The decision to demolish the Negresco hotel in “Elenite” following recent flooding has sparked outrage among apartment owners, who plan to challenge the ruling. More than a hundred people are directly affected, and so far, the state has not indicated any plans for compensation. Authorities have argued that the building, constructed on a former riverbed, poses a danger and must be removed.

Lyubomir Petrov, a lawyer and owner of an apartment in the complex, told Nova TV, that he purchased his property legally from the National Revenue Agency (NRA). “The building is fully legal, with all necessary documentation: a design visa, building permit, and Act 16. If demolition orders are issued, we will appeal them,” Petrov said.

Petrov stressed that the affected families include many for whom these apartments represent their only home, purchased with mortgage loans. Should the building be demolished, the loans could become due immediately, leaving the owners at risk of both losing their homes and facing financial hardship.

The lawyer also pointed to the responsibility of the institutions that approved the building’s construction and operation. “Administrative acts were issued by officials, allowing the building to be constructed and put into operation. The Nessebar Municipality, the chief architect, and the DNSK failed to exercise proper oversight,” Petrov explained.

According to Petrov, the NRA has sold at least ten apartments in the Negresco complex. Owners include not only Bulgarian citizens but also foreigners, Ukrainians, Germans, and Russians, who had purchased the properties expecting security, only to now face legal uncertainty and potential losses.