Frustrated residents Zurich Gold Coast politician leaves behind a construction disaster in Solothurn
Construction projects in north-western Switzerland have been at a standstill for years. Communities and residents are frustrated. The responsible developer from the canton of Zurich remains silent about the accusations.
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- In three municipalities in northwestern Switzerland, construction projects by IIB Immobilien AG under Viktor Sauter have been at a standstill for years.
- In Dulliken SO, people are living without rental contracts or property management despite unfinished buildings, as occupancy has been delayed for years.
- The reasons for the construction freeze are officially unclear and Sauter is not commenting on the accusations.
Several construction projects in north-western Switzerland have been at a standstill for years. This has caused great resentment among the affected communities and residents. The situation is particularly precarious in Dulliken in the canton of Solothurn: a residential development that was supposed to be ready for occupancy in 2014 has still not been completed, reports the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.
The developer is IIB Immobilien AG, whose sole director is Viktor Sauter, an FDP politician and Chairman of the Audit Committee in Zollikon ZH. He is known in the village for his integrity and meticulousness. At municipal meetings, he likes to urge the municipal council to be more disciplined.
When it comes to his professional projects, however, he seems to have lost control.
No rent and no administration
Despite the unfinished state, several parties have already moved into the apartments in Dulliken. The "Tages-Anzeiger" spoke to one resident. He and his partner have been living in the "eternal building site" for three years.
He had never signed a purchase contract, but only a reservation agreement and a deposit of CHF 15,000. When he realized after several postponed move-in dates that this would take a long time, he simply moved in, just like others.
The situation is chaotic: he doesn't pay any rent, he only has to pay for the heating, electricity and water. There is no administration. He still wants to buy the apartment, but "as long as the house isn't finished, no one will sign here."
Rumors about unpaid bills
Another resident told the Tages-Anzeiger that contact with IIB Immobilien AG was particularly difficult. Letters are returned unopened.
The background to the building freeze is unclear. Rumor has it that unpaid tradesmen's invoices are to blame. No one is officially commenting. The municipality of Dulliken has already tried to revoke the building permit, but failed in court.
Sauter remains silent
There are also similar problems with building projects under Sauter's responsibility in the municipalities of Niedergösgen SO and Wettingen AG. In Niedergösgen, an apartment building has been standing as a shell for years, and in Wettingen there is a gaping hole in the village center because a building has not been rebuilt.
Viktor Sauter himself did not comment on the accusations when asked by the Tages-Anzeiger, pointing out that his private construction projects have no influence on his political activities in Zollikon.
