Grindavík woman refuses to buy damaged home

Dagmar Valsdóttir fears her family may have to leave Grindavík again, possibly before Christmas, despite wanting to help rebuild the town, she told mbl.is. Their permission to stay in a house under an agreement with property company Þórkatla expires at the end of January.

Dagmar returned to Grindavík with her husband and four sons. She says the house is in poor condition and she will not buy it on the terms Þórkatla has presented.

At a crowded residents’ meeting on Wednesday, Dagmar was among those who criticised the company’s repurchase plan. She asked people who did not trust Þórkatla to stand up. “Everyone stood up, not one person remained seated,” she told mbl.is.

Þórkatla has since postponed two information meetings scheduled for November 17 and 19. In a response to mbl.is, the company’s managing director, Örn Viðar Skúlason, said it would review residents’ comments before holding further meetings. The response did not say whether the plan would change or whether accommodation permissions would be extended.

Dagmar is on the board of Járngerð, an interest group for Grindavík residents, but said she was speaking in a personal capacity. Her family is staying in a house they bought shortly before Grindavík was evacuated. Þórkatla now owns the property, and the family uses it under a supporter agreement with an accommodation addendum.

Dagmar says rain leaks into the kitchen, with water dripping from a ceiling light. Part of the house has also lost power, and there have been problems with the heating. Þórkatla staff have carried out repairs and fixed some issues, she said, but the leak remains. She praised one employee for trying to fix the heating system, although not all the problems have been resolved.

Because of the house’s condition, Dagmar says she asked Örn whether the family’s agreement could be transferred to another house opposite a guesthouse she runs in Grindavík. She says he refused and told her she could return the keys if she did not want to stay in the house.

The family wants to remain in Grindavík, but Dagmar says she will not buy the current house at its listed price just to have a possible chance of moving to another property later. Under Þórkatla’s repurchase plan, people who buy back their former property in 2027 will be allowed to return it and buy another property from the company, transferring their accrued rights. Dagmar says there is no guarantee she would get the house she wants, as the property would be allocated by a draw if others applied for it.

Dagmar also strongly criticised Þórkatla’s dealings with Grindavík residents, comparing them to gaslighting. She said residents had faced prolonged uncertainty and repeated delays.