“We reinvested in a pond with frogs”: four years after filling in the Grignols pond, the couple has bounced back

The case of the frog pond in this Dordogne village has been the subject of discussion for nearly ten years. A look back at this neighborhood dispute, which was brought to court and concluded in 2021.

"We still have fish and frogs," rejoice Michel and Annie Pecheras, four years after filling in their pond in Puy Chérifel, in the commune of Grignols, in Dordogne. On Monday, March 8, 2021, after a nine-year legal battle with their neighbors, the couple had to comply with court orders requiring them to fill in the waterhole.

The case began in 2012, when the owners of the couple's adjoining house sued them on the grounds that their frog pond was illegal and caused too much noise pollution. A lengthy legal battle ensued, culminating in 2021 in yet another rejection by the Court of Cassation, which refused to hear the appeal filed by the Society for the Study, Protection and Development of Nature in the Southwest (Sepanso), which had requested the frogs be saved.

Refusal to sell

According to Annie and Michel Pecheras, the neighborhood conflict began with their refusal to sell part of their property to their neighbors. "They wanted to buy 1 hectare of land from me, but I told them they would never have it," Michel explains.

Since then, the two couples have clashed on numerous occasions in court. In 2016, the Court of Appeal ordered the Pecheras to fill in their frog pond. This decision was contrary to the one given at first instance in Périgueux, but confirmed by the Court of Cassation in 2017 .

On the same subject

Neighborhood relations: "I lived in the city, I didn't see this solidarity," in Chantérac, friendly mutual aid

In the Bois-de-Faureilles area, located in the small commune of Chantérac in the Dordogne, there are only three houses. Sophie, Dominique, and Flora, who live in two of them, have been supporting each other regularly for three years, in complete friendship.

Four years after the end of this painful period, the couple has not lost their passion for water features. Annie and Michel Pecheras "reinvested" and now own a pond in Saint-Pierre-de-Frugie. "Obviously, there are frogs," Michel exclaims, laughing. The couple also moved to Limeyrat. "Staying was out of the question," Michel sweeps away. "Here, the people are friendly, we regularly share meals together, and the neighbor even has frogs in his garden," he enthuses.

“We went too far […]. Now I wouldn’t do it again.”

Frogs following them and a case that left its mark. "Financially, we lost 30,000 to 40,000 euros," Michel explains. This cost was mainly due to the 150 euro per day penalty, which the couple paid over many months. Beyond the financial aspect, the commitment of the two retirees affected their physical well-being. "It was very, very hard on their health; Michel had five major problems in the space of two and a half years," Annie explains. These problems arose after the pond was filled in. "We went too far," Michel admits. "Now, I wouldn't do it again, but at the time, I didn't want to give up."

The period also left its mark on the neighboring couple, Michel admits, although he still feels bitter toward them. "They took a beating. They received small coffins, ropes with nooses. They were locked up in their homes for ten years." When contacted by Sud Ouest, the neighbors declined to comment.

In the place called Puy Chérifel, the neighborhood remembers the time when the hamlet was the center of attention. "We were no longer at home at one point, everyone wanted to come and see the Pecheras pond," recall two residents. Annie and Michel do not have fond memories of their former neighborhood: "No one spoke to each other, we received no support."

Not taking a position was a choice for the two residents mentioned above: "It was a conflict that we didn't want to get involved in, no one in the neighborhood took sides," they say.

The Pecheras couple, however, received a lot of support from the public. A petition in favor of saving the frogs had collected more than 100,000 signatures. Annie and Michel were also supported by several celebrities, including Ségolène Royal and Brigitte Bardot.

Michel, however, still harbors a great deal of resentment toward the environmental groups that came to their aid. The main cause of this resentment is this sentence uttered by their lawyer, from Sepanso: "I ask that the frog soldier be saved before the pond is filled in." Michel clarifies: "It was he, our own lawyer, who made us fill in the pond." Michel repeated these few words spoken in court several times during our interview.

Four years after the end of the affair, Annie and Michel Pecheras are happy to have gotten out of it: "They wanted to destroy us and they didn't succeed," Annie proudly says. The media coverage of their neighborhood dispute also helped, according to them, to change awareness at the national level.

The story of their frog pond, as well as several other cases, including that of the rooster Maurice, have pushed legislation forward. In January 2021, Parliament adopted a text introducing sounds and smells into the environmental code as characteristics of natural spaces, particularly in the countryside.

So, a priori, frogs have a bright future ahead of them.