The celebrity investor and former Petter Stordalen partner, Magnus Rønningen, has in the last couple of years bought up large parts of the village with around 1,500 inhabitants. Among other things, the hotel in the center of Vågåmo. Now the purchase ends up in court. Since Rønningen bought the hotel through his companies in 2022, he has spent large sums on renovations. Now he believes that the seller has withheld information during the sale, and has sued the former hotel owner for NOK 13 million. The seller was Suat Catalgøl, who had run and owned the hotel through his company since 2008. He disputes the allegations that appear in the lawsuit. Magnus Rønningen does not want to comment on the case: – I have no comment on the case now, says Rønningen. news Innlandet has previously met Magnus Rønningen in Vågåmo where he told about his big plans for the tourist village of Vågå: Sued for NOK 13 million The background to the lawsuit is that it was discovered after the takeover that nine of the hotel’s 58 hotel rooms do not meet regulatory requirements for fire safety, according to Niche Holding AS and Vågå National Park Holding AS. Therefore, they cannot be rented out either. This is revealed in the final statement that has been sent to the court. According to the companies, it will cost over NOK 13 million to improve the hotel rooms. The former hotel owner’s company, Sudacat AS, disputes the claims and points out that the company and the hotel were run and maintained in a proper manner until the takeover. According to them, during Suat Catalgøl’s ownership, there has been neither a decision nor a notice to ban the use of the rooms in question. news Innlandet has been in contact with Suat Catalgøl’s lawyer, Elias Christensen from the law firm Andenæs, who states that they will not comment on the case until it is dealt with in court. INVESTOR: Magnus Rønningen has bought several properties in the center of Vågåmo. Photo: Alexander Nordby / news Disputes claims Magnus Rønningen, via his companies, believes that the seller has intentionally or grossly negligently withheld information during the sale. Thus, they believe that this is a breach of guarantees in the share purchase agreement. Suat Catalgøl disputes this and he believes that he has provided all available information that led to the purchase, according to the final submission to the district court. Over the past two years, Magnus Rønningen has bought more and more buildings in the center of Vågåmo. The plan was to make Vågåmo an attractive tourist destination, and investors have hired the architectural firm Snøhetta to design an upgrade. When it became known in June 2022 that Rønningen had bought the hotel, it was stated that the hotel would be completely renovated – both inside and out. According to the press release sent out at the time, they were also to look at the possibility of expanding the hotel with more family rooms. THE CORE OF THE CONTROVERSY: Magnus Rønningen believes that there was not enough information about the condition of the rooms at Villa Vågå hotel before he bought it. Photo: Alexander Nordby / news Totally renovated hotel One year later, the total renovation was a fact and it almost became a public celebration when the hotel, which has changed its name to Villa Vågå Hotel, reopened in June 2023. How much did the total renovation cost, or how much Rønningen paid for the hotel , is not known. The land register nevertheless shows that the bank has a mortgage on the hotel of NOK 40 million. The hotel rooms referred to in the dispute have not been improved. Two days have been set aside in the Vestre Innlandet district court later in October for the dispute case. Published 05.10.2024, at 11.53 Updated 05.10.2024, at 13.45
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Magnus Rønningen has sued the former hotel owner for NOK 13 million – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
