exhausted after more than a year of unpaid rent, a landlord on a hunger strike
Sophie Kocaj planted her camping tent on Monday in front of the house for which she has not received any rent for a year and a half. She launched an alert message at the microphone of BFM Littoral.
Nestled on a thin sidewalk between a house and the road, the camping tent bites lightly into the asphalt. Above this makeshift habitat, a message written in black and red marker on a white sheet is affixed to the wall of the dwelling.
“Hunger strike. Tenants protected. I am ruined! 6500 euros unpaid. A shame”, can we read.
These words are those of Sophie Kocaj. They summarize the fight led by this resident of the town of Auchel, in Pas-de-Calais. It’s been a year and a half that she rents to a couple and their two children aged 15 and 20 the 90 square meter house in front of which she pitched her tent on Monday, rue du Four-à-Chaux, in Calais.
“They never gave me anything”
Since their arrival, they have not paid a single rent of 600 euros to their owner. In question: the work stoppage of two years imposed on the father of the family. Added to the bailiff’s fees, the amount must exceed 7000 euros.
As indicated on her banner, Sophie Kucaj stopped eating the day she was installed on the sidewalk. She intends to continue her hunger strike until she has obtained the eviction of the tenants.
Sitting on the folding chair posted in front of her tent, this Spanish teacher ruminates and replays the film of the past few months.
“I gave them several chances, she rewinds, her voice sobbing, at the BFM Littoral microphone. I told them: ‘It can happen in life to have problems, situations where you can’t pay ‘. But never, never, never – even after the magistrate’s court where I went – they never gave anything.”
“Nothing moved”
Bailiff, town hall, sub-prefecture, municipal police… the owner claims to have made multiple phone calls to obtain the eviction of the tenants. In vain.
“The police came yesterday (Monday), continues the teacher. Finally, nothing has moved. Even my tent which apparently bothered everyone on the public highway.”
She describes the scene to us: “The police came in, took stock, saw the animals, saw everything that happened inside, saw the degradation. And nothing moved” .
twenty animals
Because the house has turned into a “slum”, she insists. It counts about twenty animals inside. The Auchelloise said with spite that she was “afraid” for them: “They are not in good condition”.
“When I see the inside of the house, I’m destroyed. I say to myself: ‘Afterwards, how am I going to rent it again?’ I don’t know“, she wonders a few moments before changing her mind and deciding.
Once the eviction takes place, she finally intends to “sell this house, since it’s a hole. Sell it and be quiet”.