did the new buyers of a house in Essonne know that it was squatted?

The Parisian publishes an article and then a video on June 8, after being contacted by Laurent and Élodie. This couple wants to settle in their new house, but discover that it is squatted. The case is taking on a national dimension. Several public figures expressed their emotion. The family that occupied the accommodation ended up leaving under pressure. Problem solved for this couple who welcome the cameras to their new home in Essonne and swear they knew nothing. “When I visited there was a mattress on the floor. At no time could I have thought there was a family with four children inside”says the owner.

But quickly, some point to inconsistencies in the story, including the cost of the house, 140 000 euros for 70 m² and a large plot, half the usual market prices in Essonne. A user finds and publishes a video of their real estate consultant who reveals that the new owners knew that the house was squatted. The staging is symbolized by a bunch of keys. The advisor’s video and the notarial deed prove it, however: there was no handing over of the keys. So when the owner waves his keychain in front of the cameras, he knows the keys are the wrong ones. The Parisian deleted his video and published a mea culpa explaining that the couple had lied to their reporters three times. The two buyers knew full well that they had acquired a squatted house below market price, but hid it from the media.