The dispute over the partially occupied house “Rigaer 94” in Berlin-Friedrichshain will keep the judiciary busy for a long time. All tenants and residents of the 31 apartments had been given notice, said owner lawyer Alexander von Aretin on Tuesday on the sidelines of an eviction procedure before the district court of Kreuzberg.
In addition to old tenants, all people who were found during police searches in the building complex in October 2021 are affected.
At that time, previously unknown apartments and a tunnel section to the neighboring house were discovered.
The owner of Rigaer Straße 94 – a company based in Great Britain – also gained new insights in the current eviction process: According to the police, there were only mats and fitness equipment in the two-room apartment. “The room is used by the collective as a sports room,” says the plaintiff’s attorney. He sees this as a misappropriation of the rooms, which justifies termination. Another reason he gives is that the tenant tolerates the illegal conditions in the building complex, which is considered one of the last symbols of the left-wing radical scene and where violent clashes with the police repeatedly occur.
Judge Sarah Körting would have liked to hear the tenant on Tuesday, who has had a contract for the initially occupied apartment since 1992. However, she did not appear in person, only her lawyers. However, according to the judge, it is known that the tenant has not used the apartment herself for around 20 years and is not registered there. According to her lawyers, her client still uses the apartment sporadically when she visits Berlin.
They surprised the other party with a suggestion: instead of terminating the old tenant and vacating the apartment, the contract should be transferred to a new tenant – and they brought the interested party with them to the process. “Cool idea,” said Aretin’s lawyer and did not rule out a comparison. Without further ado, however, he did not want to get involved, first the previous tenancy had to be clarified. On March 29, the court wants to decide on the matter – unless the parties involved have previously agreed.
As early as March 21, the Berlin Regional Court wants to announce how the dispute over the illegal left-wing autonomous pub “Kadterschmiede” in the building complex will continue. There is also a comparison on the table. The talks were ongoing, according to the lawyers for the pub operators.