The house of Martine Dejasse and Alex Taine was ravaged by the floods of July 2021
In their house, the whole ground floor was destroyed. We can no longer even say where the living room and the kitchen were. “The water is mounted to the penultimate walking before the first floor, details Martine Dejasse. But humidity has gone to the top. We can no longer close the doors of our girls’ rooms (Editor’s note: located on the second floor) So much the wood has been affected. “
And four years later, “We are still in the same molasses”. Inside, nothing has changed, or almost. In question, an “entrepreneur” who scammed them. “We had known him personally for 30 years. After the floods, he offered us his help. He showed us his website, told us about his services … He seemed really professional.”
4 years later, finally the studies to retype the sewers of the disaster roads of the floods, in Verviers?
Scammed by a person they knew well, the Verviétois lost € 86,000
But they realized too late that it did not even have access to the profession. “He wandered us. He did some small work inside to make us wait.” Make them wait and extract as much money as possible. “In total, we spent € 86,000. And according to experts, he did € 4,000 in work.”
Beginning of the site on the last of the bridges victims by the floods of 2021 in Verviers
And obviously, man ended up disappearing in nature after declared himself bankrupt. “We are sure he had organized his insolvency.” Obviously, they brought him a trial. “”The judgment will be rendered in September. But our lawyer told us that we had no chance, so to speak. These people are used to making scams like that. “
Money that has gone, but still many costs to assume
But suddenly, here they are with € 86,000 that they will probably never recover, a loan they continue to pay and also a rent. “At first, we were housed by friends. But we had to end up finding an apartment.” So they took one to say. “It’s very small. We live four in an apartment for two people. Our girls have to sleep in the same bed.”
“We come to the end. We will end up being forced to sell. And in its condition, the house is only worth 70 and 80,000 €.”
Thanks to insurance money, they have been able to assume these different costs for four years. “But here, we come to the end. We will end up being forced to sell. And in your condition, the house is only worth 70 and 80,000 €.” Not even enough to recover the amount paid to the entrepreneur. “And we will always have the ready to pay.”
Cpas, associations, policies … no one helps them
It is however not for lack of having struck all the possible and imaginable doors: the CPAS of Verviers and Dison, the politicians, the associations … “They all told us “It’s a shame what happens to you. But we can’t do anything.” They even went so far as to ask the king help. “He offered us a unique donation of € 200. It’s really alms.”
In short, for the couple and their two daughters, the prospects are not at all delightful. “”The situation is critical and the future will be very very hard. “