ESC, the social space of San Lorenzo, sentenced to pay more than 200 thousand euros: “We feel cheated by the municipality”

In 2009 he obtained the assignment of the Town Hall at a controlled price, but upon Resolution 140 he was required to pay it retroactively at the market price.

The Civil Court did not accept the Appeal of Social Space on Via dei Volsci 159. And for ESC, short for European Studies Connection, the bill is high. “The municipality allocated the space to us, and gave us a 20% rent based on our social and cultural value, as required by the regulations. Then the administration did not formalize the procedure: after years it changed its mind and decided that we had to pay 100%. retroactively,” say activists.

Resolution 140

Like hundreds of other associative spaces, that of via dei Volsci also received in 2015 a letter requesting the municipality to return the property amicably and balance the rent which, despite previous agreements, was set at market rates. reason? The municipality never completed the appropriation, at controlled cost, of the so-called unavailable properties in the Rome Capitale. Thus, out of fear of having to take responsibility for tax damage due to less income from rentals, The Marino Council had prepared a law, Resolution 140Which ended up putting hundreds of Roman social and cultural facts on their knees. Some returned property. Others appealed to the Regional Administrative Court. ESC also turned to the civil judge, who did not accept the application, and in fact convicted the payment of more than 200 thousand euros.

big bill

212 thousand euros was the figure calculated between 2009 and 2019. To this we must add the payment of legal fees and the last two years of rent. Alessandro, an activist in the Economic and Social Council, explained that we are close to 300,000 euros and it is clear that we do not have that number. The fate of the social space, which occupies the forefront of food gathering even during lockdown, remains uncertain. But whoever is following legal events, contacted by Romatoday, does not rule out an immediate appeal.

‘Deceived by the municipality’

“The money that the municipality asks of us – remember the activists of the Economic and Social Council – we do not have because our social activities are free. We have nothing to say except that we feel cheated by the municipality of Rome.” Because, in fact, the space was allocated at a controlled price, which was then returned, during construction, to the market price. However, the social and cultural purposes for which the ESC took over the buildings in Via Dei Volsci are still implemented in about 400 square meters of the structure.

Activities of the Economic and Social Council

“Inside here – in the great room and in the two rooms that make up the Economic and Social Council – we have always had a hectic calendar of initiatives, Monday through Friday, making space for the office of legal and tax advice for the self-employed and precarious workers – Listed Alessandro, activist – For years we have an Italian school for foreigners, dance schools. Space is available on Wednesdays for families in the neighborhood for activities aimed at children who don’t have many places to go in San Lorenzo. Then we always ensure the space is used to display books and to compare.” But it was not enough to prevent the Economic and Social Council also from falling into the trap of Resolution 140.

(@RomeToday)