2023-08-04 05:15:00
“I was really surprised,” says François, a resident of the Mutsaard district in Laeken for over forty years. One fine day, a registered letter arrived, signed by the City of Brussels concluding that his property is “abandoned or neglected or unoccupied or unfinished”.
In question in particular: “The slabs of the entrance to the garage are dirty and invaded by weeds. Also, the paint on the garage doors is peeling.” A conclusion accompanied by a period of three months to rectify the situation… under penalty of a possible fine.
A Laekenois forced to remove the grass from his driveway under penalty of a fine. ©Ro.Ma.
“Never, I would have thought to receive this kind of mail. It’s a lot of coffee”, is surprised the pensioner, who, in addition to the subject of the missive, was struck by the method. “Someone could have just come and told me about it.”
“Bees, Butterflies”
Due to the steep slope, the garage is used as a workshop and no car has passed through it for a long time. Over time, the driveway was invaded by “wild grass”. But for the couple, this does not create a real problem, on the contrary. “It has been like this for years. It makes vegetation. There are bees, butterflies… When we advocate greening, this type of mail is quite paradoxical.”
The situation found in the mail. ©DRThe situation today. ©Ro.Ma.The situation today. ©Ro.Ma.
Since the receipt of the recommended, the months have passed and the Laekenois has undertaken work. The door has already been repainted, and some of the weeds removed. “But we do as we can with the weather. And it grows back quickly.” “Weeds” – as with other residents – there are still some, therefore. Hence the fear of finally being verbalized. “A Sword of Damocles. To do well, it would be necessary to make a new paving. But I’m retired, and it’s not so easy financially.”
On the side of the City of Brussels, we invite the Laekenois to bring an appeal to explain his case, as there are many every year. More broadly, the office of the mayor defends this regulation and this tax on unoccupied or neglected buildings, “which makes it possible to fight against speculation”.
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