Insurance sues Weißes Rössl owner over alleged arson order

Generali is suing the owner of the demolished Weißes Rössl inn in Gries am Brenner to recover more than half a million euros in insurance payments, after a previously acquitted man allegedly accused him of ordering the building’s first fire, ORF reported.

The roof of the former listed traditional inn caught fire in 2010 and again in 2023. The owner had the building demolished last year after it deteriorated because of the weather, despite strong opposition from a citizens’ initiative.

Investigators determined that the first fire was arson. No one was inside at the time, and they found signs of a break-in, DNA traces and residue from an accelerant.

Prosecutors charged an employee of the owner’s wife with intentional arson. He was acquitted on the grounds of reasonable doubt because he had a witness who could account for his whereabouts on the night of the fire. Generali subsequently paid the owner more than 500,000 euros in insurance compensation.

The insurer now wants the money back, including interest. The man who was charged at the time is said to have accused the owner of commissioning the fire. Generali allegedly has a written statement from him, but the insurer declined to comment because the case is ongoing.

The owner firmly rejects the accusation. In a written statement, he said he had received a payment claim seeking repayment of the 2010 fire insurance compensation despite a general settlement. He said the claim was based on new statements made 16 years later by the person who had been suspected at the time but acquitted in the criminal proceedings.

“I do not know this person or the motives behind this flimsy story,” the owner said.

The alleged offence became time-barred after 10 years, which is why Generali is pursuing the matter through civil proceedings. The owner is presumed innocent. The civil trial at Innsbruck Regional Court is due to begin on September 9.