Two businessmen promise houses, the builders are still waiting for the buildings.
Autor:
Hanna Girard
30.09.2024, 12:00
At the center of this story are the general planner Jürg Zesiger and the architect Michel Badertscher. You have created various construction projects throughout Switzerland. Promised houses that were never finished. These cases became public at the end of August.
Further research by SRF Investigativ and the “Regionaljournal Basel” now shows: There are also those affected in a project in Zwingen BL; architect Badertscher has also planned a construction project there: six houses that broker Zesiger should have sold. But: The houses have not yet been built and some of the builders are still waiting to get the money they invested back.
The Barth couple is affected. In 2019, the Barths discovered an advertisement on the Internet. A company called Beton-Elementbau Aarberg GmbH advertised, contact person: Jürg Zesiger.
Legend: The houses were supposed to be built here in Zwingen BL: to date the construction work has not yet started. SRF/Hanna Girard
“The price was tempting, and it was pretty good for us when it came to the down payment,” says Ms. Barth, who doesn’t want to give her full name.
She was initially skeptical, but the price was too tempting: a property with a five-and-a-half-room house for 720,000 francs.
Legend: Frustrated and angry: Thomas Barth, who dreamed of owning his own house in Zwingen. SRF/Hanna Girard
The Barths can negotiate the down payment for the reservation of 30,000 francs down to 10,000 francs. According to the Barth couple, broker Jürg Zesiger appeared friendly, uncomplicated and professional.
Then there are delays: According to Zesiger, neighbors have objected, which the community also confirms. As a result, the Barths are put off and then suddenly receive a purchase agreement in which the property is only half as large as agreed.
The Barths then demand their deposit back. Zesiger stated in court that he could not pay back the money because he had already commissioned work worth over 20,000 francs. The Barths received their money back by court decision.
Criminal proceedings are ongoing
The Yilmaz family also had similar experiences. They also ordered a house, paid a deposit of 30,000 francs and are still waiting for the money to this day. The reason is the bankruptcy of Betonelement Bau Aarberg GmbH.
Legend: This is what the house in Zwingen should look like. Image from the construction documentation. Project documentation
The Yilmaz family, which actually has a different name, has now filed a criminal complaint against Jörg Zesiger and hopes to get their 30,000 francs back this way. When asked by SRF, the Basel public prosecutor’s office did not provide any information about whether it had opened criminal proceedings against Zesiger.
Legend: Ms. Barth with the construction documentation SRF/Hanna Girard
And what do Michel Badertscher and Jürg Zesiger say about the allegations? Badertscher comments in writing: The reason for the construction delay was an objection from a neighbor. This delayed the whole process. He is not responsible for the families’ lost money because that was the broker’s job.
Zesiger has his lawyer inform him in writing that he will not comment. At best he would answer the questions at a later date.
We should actually put a stop to such machinations.
Meanwhile, new advertisements have been published with the same houses and the same building land. Thomas Barth is frustrated: “I do have a certain amount of anger. We should actually put a stop to such machinations.”
Barths are not alone: Families in the cantons of Bern and Lucerne have also lost money on construction projects in which Zesiger and Badertscher were involved. Criminal proceedings are ongoing and the presumption of innocence applies.
