Property of 11 heirs, this building located in Monfort has been abandoned since the death of the two animators. A situation that annoys the inhabitants of the village, tired of seeing the monument wither away.
More than a year after their death, the legacy of brothers Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff still raises questions. As the newspaper reveals The Parisianthe two hosts of the show Temps X own since 1986 the castle of Esclignac, in Monfort in the Gers.
But since their death, this building, considered the oldest castle in the department, has been left in a pitiful state: “ripped roof, structural beams collapsed in the outbuildings, many windows broken”, describes The Parisian.
In ruins, the castle threatens to collapse, to the great displeasure of the 500 inhabitants of this village, tired of seeing the monument which dates from the 11th century wither away.
“The state of this castle is a disaster! Frankly, they had better sell it because the family has never put the money to renovate it”, annoys a resident of Monfort at the Parisian.
30,000 in unpaid property taxes
When Igor and Grichka died, this castle was bequeathed to 11 heirs: Igor’s six children and Grichka’s five siblings, reports The Parisian. If a half-brother of the two animators “resides there discreetly” according to the daily newspaper, no member of the family however has the means to undertake work of rehabilitation of the monument.
In 2021, a liquidation procedure was put in place. Some heirs then approached the Ministry of Culture, through their lawyer, to request the protection of the building by the State. But the building is now under the responsibility of a liquidator, because the children of Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff have not been able to pay 30,000 euros in property taxes.
“This money should not have been claimed because the castle is classified as a historical monument, exempting it from these taxes”, assures in the columns of the ParisianEmmanuel Ludot, lawyer for three children of Igor.
“Nothing was done to protect him”
Distraught, the heirs would then have asked for the guardianship of the castle to the State to carry out the necessary renovations. In return, the monument would be lent by the family to organize events there.
A scenario in which the mayor of Monfort Régis Lagardère does not believe: “In forty years, nothing has been done to protect it. It would already take 5 to 6 million euros just for the roofs”, he indicates. .
While waiting for a solution, the inhabitants hope that the castle will end up being bought by an enthusiast. A desire shared by Cédric Davant-Lannes, president of the association Safeguarding Gascon Heritage and cousin of the Bogdanoffs: “The only way today to prevent this almost thousand-year-old castle from collapsing is for it to be sold to a lover of old stones who can afford it.”
