against vacant second homes were massively violated. At the community meeting today will now be voted on Friday with firmer measures against cold beds. Firstly, there would be a community initiative, which seeks to curtail development on 2,000 square meters floor area per year - that calls for quotas for second homes. But the council is proposing improvements. So shall also keep newly registered in an agricultural zone housing for locals - at the moment, more and more Meiensässe converted into chalets. At the same time, however, could aim to promote the buy-out in the regulations, the homes for local people, are possible.
In Grindelwald, the world is welcome, even for a long time. The village from which the glaciers have long since retired lives, not least of visitors who are in the mood for unspoiled mountain scenery. Many of them secure a share of it by purchase a chalet. Now there are new signs that the permit subject to sale of land to foreigners, not everything has proceeded right things.

In this case, the Federal Office of Justice had already ordered an investigation some time ago. The municipality announced but only last year that no violations had been found against the so-called Lex Koller. This good news had Grindelwald necessary. Recently, it is in Switzerland that is primarily as a place in the headlines, where the rooms and rent as many apartments is more important than the right - or at least in the past (see box).

Too much sold to foreigners?

Clear requirements makes the law to foreigners not residing in Switzerland: You may not rent their property year-round one here. But several apartments, which act on the official Grindelwald Lex-Koller-list will be posted on the internet all year round. For example, since an "exclusive penthouse" in a "new chalet" would be to a London one and can be rented all year round. "We were not aware that this is forbidden," said Mayor Emanuel Schlaeppi. The community had never been given a mandate to review the Lex Koller in terms of rental apartments. "Such a control would be extremely difficult." Government governor Dietrich in the negative, that the municipality had received a firm order for review. "I accept the community have told my district, compliance with the law should be examined by appropriate means." While not compliant, but understandable Schläppi is of a fundamental objection to the Lex Koller uncommitted rental ban: "We prefer, the apartments are rented . Otherwise they are just so empty. "

Less evident - particularly in view of the struggle against cold beds - but that may be more residential property has been sold to foreigners than allowed. The Grindelwald regulations notes the following: In must-residential buildings with condominiums than a third of the gross floor area will be sold to persons abroad. 185 residential units are available on the Lex-Koller-list of the town, at least 10 seems to be the third to have been exceeded - a conclusion which imposes itself at least, given the sheer numbers. Mayor Schlaeppi as in the case to the governor, authorization and control were his task. Governor Dietrich said he let examine some cases - but need more time to determine whether by the "covenant" mentioned examples are there. Altogether there seems Dietrich's research time to claim, as Justice Director Christoph Neuhaus (SVP) held in April 2009 have been in his response to a motion, the clarifications to the Lex Koller had not yet completed. Even the "NZZ am Sonntag" made it easy chaos of the holiday village. In April she wrote to the Lex-Koller-list would find the land that did not exist in the land, and also included those Swiss.

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