The nightmare of Mr and Mrs B began one day in April 2017. The couple, looking for accommodation, rented an apartment from Gérard Gallas, in a building located in the northern districts of Marseille. On the stand, Mrs. B recounts in rapid succession her unbearable daily life, which lasted four years. The second day of the trial of this slumlord, accused of having rented 117 unworthy accommodations in Marseille, has lasted for nine long hours. The couple, civil party, are the last tenants to speak. And Ms. B.’s words echo in the criminal court room, in a suspended silence.
“The main problem was water infiltration,” says Mrs. B. “It started with a small leak. But little by little, it got worse. From a small leak, it becomes a big leak. And then it spread throughout the house. » Tears well up in the eyes of Mrs. B whose voice is choked with emotion. “So, suddenly, I had to throw everything away. There are seven of us in the family. And I end up with two beds. And these two beds are not usable. Every time, I change their place. Every time I see a new crack. Every time there is water. And the beds and mattresses were soaked. »
“Pigeons coming in through the window”
And that’s far from the only problem in this apartment. “The heating didn’t work,” she remembers. I opened it only once. The day I opened it, Mr. President, I left my little one in the room. He was one year old at the time. I left him. Five minutes later, I went upstairs to turn off the heating in the room. And there was smoke everywhere. The little one was under the bed. » “There are also cracks,” she continues. And the cockroaches, Mr. President. It’s not a cockroach. It’s not two cockroaches. It’s a cockroach mine. And you have all the colors! And you even have some that fly at night! »
Mrs. B. sighs. “We don’t turn off the light. In fact, when we are at home, we don’t rest because we are constantly cleaning. Because I can’t accept all of this. I can’t do it. » And added, in a more rapid delivery: “And then, that’s without counting the lizards! There were plenty of lizards! And on top of that, we had pigeons coming in through the window! »
“He knows about it and he does nothing at all”
The situation was reported to the owner, Gérard Gallas. “The day we entered the apartment, the work was not done,” continues Ms. B. “Mr. Gallas is aware of the situation in my building. I am the only tenant present today but we have spoken many times with the tenants. Every time, it’s the same thing. He is aware of the whole situation and does nothing at all. He came home several times. We talked about the work several times. He even drank the coffee. He told us he was going to do some interventions. But it’s not true. It’s camouflage. He offered us a T2. Even though I accept T2. How do I do this with my kids? »
The family also faces a hot water problem. Mrs. B. contacts her owner. “He told us yes for the work. We wait. A day. Two days. Three days. We found ourselves without hot water for between 20 and 25 days. I had an infant with me. To take a shower, well, we heat the water. We go up the stairs because the bathroom is upstairs. We pour water into a bucket. And so on. So much so that when the kids say they’re going to take a shower, I go crazy. »
“I’m afraid of Mr. Gallas”
Exasperated by the situation, Mr B. contacted Gérard Gallas one day, in desperation. And faces the owner’s methods. “I received threats because of the work,” he explains in a fearful tone. There was a whole night… When it rained, the electricity broke. I have nerves. I have five children. I call him. He never responds. He threatened me because I asked to do work otherwise I would start not paying the rent. And he started to get nervous. »
Mr B. finally changes his mind. But the fear remains, years later. “Personally, I am afraid of Mr. Gallas. He is someone who is not honest. Everything he said is false. He threatened me. He harassed my wife when I was in Tunisia. He started banging on the door loudly. He threatened me and I’m scared. Honestly, I’m afraid of him. I was in the Foreign Legion and I never told anyone what was happening to threaten them. He said to me: ‘You don’t know me, I worked in the police.'”
“He broke the door”
A former peacekeeper, Gérard Gallas worked for a long time at the Canet administrative detention center in Marseille, before launching full-time into real estate investment, renting apartments in the northern districts to a precarious public, mainly homeless people. -papers. “When he’s nervous, he doesn’t talk like that in front of you,” insists Mr. B. “He’s someone else. He threatened the neighbor in front of us. He broke her door. »
This fear is the very one that would explain the few civil parties in this case where victims in an irregular situation fear going to court. “There is fear,” insists Margot Bonis, rights and access to rights project manager within the Hospitality Network, civil party in the case. It’s complicated for people in an irregular situation to make people understand that they have rights. They are also afraid of Mr. Gallas’ personality. » “I am shocked by these comments,” says Gérard Gallas indignantly. I am very respectful. I have never threatened or spoken badly to a woman. »
A final fear pushed Mr and Mrs B to accept the situation. “We have no other solutions,” Mr. B is alarmed. “Otherwise, where are we going? » “In Marseille, a lot of people call 115 every day and there is no room,” laments Margot Bonis. A lot of people will turn to solutions that they find by default and that they endure because they have no other choice. It is very regular to meet people who live in complicated conditions as described in this trial. » Marseille, the poorest large city in France, has 40,000 slums, and as many people waiting for social housing. In this case, Gérard Gallas faces up to ten years in prison.