Rheine. A long-lasting nuisance, not only for the residents, but also for the regulatory authority of the city Rheine could now finally be eliminated.
Already for several years the complaints around the multiple dwelling on the Heriburgstrasse 9 increase. Again and again there were inquiries to enormous garbage dumps, which lay scattered over the complete property range and were not alone a pure annoyance for the neighbors. Even the parking area there was no longer usable for parking cars. Sofas, broken furniture, old clothes, defective household appliances and many other things, were piled up for meters to large heaps.
And again and again it was the colleagues of the regulatory authority, who had to become active after the calls, in order to make themselves locally a picture of this condition. What the fewest residents could know: The law enforcement officers were not allowed to take immediate action, since all the piles of bulky waste were on private property and not on public property. So for the time being, they had no choice but to inform the owners in writing about their competence and responsibility with regard to the elimination of the problem. “And in the meantime the calls and inquiries of annoyed citizens – understandably – did not cease,” the responsible coworkers from the order range, remember the many months work. Files with countless requests, a never-ending correspondence and many notes on the site inspections, testify to this long work process.
But at some point, the patience of the municipal colleagues also came to an end. There was talk of rats and vermin and even children playing on the bulky waste. Now danger was imminent and the regulatory authorities could take rigorous action. And the conditions in the house itself were more than just criticized by the local residents. Together with the municipal building inspectorate and the youth welfare office of the city of Rheine, the 16 apartments were inspected last year. What the employees saw was almost impossible to describe. Severe mold growth due to dampness caused by a defective house heating system, broken skylights and a leaking roof were just a few of the points that were recorded. The basement area was partially under water, and hallways and stairwells were also covered with trash. Plaster was falling from ceilings and walls in places. Reason enough, therefore, to inform all remaining tenants about these unacceptable living conditions and to notify them immediately of the intended “vacating” of the building. A total of 4 of the 6 remaining tenants were then placed in municipal accommodation at the end of last year, as they themselves had no other accommodation options.
The owners’ association of Heriburgstraße 9 also took action and closed all house openings to prevent outsiders from entering. A company was also hired to collect the bulky waste and bring it together centrally for any necessary pickup. Then, in June 2022, a total of 36 cubic meters of bulky waste was collected by Technische Betriebe on three dates. In October 2022, a further 11 tons of bulky waste were collected as part of a substitute collection, as the owners did not take action themselves despite repeated written requests from the regulatory authority. The costs of this measure were then charged to them, of course.
“Despite years of painstaking work, we are now very satisfied with the result,” said the team from the Ordnungsamt. The area of the bulky waste dumps can now be used again as a parking area as intended since the last major clean-up operation by TBR.