The owner of three illegally built maisonnettes above Plage Mala in Cap d’Ail has been given six months to demolish the structures. Local mayor Xavier Beck has welcomed the ruling, which comes with the additional penalty of a €100,000 fine, saying, “I hope this decision will set a precedent.”
According to reports by France 3 and Observateur de Monaco, the owner of the properties in question, a German entrepreneur identified as Daniel Giersch, began building the three small beach huts in the vicinity of the popular Plage Mala beach without official permission or a permit in 2020, having bought the land some 10 years earlier.
When confronted about the illegality of the properties by the town’s mayor, Xavier Beck, Giersch reportedly told the official that he was “not afraid of justice”, before adding that the matter could be “settled with a cheque”.
Thus began a years-long saga in the courts between the municipality of Cap d’Ail, acting as a civil party, and Giersch, which has now resulted in an official order from a judge at the Court of Nice that the buildings should be fully demolished.
“It had been going on for too long, I hope this decision will set a precedent,” said Beck in comments made to France 3’s Côte d’Azur branch. “This gentleman decided to build on this land without any authorisation. I actually issued several decrees in this regard, and he ignored all of them!”
He continued, “This is a very strong message from the court: illegal constructions are not resolved by a cheque, but by an obligation to restore everything to order.”
According to the mayor, Giersch has six months to dismantle the huts and must also pay a €100,000 fine. If he does not comply with the court order, he will face a daily €150 fine, with the threat of further penalties and the forcible demolition of the buildings by other means.
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Photo credit: Stephanie Cubbeddu-Burns