In Annemasse’s Clos Greffier residence, residents face renewed turmoil as convicted individuals return despite being banned, raising concerns about their presence. These individuals, previously convicted for property fraud, allegedly continue their illegal activities, including falsifying residency documents and evicting legitimate tenants. The situation worsened after a 2016 management dispute led to a scheme to claim ownership of properties unlawfully. New complaints have been filed as the fake owners escalate their actions, even publicizing their invasions on social media.
Recurrent Nightmares in Annemasse: The Clos Greffier Residence
Upon entering the Clos Greffier residence in Annemasse, Haute-Savoie, one cannot miss the surveillance camera positioned in the reception area alongside enforced locks. This unsettling scene has emerged nearly a year after several property owners accused fellow residents of orchestrating a fraudulent property management scheme aimed at seizing their apartments and renting them out to unauthorized tenants. The troubling cycle appears to be repeating itself, plunging legitimate owners and tenants back into a familiar state of distress.
Unyielding Threats: The Return of Convicted Individuals
Residents are understandably anxious, questioning why these convicted individuals are allowed to return. A concerned resident expressed, *”We don’t understand why they are coming back. How is it possible, when they have been convicted, that they shouldn’t return? How is it possible that they manage to re-enter (…) ? We cannot be calm.”*
The individuals in question—a 58-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man—were previously convicted in June 2024, alongside a third accomplice, for various offenses including illegal property appropriation and fraudulent rent collection. Despite their convictions, they returned to their landing area, even going as far as installing cameras to monitor activity. Their sentences included a three-year ban from the Clos Greffier premises.
This bizarre situation stems from the establishment of an alternative property management system in 2016, which was set up by some owners to challenge the decisions made by the original property management. Over time, this group escalated their actions significantly. Florian Delarue, head of the property management firm ‘L’immobilier du bassin genevois,’ explained in 2023 that these individuals would contact energy suppliers and sign contracts in their names for shared areas and neighboring properties, thereby fabricating false proof of residency. *”These people have a phenomenal power to harm their neighbors,”* he stated.
Prisca Angé, director of the real co-ownership union, elaborated on their motives, noting, *“The ultimate goal is to be owners, thus indicating that the co-ownership does not exist, that they are owners and to continue with the recovery of rents if they install people in their apartments.”* In 2023, this scheme escalated to the point where tenants were forcibly evicted from their homes under the false claim that their landlords were illegitimate and lacked the right to rent their properties.
According to the lawyer representing the historical co-ownership, the accused have even resorted to falsifying judicial documents to display in the entrance hall. Lawyer Florent Francina lamented, *”Their conviction in the criminal court seems to have had no effect. They were convicted for these acts, yet they are repeating similar offenses.”* In response to these ongoing issues, two new complaints have been filed. Disturbingly, the fake owners have taken to social media to post videos of their unlawful home invasions and have also appealed their convictions.