Hinterlehen estate

Illegal demolition approved by flash decision

Simon Heilig-Hofbauer visited the site to see the demolition work for himself.(Bild: Photographer: Anna Pirato)

Just hours after the authorities ordered work on the farm to be stopped, permission was granted. The demolition continued.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding the evicted Hinterlehen Gut in Saalfelden have gained another facet. In February, the estate was cleared after being sold to a German. At the same time, the excavators moved in to begin demolition work. As has now become known, the owner had to stop the demolition work on March 18 because there was no permit for it. In other words, the work was being carried out illegally.

More and more questions are being raised about the sale and forced eviction of the Hinterlehen estate in Saalfelden. The Greens have been asking one question for some time: Can the sale be reversed?(Bild: Hölzl Roland)

However, the delays have been limited for the owner. This is because the municipality granted permission on the same day. A circumstance that Simon Heilig-Hofbauer, member of parliament for the Greens, finds annoying. "There must be no express treatment for dubious property investors. Especially not if demolition work has previously been carried out illegally and without a permit," says the politician, adding: "Every normal house builder has to wait weeks or months for their permits. In the case of Hinterlehen Gut in Saalfelden, this was done within hours for the German project developer." And that is not the only point of criticism surrounding the purchase of the farm. As reported, there was initially no proof of farming, without which the purchase would not have been possible. This is because only farmers can buy such agricultural land.

This is intended to put a stop to real estate speculation. It later emerged that this certificate was issued by a German association which, according to its own information, cannot issue certificates at all. The confirmation was issued for a company and not to a person, in this case the buyer. This company had already filed for insolvency in 2015.