As of: March 28, 2024, 8:51 a.m
By: Lea Beckmann
Comments
Press
Split
In northern Hesse, Homberg buys a demolished house for 125,000 euros. Because of a statute requirement, the city was unable to bid in the foreclosure auction.
Homberg – The city of Homberg will buy the building at Hauptstrasse 35 in Wernswig for 125,000 euros. The parliamentarians approved the purchase contract of the notary Eckehard Lischka with 16 yes votes, three no votes and ten abstentions. So the city will pay twelve times the assessed value. According to the report commissioned by the state of Hesse, the value of the building was 10,300 euros.
As part of the village renewal, a redesign of the Wernswig village center is planned. The building on the main street plays a role in this. The city has therefore been in contact with the real estate administration of the state of Hesse since 2019. However, according to the proposed resolution, the direct purchase of the property was difficult due to the encumbrances recorded in the land register. The property was foreclosed on in June last year. The highest bidder bought the building for 27,500 euros - that wasn't the city. According to their main statutes, the magistrate can freely decide on properties up to 20,000 euros, otherwise the approval of the city council is required. Therefore, foreclosures are always difficult for the city, they said.
City councilors in Homberg found themselves in a quandary
It is not known for what purpose the new owner acquired the property. At the request of the Wernswig district and because of the magistrate's decision, the city contacted the owner and expressed further interest in the building. The owner has now offered it to the city for 125,000 euros. The city council agreed that things should have gone better. Hilmar Höse (Greens) described the new purchase price as “outrageous” compared to the appraisal.
The city buys the house at Hauptstrasse 35 in Wernswig for 125,000 euros. If the building were demolished, the bottleneck in front of the complex could be defused. © Chantal Müller
The city councilors found themselves in a dilemma at their most recent meeting because, on the one hand, they were faced with a “utopian price,” as Martin Stöckert (SPD) put it, and on the other hand, the conditions in Wernswig could not remain that way. Because the bottleneck where the building stands poses dangers.
Increase road safety for pedestrians and wheelchair users
The local council, which also spoke out in favor of purchasing the house, argued that demolishing the building would alleviate the bottleneck on the main street. This would increase road safety for pedestrians, wheelchair users and parents with strollers. Because between the bottlenecks, vehicles would drive on the lowered sidewalk. In addition, parking areas could be created for residents in the bottleneck, the local advisory board continued.
The conditions on site cannot be left as they are, said Christian Haß (CDU). However, he had a hard time with the purchase price. “It’s about buying opportunities and without us that won’t happen,” said Stöckert at the meeting. Günther Koch (FWG) also emphasized that the people of Wernswig should not be left in the lurch.
House sales in Wernswig are delayed due to statutory requirements
In paragraph 2 of the main statute of the district town “Delimitation of responsibility and transfer of tasks” it is stipulated in paragraph 3 that the city council delegates decisions to the magistrate. This applies, among other things, to the following matters: acquisition, exchange, sale and encumbrance of real estate up to an amount of 20,000 euros in individual cases. At the end of the city council meeting, Bernd Herbold (SPD) suggested possibly increasing this financial framework to 50,000 euros. The 20,000 euros are no longer appropriate. (Lea Beckmann)