SULMONA. From the destruction of the restaurant caused by the 2009 earthquake, to a debt of 700,000 euros written off by the Sulmona court. The human and economic tragedy began, for a couple of restaurateurs, on that night of April 6, 2009 when the earthquake that devastated L’Aquila caused 309 victims and displaced over 70 thousand. Among the businesses affected was also that of a married couple from Sulmona, he 45 years old and she 49 years old, who had been working in the restaurant sector for some time and who supported their family with that job. From that day on, earnings had dropped dramatically, to the point that the couple was no longer able to cover their expenses. Things were not going well either for the restaurant, which was located in the Sulmona area and was mainly managed by the 45-year-old, or for his wife who, in the meantime, was working as an agent in the telephone sector.
Insufficient income for both of them, so much so that the agency paid contributions late and was unable to face the various costs while the restaurant business, due to the crisis and debts, ended up closing its doors in 2011. For the couple to provide family needs and the well-being of their son had become increasingly difficult due to tax bills, loans and interest.
Both had therefore decided to turn to Legge3.it, the organization founded by Gianmario Bertollowhich has been helping private citizens and entrepreneurs in difficulty for years.
The judge of the civil court of Sulmona, after having examined the papers and ascertained that there was no intention on the part of the two Sulmona residents to deceive the creditors, gave the green light to write off the 700 thousand euro debt.
A repayment plan has also been established which involves the payment by the couple of 300 euros per month for a period of four years, until relations with the State are resolved. The two, as required by law in certain situations, made part of their salary available for the period of time agreed with the court. «This couple experienced a tragedy that night, which will certainly have left an indelible mark on their souls, but it also had devastating effects from an economic point of view. These people should have received more help right away, but we are really happy that with this sentence their nightmare is over”, says Bertollo.
Today the former restaurateur has a seasonal job as a chef, for seven months a year, while the woman is employed on a permanent basis as an employee of a private business, but receives a rather small salary.
“It is a sentence that makes us breathe a great sigh of relief and allows us to definitively put our past behind us,” commented the couple, immediately after hearing the news.
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