Van Gene conducted the proceedings on his own, without a lawyer. “I am legally trained and have had a long breath and incurred a lot of costs. But of course there are a lot of residents who have no legal background,” he says. Van Gene finds it wry that objectors are often told that the court is open to them. “But that threshold is much too high for most citizens.” Going to court can easily cost 10,000 euros and if you lose, you have nothing and you are a lot poorer, says Van Gene.
Frank defeated the municipality of Utrecht without a lawyer: ‘Long breath and a lot of costs’
