Preventing sale

Kanthaus being a commons is what has motivated so many people to contribute significant amounts of their money, time, energy and labor. Were the Kanthaus resources at some future point sold and money divided, it would be a theft from all those who had previously freely contributed, and from all those who could have used the resources. This process is known in the anglosphere as "carpet-bagging" and "demutualisation" and has occurred in cooperative housing.

Current legal protections

The buildings and land of Kantstraße 20 and 22 are the primary resources that could be sold. These are owned by Haus Kante Wurzen w.V., the constitution of which holds multiple protections against such a sale:

• §3.1 Alle juristischen Personen, die Mitglieder sind erhalten nach §35 BGB folgende Sonderrechte: Sie erhalten ein Vetorecht bei Immobilienveräußerungen sowie Satzungsänderungen und können nicht ausgeschlossen werden.
  • All members have a veto right on any constitutional changes or property sale
• §6.5 Für Immobiliengeschäfte oder -veräußerungen benötigt der Vorstand die Einwilligung der MV.
  • For commerce or sale of property, the board requires the approval of all other members
• §10.1 Bei Auflösung des Vereins oder bei Wegfall seines bisherigen Zwecks ist das Vermögen des Vereins weiter im Sinne des bisherigen Zwecks zu verwenden.
  • If the association dissolves or abandons its aims, the assets of the association should continue to be used for the initial aims
• §10.2 Das Vereinsvermögen wird dem Haus- und Wagenrat e.V. mit Sitz in Leipzig als Schenkung angeboten.
  • The assets of the association would be offered to Haus- und Wagenrat e.V.

These protections are significant, and may be deemed sufficient for now. It is still plausible that property prices might rise sufficiently to tempt a given generation to sell-out or malicious actors to attempt a hostile takeover.

Options for increased robustness

Projektwerkstatt auf Gegenseitigkeit (Project-workshop of mutuality)

PaG is a network of people and projects supported by Stiftung für dissidente Subsistenz (Foundation for dissident Subsistence). They have a broad scope, and currently 3 member projects.

1. Project groups work with the PaG to to formulate concrete Scheiterkriterien (failure criteria).
2. The property the project group plans to use is transferred completely to the SfdS.
3. SfdS provides long-term leases of the property back to project group.
4. SfdS continues to lease so long as the project group avoids its failure criteria.

Mietshäuser Syndikat (Tenement syndicate)

MHS is a syndicate made possible by some rather clever legal hackery. They are aimed at housing projects and currently have 193 member projects. By joining the syndicate, a project group:

• retains complete freedom about how they live (e.g. who pays how much rent, construction, etc.)
• is disabled from ever being able to sell the house.
• is contracted in perpetuity to pay a solidarity payment back to the syndicate.

An early (2018?) enquiry to the MHS, as to whether they would offer the de-commercialization without the solidarity payments was rejected, but this could have changed. The MHS has a comprehensive list of other possible options.