This site presents a concrete case study of common form of formal intimidation and bullying through abuse of powers of Dutch Owners Associations (Vereniging van Eigenaren, VvE, in the rest of text referred as VvE). With this site I would like to call attention to possibilities of misusing the powers of a VvE and its board to intimidate other people and make material and reputation damage to them.
For those unfamiliar with the term VvE, all people owning appartements in the Netherlands and mandatory members of a VvE. Each appartment building in the Netherlands normally has one VvE.
I will present one concrete case where the board of one VvE seriously misused and abused the powers to send official letters asking for documentation about floor installations in the apartments to support a number of false claims that presented the owner and his family as primitive and aggressive people, without respect for laws and other people. The claims turned out to be false, but serious damage has been made.
The case illustrates difficulties of dealing with aggression and stalking within a VvE. A VvE, through security measures, can do a lot to prevent themselves from outside threats, but within a VvE possibilities for misuses are endless. Such misuses are one of the common form of “buurtpesten“:
- “De gepeste juridisch dwarsbomen of tot vertrek dwingen, bijvoorbeeld door … te klagen bij de woningbouwvereniging, vereniging van eigenaren, politie of gemeente;“
In my experiences, such misues particurarly common agains appartment owners of foreign backgrounds, and that is why this text is in English.
