Investigators found the beginning of a manual with an ambiguous title to say the least. A work that Gérard G. had titled: “how to become a millionaire thanks to my real estate strategies”. “Strategies” which resulted in this man appearing before the Marseille criminal court from this Monday, in what is one of the largest unworthy housing trials that the second largest city in France, plagued by the scourge, has experienced. slumlords.
Gérard G. is accused of endangering the lives of others, for having rented nearly 122 unworthy accommodations in poor neighborhoods of Marseille, mainly to undocumented immigrants. 20 minutes make the point.
What are the facts ?
Gérard G. is accused of having rented 122 unsanitary accommodations in four buildings which he owned in the northern districts of Marseille. In the first located on avenue Roger-Salengro, in the 15th arrondissement, the owner had purchased 6 apartments to transform them into 21 housing units. “He had converted the attic in particular, which is unsuitable for habitation,” recalls Me Aurélien Leroux, lawyer for eight tenants, from the association Un center-ville pour tous and Réseau Hospitalité. In another building located on Chemin de la Martine, still in the 15th, the cellars had begun to be converted into studios. Gérard G owned a third building on Boulevard Viala, also in the 15th, and a last one located on Rue Amélie, in the 14th. Also in some of these buildings they were converting larger apartments into smaller ones.
“This case is emblematic of the qualification of slumlord organized in the real estate park, to obtain maximum profits,” accuses Me Jorge Mendes Constante, lawyer for the city of Marseille, civil party in this case. He divided his real estate to accommodate as many roommates as possible. »
“He often rented areas between 9 and 10 m² for a rent of around 400 to 600 euros,” reports Me Aurélien Leroux. In these homes lived several people, families with minor children. He charged incredible rents for very small rooms. Some were without any windows with, in 10 m², the kitchen, the bathroom and the living room, which represents an enormous fire and health risk. These apartments were completely moldy and undignified. »
Several orders were issued by the town hall from 2020 to summon the owner to carry out the necessary work, without this ever being respected. “He always bought more and let it deteriorate,” storms Me Mendes Constante. The experts thus noted the use of sanitary facilities shared by three dwellings, the absence of heating, a water point or even a ventilation system.
Who are the victims ?
The tenants were often poor and undocumented people. “The tenants are quite precarious,” summarizes Me Aurélien Leroux. They are generally foreign nationals, asylum seekers. They have no housing solutions when they arrive in Marseille. And it’s either the street, or they try to find housing, sometimes with the help of their community. My clients are of Nigerian, Comorian or Algerian origin. And they find themselves housed in unworthy conditions through word of mouth. Some still live in these buildings, with young children. »
The presence of these tenants at the hearing is not a certainty at the time of writing. “It would be a big victory if they come on Monday,” the lawyer hopes. They could be heard, which is a very good thing. But some are afraid of facing Mr. G., while others are in a complex administrative situation. These are people who also feel a mixture of a little fear and shame about their living conditions. »
The city of Marseille has, for its part, become a civil party for the moral damage and financial damage caused by the use of agents, expertise and work in this case. His lawyer is demanding a total of 51,154 euros.
Who are the defendants?
The main defendant is a former police officer who was familiar with undocumented immigrants and their problems, having been assigned to an administrative detention center. “He has a personality that questions,” notes Mr. Mendes Constante. He is an atypical character. An element of the file reveals that he had a book project, a manual on how to develop a real estate business with a method applied for the maximum possible investments. »
In this unfinished book, Gérard G. presented himself as “an excellent and powerful multi-millionaire businessman”, a “true genius”, “at the head of a powerful real estate empire, a formidable war machine. » In ten years, he would have invested nearly 3.5 million euros, according to the town hall’s lawyer. “What emerges from the file is that it seems lawless, and very focused on making a fortune, becoming rich, with a stated objective of being an annuitant,” reprimands Me Leroux. Contacted, his lawyer, Me Frédéric Sanchez, indicated that his client would not make any statement before the hearing.
Another defendant is called to the stand starting this Monday. This is Faissoili A., presented as a henchman employed by Gérard G. to recruit tenants and collect rents. “My clients told me about fights with big guys who came to threaten them if they didn’t pay the rent,” says Me Aurélien Leroux. The trial is scheduled to take place at the Muy barracks until November 16.