Thalvil ZH . curious case in
Neighbor goes to court – because solar panels blind him
Two homeowners have installed solar panels on their roofs in Thalvil ZH. A neighbor was blinded by it and without any ado went to the court. Now the agreement has been reached.
More and more people are installing solar panels on their roofs. At a time when Switzerland is also at risk of an energy shortage, this appears to be a sensible solution. Two Thalville homeowners thought the same way and installed solar panels on the roof of their shared home in 2021.
One of his neighbors was not happy with the new system. In the spring, the sun shone on the solar panels at such an angle that he went blind in his apartment, as reported by the “Zürichsee-Zeitung”. So he wrote a letter to both the landlords. In this he threatened to hold her liable for any damage to her health.
26 pages of indictment
In April 2021, the people of Thalvil received reconciliation from their neighbour. In the 26-page indictment, his neighbor again complained of being blinded by solar panels. In addition, the application for the plant was not publicly advertised. With a lawyer, he therefore wanted to take action against the landlords and the municipality of Thalville before the construction appeals court.
In his complaint, the neighbor has written that there is a distance of only 35 meters between his roof and the roof with solar panels. Since the solar system is also located below his apartment, the sun would be reflected directly in his direction if the sun was in the right position.
According to their own statements, the plaintiff was only able to stay in certain rooms for about an hour and a half a day in March, when the sun blinds were turned off. So it was no longer possible to go to the roof.
Thalville defends himself against the allegations
Because of the neighbor’s lawsuit, the two landlords hired a lawyer. After this there was an exchange of letters between the two lawyers. An out-of-court settlement was reached. Both parties pay their own legal fees, and the neighbor suing also pays court costs. The solar system on the roof remains unchanged.
The neighbor was also unsuccessful in his lawsuit against the municipality of Thalville. At the request of the “Zürichsee-Zeitung”, the latter explained that a public tender is necessary only if the building is in the core zone, is under monument protection or other special conditions exist. None of this applies to a home with solar panels. (obf)
