Illegal demolition of the 700-year-old wooden house in Illgau SZ
The demolition of a 700-year-old wooden house in Illgau SZ took place within the appeal period, which thwarted the judicial review of the propertys worth of protection. Since the criminal prosecution of such facts has to be carried out ex officio, Homeland Security refrains from filing a criminal complaint.
Violence breaks all rules. The administrative court of the canton of Schwyz recently ruled that the demolition of properties requires a permit. The municipality of Illgau approved the demolition, but appeals were still possible, which would have been raised by Homeland Security. The Planning and Building Act of the Canton of Schwyz stipulates that anyone who erects, changes or converts buildings and facilities without a building permit or in deviation from a building permit is punished with a fine of up to CHF 50,000 in accordance with the provisions of the Justice Act and the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure . In the case of greed, the penal authorities are not bound by the maximum amount of the fine. “We therefore thought long and hard about whether to file a criminal complaint or not,” says Isabelle Schwander, President of Schwyz Homeland Security. However, the Schwyz and Swiss Heimatschutz came to the conclusion that conducting criminal proceedings is the task of the law enforcement authorities and not of Heimatschutz. This is also because the suspicion at hand is to be investigated ex officio.
In several discussions, the Schwyzer and the Swiss Heimatschutz tried to make the builder understand the immeasurable value of this building. Possible structural solutions were also shown with specialists and it was offered to provide support with regard to financing. Unfortunately all without success. For the future, Heimatschutz will try, together with experts and owners of Schwyz wooden houses, to show that renovations are always possible and that this does not have to fail because of finances. Naturally, Homeland Security is also of the opinion that being placed under protection should not lead to financial damage. Finally, it must also become better known that listed and high-quality refurbished properties experience a massive increase in value and are also easy to rent. The Schwyzer and the Swiss Heimatschutz are convinced that it is possible for all those affected to find a good solution.