Their squatted house, a retired couple forced to live in their motorhome

When they retired, Pierre and Maryse Garcia wanted take a long trip in a motorhome. They rent out the apartment they own in Marseille and hit the road. But their project is thwarted, in 2020, because of the coronavirus epidemic. “We then ask our tenant to leave the apartment. She refuses and the situation has been going on for two and a half years”explains the retiree to France 3. “The landlords send what is called a ‘recovery leave’ to their tenant, in order to recover their accommodation to live there. This leave has largely been sent within the time limits imposed by law, to allow the tenant time to to find accommodation”, explains the lawyer of the retired couple. The tenant was supposed to leave the premises in February 2021, but she has still not done so.

Since Pierre Garcia and his wife have been forced to stay in their motorhome. They multiply the steps to try to recover their housing. A judge is seized and an eviction is ordered last may. However, the tenant is still within the walls. “Our tenant had to leave the accommodation on September 14th. But we can’t evict him like that, we need the signature of the prefecture…”, underlines Pierre Garcia. And with the approaching winter breakthe prefect has the right to refuse an eviction. “My clients are victims of this situation, they are affected medically and live in conditions unsuited to their state of health”, insists Maître Axel Poulain in the face of this revolting situation.

“The fight is fought in the public square”

To win their fight, and faced with the immobility of law enforcement, Pierre and Maryse Garcia decided to turn to the media. “Justice has given us all the cards in hand, we have won a lawsuit. All that is missing is the signature of the Prefecture for the eviction of our tenant. So now the fight is being waged in the public square”, says the retiree. According to the prefecture, the file would be followed closely: “The requisition is therefore instructed by the competent services of the prefecture for the purpose of being able to grant assistance from the police with a view to an expulsion as soon as possible”, she explained in a press release.