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Czech authorities order demolition of building no. 19 on Přednádraží street

22 October 2012
2 minute read

On 7 August the Building Works Authority of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz ordered the owner of 10 buildings on Přednádraží street, entrepreneur Oldřich Roztočil, to immediately demolish building number 19. The demolition must be completed within 15 days. The building is considered a hazard and is no longer occupied.

“Building number 19 on Přednádraží street must be immediately razed to the ground. It is a vacated premises which is lacking ceilings and is at risk of collapse,” Jana Pondělíčková, spokesperson for Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz, explained to news server Novinky.cz. The municipality’s next steps will be clarified on Monday.

One week ago, the Building Works Authority ordered the residents of all of the buildings on Přednádraží street in Ostrava-Přívoz to move out. A significant portion of the people living there, however, did not obey and the landlord has not prevented access to the buildings. On Wednesday the authorities opted for a radical solution to the problem by submitting the case to the court.

“Our Building Works Authority has filed a request for a court-ordered eviction with the District Court in Ostrava because the ghetto on Přednádraží street in Přívoz is still occupied. The authority made this decision because the landlord did not fulfill his obligations and people remain in the buildings, which are hazardous and life-threatening. Our municipal department has offered shelter to everyone still in the buildings,” Pondělíčková told Novinky.cz, adding that the people remaining there have been told they are there are their own risk. “They and the landlord bear sole responsibility for their health and lives now,” she warned.

The District Court has recorded the request for a court-ordered eviction and assigned a particular judge to rule on it. However, it is not yet clear when the judge will make a decision, because the law does not establish a deadline.

The situation in the locality has been unresolved for years and escalated on 29 July 2012, when the water was cut off for lack of payment to all tenants, both those in arrears and those who were paid up. One week later, more than 50 Romani families were delivered instructions to move one morning. The building in which they were living had been condemned by the Building Works Authority. Locals were given a mere 24 hours to voluntarily leave Přednádraží street. Despite receiving threats, 22 families who are paid up are remaining in their homes.

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