James BryceEXCLUSIVE By Wendy Williams
FOR 14 years the fastidious Swiss expat has been tirelessly campaigning for the environment on the Costa del Sol.
A keen ecologist, Felix Leisinger, 60, even has his own website Equal Earth to promote his beliefs.
So it came as a complete shock when the Marbella resident received a bill for fly tipping from the local authorities.
Totalling 663 euros, the fine from Malaga’s Patronato (debt collection deparment) is for ‘dumping rubbish on a main road in 2009’.
“It is complete nonsense,” Leisinger, 60, told the Olive Press. “I would certainly never do anything like that.
“Believe it or not I still have a series of receipts paid when taking rubbish to my local dump that year.
“It seems they are fining me for doing the right thing.”
Moreover in a ridiculous Catch-22 situation his lawyer insists that it will cost him more to appeal the fine than to pay it.
“My lawyer reckons they issue fines to foreigners knowing that the legal costs to contest them will be far higher,” explained Leisinger. “It is a great way to fill the town hall coffers.”
He continued: “I never received any prior notification and the fine is very high. As a pensioner there is no way I can afford it.
“Is this really the way to be treating upstanding, foreign investors in Spain?”
When contacted, Malaga Patronato told the Olive Press there is in fact a standard procedure for appealing the fine.
However, a spokesman would not comment on the individual case.
“If a person wishes to appeal then they simply need to go to the nearest office and complete a complaints form which will be taken into consideration.
“He does not need a lawyer,” explained a spokesman.
lol, Spain in a nutshell.
A nice thing about Spain!