Property sale Rapperswil-Jona town council loses in administrative court
The legal dispute in Rapperswil-Jona over the sale of a plot of land to SinoSwiss Technopark AG is not yet over. The St. Gallen Administrative Court has overturned a decision by the cantonal Department of Home Affairs.
10.07.2024, 12:03
SDA
The dispute concerns the question of whether the city council was allowed to sell a plot of land to SinoSwiss Technopark (Switzerland) AG on its own authority in 2021 - or whether the transaction was subject to an optional referendum at the time.
A private individual had filed a supervisory complaint against the city regarding the sale. The city council argued that it was allowed to sell properties worth up to CHF 2 million on its own authority until the revision of the municipal regulations.
The official estimated value and not the sales price was the decisive factor, according to a statement issued by the city on Wednesday. This view was protected by the Department of Home Affairs. The private individual responded with a complaint for denial of justice.
No building permit for the time being
On July 4, this appeal was upheld by the administrative court, according to the press release. However, the court did not make a final decision on the content of the appeal, but referred the case back to the lower court
In its reasoning, it stated that the basis for determining the estimated value of the property was inadequate and that an independent valuation should be carried out. The city council would now clarify these issues. SinoSwiss could therefore not be granted a building permit until further notice.
SinoSwiss Technopark AG is a Swiss subsidiary of a Chinese company. The planned establishment therefore also led to motions in the cantonal council. These concerned the question of whether the company would be used to transfer technologies from start-ups at the University of Applied Sciences East to China.
