In Moselle, unfilled mines and leaning houses

Strings to hold the doors and prevent them from slamming, a shutter in the living room that no longer opens, wedges under the furniture to keep them upright... The couple's daily life has been punctuated, for more than 30 years, by "repairs" in a house with a 3% slope.

The village seems pleasant at first glance. The Pirihs, who lived in an HLM in the past, invested "all (their) savings" to build their house in a peaceful subdivision in 1978.

But Rosbruck "was sacrificed by the cessation of traditional backfilling of mining galleries from 1985", regrets the couple, who made it their fight. In the months that followed, “we felt tremors”. More than a thousand in total since then.

In the dining room, documents cover the wall: letters from the authorities, mining plans or press clippings: Joëlle Pirih investigates, keeps traces and continues to challenge the actors so that their damage can finally be repaired.

In particular, we can see that mining galleries were exploited under a large part of the houses in Rosbruck. But the absence of backfilling of these galleries “caused subsidence of 16 meters” of the ground.

"Calvary"

Eighty houses were raised or destroyed. But the others are going through “an ordeal”. “We get up in the morning wondering what else will happen to us,” whispers Joëlle Pirih.

They are not alone: ​​around forty families are still engaged in endless legal proceedings to have Charbonnages de France (represented by the State Judicial Agent after its liquidation) recognized as responsible for the damage to their homes.

“The State's judicial agent makes us believe that no, they are not uninhabitable,” regrets Ms. Pirih, adding that the State appeals all court decisions favorable to the residents.

In the neighboring town of Cocheren, several families are also fighting.

Michelle and Gérard Bertrand acquired, when the mine galleries were still backfilled, one of the oldest houses in the village, "which is almost 300 years old". But for three decades, it has also been leaning: you just have to place a ping-pong ball on the ground, and watch it roll down several meters to the wall.

Access to their home was even impossible for a while in the event of rain, the ground having subsided exactly in front of their house. As the land moved, rainwater flowed from south to north, whereas in 1980, "it was in the other direction", underlines Gérard Bertrand.

"Prisoner"

The municipality of Rosbruck, which had also taken legal action, feels "abandoned" by the State, even though it "for 150 years" contributed to the economic development of the country, via mining, regrets from AFP its mayor, elected in 2020, Bernard Betker.

“I support the residents,” he continues, while their legal battle continues, more than 15 years after their very first appearance in court in 2007.

After several battles between experts and the request, in 2015, for additional expertise by the Metz Court of Appeal, a hearing was held in November, on the basis of written conclusions, without pleadings.

Decisions must be made, on a case-by-case basis, from the first half of 2024 and spread over the entire year, even if Joëlle Pirih assures: “Not all families have yet received their expert report” , and should not obtain a legal response this year.

An eternity which discourages Michelle Bertrand and prevents the couple from building new projects: "We are in the dark, we don't know what will happen".

“It seems that we want a natural solution, that people die”, as has already been the case for certain victims, regrets, bitterly, Joëlle Pirih.

To make matters worse, some houses have recently been placed in flood zones. “Who would want to buy this?” laments Gaston Pirih, who calls himself a “prisoner”.