Four young people who live anti-squat in the presbytery next to the Bossche Sint-Catharinakerk must leave on Monday and hand in their keys. This was decided by the subdistrict court judge in summary proceedings on Friday. If the young people do not manage to find another place to live before Monday, they will be homeless.
The four students have been living anti-squat next to the Sint-Catharinakerk for five years, but the Holy Marian rectory wants to have a pastor live there again. So the young people have to be gone on Monday. They refuse to leave, but for every day they stay longer, they can be fined 250 euros. That’s what their contract says.
They can’t afford that and so they filed a lawsuit against vacancy manager Manoma. They have now lost that lawsuit. So they have to leave or they will still be fined.
The presbytery is being renovated for more than one million euros and work will start next week. Asbestos maintenance is scheduled for Tuesday.
‘was always temporary’
The young people felt that they could not just be put on the street without replacement housing, because according to them there is a rental agreement for an indefinite period.
According to the court, there is a lease, but the manager was allowed to terminate this agreement. It was already clear that the residents were only allowed to live there temporarily.
The anti-squatters hoped that they would have more time to clear their houses. The judge does not agree, because the residents have known for over a month that they have to leave.
The anti-squatters have initiated proceedings on the merits. It is not yet known when the case will come to court.
READ ALSO: Young people evicted from home by parish: demonstration at church in Den Bosch