Monaco mairie takes legal action over closed souvenir shop
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The Commune de Monaco is pursuing legal proceedings to reclaim a souvenir shop on Boulevard du Jardin Exotique that has stood empty for several years.
The Commune de Monaco is moving to take legal action against a trader who has refused to hand back the keys to a souvenir shop on Boulevard du Jardin Exotique, a commercial unit that has been closed for several years. The municipal authority wants to regain control of the premises, but the owner of the business lease is resisting, leaving the dispute headed for the courts.
The standoff highlights the limited but real powers the Commune holds over commercial tenancies on public land, and the procedural steps required when an occupant declines to vacate voluntarily. Boulevard du Jardin Exotique, which runs through the Fontvieille-adjacent hillside neighbourhood near the eponymous gardens, has seen renewed municipal interest in its retail and public-facing spaces in recent years.
The Commune has not indicated a timeline for the proceedings or what use it intends for the unit once recovered. Residents and property observers will be watching the case closely, given that disputes between Monaco's municipal authority and commercial leaseholders rarely reach the public domain.