Gooise Meren is going to court to force golf course owner Michael van de Kuit to pay overdue maintenance costs. These are costs that the golf course owner would have to pay for the use of the area, and which he has refused for six years because he does not agree.
The amount under discussion has risen to around half a million euros in recent years.
Golfbaan Naarderbos always paid an amount of ‘maintenance costs’ to the municipality of Gooise Meren, as agreed, in return for using the area of the Naarderbos. These are agreements that were already made before Nedstede – the company of entrepreneur Michael van de Kuit – owned the golf course. When Nedstede took over the golf course, it also took over all payment obligations.
Area usage costs
Nedstede disagrees and argues that the exploitation agreement containing the agreements does not comply with the rules and should therefore not be valid.
Gooise Meren does stick to the agreements, but has taken on the costs in recent years to give the talks about the recovery and the further future of the now neglected golf course a chance. The talks have been deadlocked lately, as a result of which Gooise Meren now wants Nedstede to pay again as agreed.
Gooise Meren is going to court to get an independent verdict on the tug-of-war between the two parties. The municipality believes that Nedstede should continue to pay the amount. “The municipality requires a reasonable consideration for the use of municipal land by an entrepreneur. The municipality is also not free to favor arbitrary entrepreneurs by making land available for free,” it sounds.
Conversations about future golf course
Apart from the discussion about maintenance costs, the municipality of Gooise Meren and Michael van de Kuit’s Nedstede have been discussing the future of the golf course for some time. The municipality calls these talks ‘constructive in themselves’, but they have not yet led to results.
Gooise Meren states that it still wants the golf course to be reopened and indicates that the discussion about the costs is also separate from the discussions about the future of the course and the area. The city council recently adopted a memorandum stating the intention to restore the golf course and to build a second club house.
Solution out of court
According to her, the fact that the municipality is now going to court does not mean that the door is closed to a settlement between the municipality and Nedstede. The municipal council indicates that it remains willing to resolve the issue ‘on the basis of realistic principles’ outside the courtroom.