A Jewish family living in the northern suburbs of Paris has received a formal warning from its building management company demanding that it remove a mezuzah affixed to the doorframe of its apartment, or face possible legal action.
In an official letter, the management company stated that the exterior doorframe is considered a common area of the building and that any modification or installation affecting the appearance of shared spaces requires prior approval from the condominium association.
According to the letter, the mezuzah — a small case containing a handwritten Hebrew parchment traditionally affixed to Jewish homes — was installed without a request or authorization and therefore constitutes “private use of a common area.”
“We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the exterior doorframe of the apartments constitutes a common area of the building,” the letter states. It cites Article 9 of France’s July 10, 1965 condominium law, which provides that co-owners may use common areas provided they do not infringe on the rights of other residents or harm the “aesthetics of the building.”
The family was instructed to remove the mezuzah and restore the doorframe to its original condition within 15 days. The company warned that if the demand is not met within the specified time frame, it reserves the right to take “any necessary action to remedy this irregularity, including legal proceedings,” and to carry out the work at the owners’ expense.
The letter also emphasized that the notice “is sent without any connection to personal or religious considerations and solely in accordance with the building’s regulations and relevant laws.”
The incident has drawn attention within the local community, amid longstanding sensitivities in France over expressions of religious identity in public spaces and the rights of minority groups.