Property sale But no property deal with Sinoswiss in Rapperswil-Jona
The controversial sale of a plot of land to Sinoswiss Technopark AG by the city council of Rapperswil-Jona has definitely fallen through. According to the city council, the company failed to meet various deadlines. The purchase agreement has therefore lapsed. Sinoswiss is surprised.
14.08.2024, 10:01
14.08.2024, 11:54
SDA
In February 2021, the city council of Rapperswil-Jona approved the sale of a plot of land to Sinoswiss Technopark AG. The establishment of the Swiss subsidiary of a Chinese company, which is planning an innovation center for start-ups, subsequently sparked criticism at various levels.
Among other things, there was the question of whether the city council was entitled to sell the property on its own initiative or whether the transaction would have been subject to an optional referendum. Because a private individual lodged a complaint against the decision to sell, proceedings were initiated.
The city council argued that until the revision of the municipal regulations, it was allowed to sell properties worth up to CHF 2 million on its own authority. The official estimated value and not the possible sales price was the decisive factor.
Successful appeal
The Department of Home Affairs, as the first instance, supported the city council's view. The private individual took the case to the St. Gallen Administrative Court. The appeal was upheld there in a decision on July 4. The court referred the matter back to the lower court. A new independent valuation of the property value was requested.
However, this is no longer the case. On Wednesday, the city council announced that the sales contract with Sinoswiss had "lapsed without replacement". The reason given in the announcement was that Sinoswiss had failed to meet "various deadlines, some of which were linked and contractually agreed". A legal review has shown this.
The change of ownership could therefore not take place and no building permit would be issued. Sinoswiss had been informed of this in writing. The property is still owned by the city.
Surprised by the U-turn
At the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency, Sinoswiss expressed surprise in an initial reaction and spoke of an "about-turn". This is the first time we have heard this interpretation, said Dominik Widmer, Managing Director of Sinoswiss Holding based in Steinhausen ZG. It is a fundamental departure from the city council's previous communication.
Sinoswiss had regularly reviewed the conditions in the contract and was of the opinion that the deadlines had been met and that the purchase agreement was still valid. Widmer announced that a more detailed statement would be issued soon.
