The dilapidated building in Agenskalns poses a danger to the environment and people's lives. The house is co-owned by two private individuals and the Riga municipality. For many years, the responsible parties have been unable to agree on a course of action regarding the future of the building, and it continues to deteriorate. At the center of this situation is a neighbor, the only one still living in the yard, and in recent weeks his home has also suffered from the neighboring building, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3).
While Lauris has restored his home and turned it into a modern, sturdy building of the 21st century, the neighboring dilapidated house remains abandoned, with no one showing interest in it.
The roof and walls of the building have collapsed several times, and during the last collapse, part of the structure fell directly onto Lauris's roof. According to him, the damage is significant — so much so that even the load-bearing structures of the roof are 'crushed,' and everything will need to be replaced.
For a long time, the building has had problems with leaks — wastewater and snow have penetrated the exterior walls and roof, causing rot and ultimately leading to collapse. Lauris states that the Housing Department of the Riga City Council did not respond to his warnings about the risk of collapse. And less than a week later, it happened.
These two serious collapses forced the owner of the first-floor apartment — a pensioner — to seek new housing due to the danger of living in this building.
What to do with a house that is dangerous to life and the environment has been a pressing question for several years. The building has three co-owners: the mentioned pensioner, who was forced to leave her home, a firm that owns the second apartment on the first floor, and the Riga municipality, which owns the apartment on the second floor of the dilapidated building. The city authorities claim that the other owners cannot reach a consensus.
"The position of the Department of Housing and Environmental Affairs has remained unchanged for several years: the building is technically dangerous and should be demolished. However, due to disagreements among the co-owners, no decision has been made. This year, the municipality has repeatedly convened general meetings urging apartment owners to make a decision — to restore the building or demolish it. The other two owners have not made a decision," reads a written comment from the Riga municipality.
Since the pensioner from the first floor does not have the funds to finance restoration work, the main responsibility falls on the shoulders of the third co-owner — the firm.
"We have installed a new roof covering at our own expense to make it last longer, made other improvements as well. We had to board up the windows to prevent anyone from getting inside, and so on," says one of the building's owners.
However, these minor improvements have proven insufficient — the apartment needs to be completely restored. A representative of the firm explains that the center of the disagreement is the inability to reach an agreement with the municipality. The city wants to demolish the building, while the firm wants to restore it.
"If the owners changed to those willing to invest, this building has historical value and could be restored. The department's approach is almost Stalinist: there is a house — there is a problem. No house — no problem," says the entrepreneur.
The firm explains to the municipality that it wants to restore the building but is not willing to be the only one of the three owners financing this process. In response, the Riga authorities point out that caring for the building is the responsibility of all co-owners. They are not insisting on demolition but are offering various solutions. Thus, for years the parties have been at an impasse, each pulling the rope in their own direction.
In the middle is the pensioner, forced to leave her home, and Lauris, under whom the building is literally falling apart. He worries about the future and can only watch to ensure that the house does not threaten either his home or his family. "These two owners are acting extremely cynically. They essentially hoped that nothing would happen and were ready to walk over corpses," says Lauris.
There is hope that soon the municipality will put the apartment up for auction, and a new owner will acquire it, who will have the incentive to invest in the restoration of the building.
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