Latest news with #JensRiediger
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Daily Mail
House is set to be demolished by German authorities after four-year legal battle because it is 3ft too tall
A house in Germany is set to be demolished after local officials said its roof is 3ft too high, violating building regulations. Tenant Jens Riediger, a 57-year-old engineer, his partner and their four children have until spring next year to find a new home after the Bavarian administrative court in Munich made the demolition order final. The ruling has put an end to a lengthy four-year court battle between Riediger and local authorities, but the father-of-four claims that other houses in his village of Wolfratshausen, south of Munich, have taller roofs. 'Living space worth millions of euros is going to be destroyed. And this only because the roof is [3ft] too high, and because a garage was built instead of a carport [roofed shelter] and the ground was filled in,' Riediger, 57, told German outlet Bild. The dispute has been ongoing since 2021, after a court confirmed the demolition of the house. The house's developers suggested a plan to correct the property's regulatory defects, but the offer was rejected by the local court, which looked into the possibility of turning the house into a women's shelter. A spokesman for the Wolfratshausen district office defended the demolition decision, telling Bild that the house had serious defects. 'The significant deviations [from planning regulations] consisted of embankments, higher walls, roofs with different pitches and the construction of a garage instead of a carport,' they said. Riediger's house is one of three homes such under demolition orders in Upper Bavaria. It comes after a British woman was ordered to demolish her newbuild six-bedroom home by her local council after it was called 'unneighbourly and overbearing'. Neighbours complained the 'eyesore' property in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, blocks all the light from their garden and was not built in accordance with planning regulations. The dispute centres on a two-storey extension at the back of the house on Marlow Road which comes out further than what was approved in the original plans. Locals on Marlow Road have accused the homeowner of 'trying their luck' and said it appeared to be a case of 'build what you want now and ask for forgiveness later'. They suggested they may have got into 'competition' with an even bigger home that was recently approved by the council and built on the road. Documents on Buckinghamshire Council's website show that permission was last year granted for a six-bed home with three parking spaces to be built on the site. But subsequent plans for a similar sized home on the plot of land were refused by the local authority in March. Now the owners have been told they must demolish the new property or comply with the conditions of the approved plans. In an enforcement notice issued last month, Buckinghamshire Council said: 'By reason of its size, depth, height and design, the rear two storey projection results in a significant loss of light to the adjacent residential properties. '[It] appears as an unneighbourly and overbearing structure when viewed from both adjacent properties, significantly diminishing the outlook and general amenity previously enjoyed by their existing residents.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
German court orders demolition of house for being 36cm too high
German authorities have ordered the demolition of a Bavarian house because the roof is 36 centimetres too high. Jens Riediger, the house's tenant, says he was devastated after local officials claimed the roof and other irregularities were serious violations of building regulations. The Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich warned that its ruling is 'binding and final', ending a four-year court battle between the developers and local authorities. The house is one of three such cases under demolition orders in Upper Bavaria, despite the region suffering from a housing shortage, according to local media. Mr Riediger, a 57-year-old engineer, was bitterly disappointed by the decision. He told Germany's Bild newspaper: 'Living space worth millions of euros is going to be destroyed. And this only because the roof is 36cm too high, and because a garage was built instead of a Carport [roofed shelter] and the ground was filled in.' The Bavarian resident of Wolfratshausen, south of Munich, also claimed there are other houses in the village with taller roofs than his home. His family has got some time to find a new place to live, with the demolition crew not set to arrive until spring 2026. 'We'll have moved out by then. We now live in 180 square meters, it will not be easy to find a house like that for the same rent,' he told Bild. The row over the height of the building's roof has dragged on since 2021, when the developers offered to remedy the problem by removing the property's regulatory defects. The offer was reportedly rejected by the local court, which instead looked into the possibility of turning the building into a women's shelter, an idea that was also abandoned. A spokesman for Wolfratshausen's district office defended the decision in a statement to Bild, arguing that the house had many serious defects. 'The significant deviations [from planning regulations] consisted of embankments, higher walls, roofs with different pitches and the construction of a garage instead of a Carport,' they said. It is not the first time that a German house has fallen foul of planning rules that some might view as draconian. In 2014, a German pensioner was ordered to tear down her home because it had been built in 1939 without planning permission, due to the chaos of the Second World War breaking out. The pensioner resisted the ruling and launched a long court battle, which ended in victory after local officials backed down on the demolition order.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
German court orders demolition of house for being 36cm too high
German authorities have ordered the demolition of a Bavarian house because the roof is 36 centimetres too high. Jens Riediger, the house's tenant, says he was devastated after local officials claimed the roof and other irregularities were serious violations of building regulations. The Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich warned that its ruling is 'binding and final', ending a four-year court battle between the developers and local authorities. The house is one of three such cases under demolition orders in Upper Bavaria, despite the region suffering from a housing shortage, according to local media. Mr Riediger, a 57-year-old engineer, was bitterly disappointed by the decision. He told Germany's Bild newspaper: 'Living space worth millions of euros is going to be destroyed. And this only because the roof is 36cm too high, and because a garage was built instead of a Carport [roofed shelter] and the ground was filled in.' The Bavarian resident of Wolfratshausen, south of Munich, also claimed there are other houses in the village with taller roofs than his home. His family has got some time to find a new place to live, with the demolition crew not set to arrive until spring 2026. 'We'll have moved out by then. We now live in 180 square meters, it will not be easy to find a house like that for the same rent,' he told Bild. The row over the height of the building's roof has dragged on since 2021, when the developers offered to remedy the problem by removing the property's regulatory defects. The offer was reportedly rejected by the local court, which instead looked into the possibility of turning the building into a women's shelter, an idea that was also abandoned. A spokesman for Wolfratshausen's district office defended the decision in a statement to Bild, arguing that the house had many serious defects. 'The significant deviations [from planning regulations] consisted of embankments, higher walls, roofs with different pitches and the construction of a garage instead of a Carport,' they said. It is not the first time that a German house has fallen foul of planning rules that some might view as draconian. In 2014, a German pensioner was ordered to tear down her home because it had been built in 1939 without planning permission, due to the chaos of the Second World War breaking out. The pensioner resisted the ruling and launched a long court battle, which ended in victory after local officials backed down on the demolition order. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
