Debt Written Off, but Moroccan Couple Still Face Eviction and an €800 Bill
A couple born in Morocco had €4,193 in unpaid rent erased in Nîmes. Despite this debt-relief measure, the court has refused to suspend their eviction. The two spouses, aged 62 and 55, still risk losing their home.
Eight days after being ordered to leave their apartment, a married couple of Moroccan origin received a decision from the debt commission wiping out, among other things, €4,193 in rental debt. They hope this will prevent their eviction, ordered on May 11, 2026, by the Nîmes judicial court. But their appeal has hit a new obstacle: the court of appeal has refused to suspend the decision.
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The case began on November 17, 2020, when the couple rented a property owned by the Laube company for €750 a month, plus €50 in charges. On March 6, 2025, the landlord served them with a demand to pay €2,593 in arrears. As the amount was not sufficiently settled, legal proceedings were launched.
On May 11, 2026, the judge found that the lease had been terminated as of May 6, ordered the couple’s eviction and ordered the tenants to pay an interim sum of €6,760 for unpaid rent and occupancy compensation through March 9. The couple appealed on June 19.
Debt wiped out, but eviction upheld
To obtain a suspension of the decision, they cited the cancellation of their debts, decided by the debt commission on May 19. They also said they had made several payments since March and were waiting for their housing benefits from the CAF to resume, at €365 a month.
The couple cited their personal circumstances. The wife, according to her statements, has been recognized as having a disability rated between 50% and 80%. Both spouses said they have dependent children and had applied for social housing.
The landlord disputes their arguments. He contends that the debt being wiped out does not erase the breaches that led to the termination of the lease. He also claims the tenants own a house in Morocco that they could sell or live in.
In its ruling of October 9, 2026, the Nîmes Court of Appeal found that the couple had not shown that immediate enforcement of their eviction would have manifestly excessive consequences. It rejected their request without examining their arguments about the legal effects of the debt being wiped out.
The outcome contrasts with another case in which a tenant born in Morocco saved his lease on appeal after paying off his rent arrears.
The spouses were also ordered to pay their landlord €800 in legal costs, as well as court costs. The eviction ordered in May remains enforceable while their appeal on the merits is being examined. The October 9 ruling does not specify whether the tenants are still living in the property.
