A young man was seriously injured in the summer of 2022 in the pool of a condominium in Toulouse. According to a co-owner, he would have made a complaint. Is it true? Did he have a right to be there? Will a legal battle begin? What we know.
Squatting private pools have become a real scourge in Toulouse in recent years. And the incident turned into drama in the summer of 2022, when a young adult was seriously injured jumping into the small pool of a pool located in a condominium residence, north of the Pink City. The unfortunate man threw himself headfirst into the small pool, 1.08 meters deep, severely injuring his cervical spine. “I was there that day, the victim was a vague acquaintance of a resident,” says Anthony, a witness at the scene. The young people started messing around in the pool, “they jumped like idiots, I told them they were going to get hurt and it happened,” he regrets.
“He had nothing to do there”
Will the deal turn into a legal imbroglio? The young man, who had no right to be in the pool, would have filed a complaint to claim compensation from the co-ownership. In any case, this is what Alexandra, one of the tenants, says: “We are completely lost, we feel sorry for this young man who was injured and ruined his life at the age of 18, but he knew he shouldn't. they jumped in there and he had nothing to do there”. The co-owner can't stand having to “pay for other people's crap.”
Was the pool up to standard?
If the legal action is confirmed, the co-ownership could well find itself at fault: “It's annoying, we are aware that we could lose in court,” explains Alexandra. “We worked hard to acquire a property of this size, today we feel like our right to property is being taken away,” she adds.
According to the France Victims association, “owners or managers of swimming pools have a duty of safety towards users. In the event of an accident due to lack of maintenance or negligence, they can be held liable”. Aware of the legislation in this area, the manager of the condominium would have ordered an audit, which should list the safety equipment, pending legal action: “It is at our expense obviously, we must be able to prove that everything is regulated” reports Alexandra.
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“In recent weeks, it was almost daily”: in Toulouse, the scourge of squatting pools
“No legal action,” says the manager
More surprisingly in this case, the condominium manager would not be aware of the facts at all. Contacted, Crédit Agricole Immobilier states that it has not been the subject, in this context, of any legal summons to date. Hard to corroborate.
Since opening six years ago, the swimming pool of this residence has been occupied every summer: “Young people come from several districts: Empalot, Trois Cocus or Lalande” says the owner. “I hired a security guard one summer, but he knew the squatters and let them in,” she complains. The co-owners are now considering installing anti-intrusion devices, or even barbed wire, to prevent the pool from being occupied.