Proceedings underway

Posse over illegal building at the mayor’s office in Hof

The construction in Hinterschroffenau on the farm of ÖVP mayor Thomas Ließ has been stopped.(Bild: Karin Dollinger)

The proceedings surrounding an extension to the agricultural area belonging to the mayor of Hof are entering the next round. A new submission has now been made. Political opponents have identified a tricky circumvention of the building laws. 

ÖVP mayor Thomas Ließ's building application at Kehlgut has a long history. His son had a residential house built on grassland on the agricultural site, where several buildings already stood. The plan was to erect a discharge house. However, the building exceeded the prescribed limit of a maximum of 200 square meters and deviated from the construction plan. A neighbor did not give his consent. Construction was halted in December 2023.

Attempts are being made to circumvent building laws.

Evelin Leitner, SPÖ-Gemeinderätin in Hof

This was followed by an attempt to disguise the new building as a farmhouse and convert the farmhouse into a farm building. The application was then withdrawn.

Building application occupies municipality and provincial parliament
The application has been occupying the municipal council and the provincial parliament for weeks with motions from the SPÖ and the Greens. "They deliberately built bigger and are now trying to blame the builder," says Karin Dollinger (SPÖ) angrily. The Greens uncovered that the municipality had paid 17,000 euros for a lawyer. Simon Heilig-Hofbauer shakes his head: "And at the same time, fees for vacation childcare are to be increased because there is no money."

At the center of the criticism is the mayor, who, as vice chairman of the building and planning committee, was biased for years. "They are still trying to circumvent the building laws," says Evelin Leitner, SPÖ local councillor in Hof.

New building application now available
The black building has a total living space of around 350 square meters and is also detached from the Hof association. The sticking point is an attic that can be converted and a wellness area in the basement.

A new application has now been submitted to the building authority: "It's true. An application has been submitted," says local chief Thomas Ließ in response to an inquiry from Krone. How the black building is to be reduced in size will continue to occupy the municipality.