Removal of the crane on the sidewalk

Hello everyone,

Yesterday we received a letter from the town hall in which we are requested to remove the barriers and the crane from the street by 30.11.2023 (apparently our previous permit expired some time ago).

They also mentioned that unfortunately our GÜ is not able to comply with all regulations and orders and does not consider itself responsible for the traffic regulations. For this reason, no new traffic regulations will be approved until further notice.

Our GÜ says that there was only a broken lamp, which was replaced on the same day. Could that really be the reason for this decision?

I will definitely speak with them and try to find out more details about what went wrong with the GÜ. Do you have any suggestions for resolving this conflict? Should I keep an eye on something myself? Should I visit the construction site and make sure that everything is running smoothly day and night?

Tomorrow I will also ask the structural engineer how long the crane needs to remain on the sidewalk, but I am not sure what can be done if the town hall does not really approve another extension.

Thank you very much
Best regards

Welcome to German bureaucracy. The German red tape will be rubbing itself like a pig on a tree trunk.

I always thought that especially our AfD followers have a particularly strong interest in law and order? Well...

Okay, what happened. Apparently, there has been a crane standing in a public space for a long time without a permit because it expired. So as of 30.11, the office here is already quite lenient.
The general contractor can of course tell you a lot as well. The broken lamp could also be a suspended load that hung there for 3 days on the hook over the sidewalk.

The important thing here is to discuss the matter calmly and factually and also to realize that the fault here primarily lies with you (the general contractor or you, depending on who had to obtain this permit)... if I don’t extend a no-parking zone in time, it has to be removed, that’s just how it is.

Who submitted the application? They should solve the problem.

Is the roof already on?

Okay, what happened. Apparently, there has been a crane standing in a public area for quite some time without a permit, because it has expired. So the authorities here have already been quite lenient as of November 30th.

Yes, that’s right, they were very lenient after the previous permit had expired.
That is something I hope to be able to handle (hopefully easily) myself in the future.

But that doesn’t seem to be the big problem, when you read the further comments about non-compliance with all regulations and orders.

Of course, the GU can tell you a lot as well. The broken lamp could also have been a suspended load that hung on the hook above the sidewalk for 3 days.

Yes, I would try to get clarification from the town hall on what really happened. It could be something even worse.

It is important here to discuss the matter calmly and factually and also to acknowledge that the fault primarily lies with you guys.

Yes, of course, but I’m trying to understand what my responsibilities normally are here or what the town hall’s expectations are. Is it expected that I go there weekly and check if everything is in order? Or do I have to do this daily?
If something is broken, I would ask the GU to repair it, right?

GU or you, depending on who had to obtain this permit

Who submitted the application? That person should solve the problem.

Since I am the property owner, it’s under my name. But the GU prepared everything and was listed as the contact person.
I think in the future I would also have to provide my name as the contact person.

Is the roof already on?

No, they are still working on the basement. We had long delays because there were issues with the excavation pit.

You will probably have to find out first what exactly went wrong, apart from the missing extension. Until then, it's all guesswork. And you have already learned something important. Even if the general contractor fills out the applications for you... you sign and you are ultimately responsible. At least once a week, I would definitely visit my construction site, regardless of whether there is a crane on the sidewalk or not.