The judge pressed for a settlement a number of times during the trial. After all the arguments of the parties, half an hour followed in the corridor. The parties could not agree on that. The municipality of Assen indicated that it wanted to add water to the 90,000 euro repair costs. That would mean that the other four parties would have to pay 70,000 euros.
At the first attempt, 30,000 euros was still missing. A second attempt with the help of the judge eventually resulted in a final amount of 52,500 euros. Still short of money. The judge gives the parties two weeks to reach a decision. “Otherwise you will get hell and damnation six weeks later,” the judge said. By this he refers to a verdict that could have a negative outcome for some parties.
The judge sat in disbelief listening to all parties. After that he was quite firm and indicated between nose and lips what the distribution should be. It came down to the fact that the municipality of Assen is the strongest in its shoes as plaintiff. Artist Nio would have to pay an amount to the municipality anyway. He was less concrete about the other roles, but he did indicate a clear division in the amounts for the various parties.
Even after settlement attempt number two, the judge found that the parties were not all ‘smart’. “For some, the settlement may turn out more positively than waiting for a verdict.” Nevertheless, all parties decided not to settle yet, but to discuss it further soon.
During the trial it was a jumble of accusations against each other. This mainly concerned technical aspects of Mannes, such as peeling layers, sealant edges and lime stripes. Various investigations and reports were also passed and the interview of Mannes, which according to some parties was not committed, was also reproached.
Communication between the various parties in the case was also discussed. Mails that are missing from the file, mails that have or have not been read. Artist QS Serafijn, for example, felt that he was being shut out by the municipality. “There were many calls, with a call back request. But I was never called back,” said his lawyer during the plea.
So the soap will get another episode. There may be more clarity in two weeks.