In Creuse, a mayor sells his court on Leboncoin to finance the renovation of his church
In Bourganeuf (Creuse), the town hall has put its courthouse up for sale on Leboncoin.fr. A difficult choice for the town, which is forced to part with its secondary assets in order to maintain its main one.
Furniture, apartments for rent, children’s toys… and a courthouse. You can find everything on the resale site leboncoin. In the spring of 2024, the Bourganeuf town hall is putting its former district courthouse up for sale for 30,000 euros. A modest sum for a building of just over 400 m², which quickly attracts buyers. For the last visit, organized a few weeks ago, around ten potential buyers gathered on the steps of the building. Including Marilou and Caspard, who live in the town and are considering setting up a third place there. “I love this place, it has charm,” emphasizes the young woman. A few meters away from them, retirees Antoine and Hélène are imagining a cultural space instead; the courtroom platform would make a great stage for a show. Marie-Hélène Pouget-Chauvat smiles. Since the announcement was published, the deputy in charge of culture has received 81 applications. “Very good news for the city,” she says happily.
The church or the court
But behind this unusual sale lies a heartbreak: Bourganeuf must part with its courthouse to better maintain the Zizim Tower (15th century), the emblem of the town, and have funds to renovate the parish church, which has already swallowed up three million euros. A dilemma that faces many towns in France, caught by the throat by the surge in energy prices since the post-Covid economic recovery and the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. In 2023, 25,678 real estate sales were carried out by local authorities. Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) is looking to sell the Hôtel de Lestang, a partly listed and disused building; Benouville, in Calvados, is putting a house and its bunker from the Second World War up for sale to finance the extension work on its multi-purpose hall; Eu, in Seine-Maritime, has just launched a call for projects to sell its Jesuit college and the former high school.
In Bourganeuf, the town hall quickly came to terms with the situation. The court has not hosted hearings since the reform of the judicial map led in 2009 by Rachida Dati, then Minister of Justice. The place has gradually been abandoned. When visitors enter the building, a gaping hole in the ceiling greets them. “It is the result of a water leak, the roof was renovated in 2016”, tempers the guide of the day, Sandrine Fourgnaud, general director of city services. While the 19th century courtroom retains its splendor, pieces of plaster scattered on the floor litter the path of curious onlookers. Without electricity or heating for several years, the work now costs millions of euros. With its operating budget of three million, the municipality cannot cover the cost. “We have no choice: to preserve our historical assets, we are putting secondary heritage up for sale,” says Marie-Hélène Pouget-Chauvat.
50 billion euros
According to a 2018 assessment by the Ministry of Culture, 23% of protected buildings in France are in poor condition or at risk. A third of them belong to municipalities. “In 2023, we have assessed the value of 80,000 buildings. Their sale would bring in 50 billion euros. We are entering a period of rationalization,” explains Alain Caumeil, director of the National Directorate of State Interventions. In Bourganeuf, in addition to the courthouse, the municipality has sold a sports hall, a historic house and the Arrier chapel. State aid is welcome but does not compensate for the needs. “50,000 euros out of an amount of several million, the gap is still too great,” admits Marie-Hélène Pouget-Chauvat, the elected representative from Bourganeuf.
At the beginning of the summer, the municipal committee made its decision. Among all the proposals, it selected the musical residency project. “For its national aura, or even more,” says the deputy for Culture. On the village square, at the La Mezzanine bar, the initiative is applauded. “It’s very good news, especially if it can help bring back new residents,” says Isabelle behind the counter. On the leboncoin website, more than 60 ads for apartments or houses for sale are offered in Bourganeuf.