Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)FIVE more British families in Albox have been told that their dream homes could be destroyed.
They are set to join the `Albox Nine´ who are already living under the threat of demolition in Almeria.
The families were summoned to court in Huercal-Overa on 7th April to be told that their builder Osvaldo Ceferino Martinez has been charged with planning crimes relating to illegal construction.
The devastated British homeowners were given three days to appoint a lawyer so that they can defend their interests and claim compensation.
Now, the state prosecutor is seeking the demolition of the five houses in the La Molata area of Albox.
The builder Martinez will be expected to pay the 65,000 euro demolition cost as well as compensation to the homeowners.
His whereabouts is currently unknown to the families and there is growing concern about his financial status.
The case will now be sent to trial in Almeria.
DEMOLITION OF MORE HOUSES IN ALBOX
This would appear to endorse the statement by an MEP, Spain is fast turning into a totalitarian country.
While the demolition of another five houses in Albox creats yet more fears and makes world news, the the Spanish community in Albox appeared to be kept in ignorence.
Is it not time now for the Junta de Andalucia to face justice for their notorious dealings of the SPANISH PROPERTY SCANDAL?
The message should be loud and clear, DO NOT BUY IN SPAIN, until such time the Spanish authorities understand that European citizens have rights and should be treated in a civilised manner
I’ve seen too many of these cases now to allow me to even consider moving to Spain, although that had been my firm intention before doing some research.
Even accepting that there may have been errors in the cases illustrated so far, what I find most disturbing of all is the lack of any message of support or sympathy from Spanish National, Regional, or Local authorities. It is that inability or perhaps unwillingness of the National government to control the Regional/Local authorities and perhaps the underlying corruption that must surely be at the heart of this, that has finally convinced me to look elsewhere.
Untill that message of support is forthcoming Spain’s property market will remain in terminal decline.
I am in complete agreement with the above comments and I wonder what has happened to the “interest and intervention” shown not so many weeks ago by UK MEP Marte Andreasen? I attempted to contact her office through her Parliamentary Assistant, one Matthieu Lasso to get an idea of how things were going only to find his e-mail was switched NOT to receive incoming e-mails from me? I was hoping something was going to come of the challenge she made to Zapatero in Strasbourg and she was going to be able to follow that up but it appears nothing has been done at all and he’s got away with it? The bunch of cowards that run the EU are bigger thieves than him so they are unlikely to chastise one of their own and again he is not going to tell the Junta to “toe-the-line” because what they are doing is quite acceptable to him and his ilk.All WE can do is to WARN PEOPLE NOT TO BUY ANY PROPERTY AT ALL ANYWHERE IN SPAIN!
HOSTAGE OF SPAIN
My wife and I, like Thousands of British “Pensioners” find ourselves in the situation of being hostages of the Spanish Government.
You may well jump to the conclusion in thinking that we have been suspected of some diabolical terrorist activity.
The Andalucian Government has pronounced us and the thousands of other British expatriates residing in Spain, “guilty before proven innocent”, is this because we are British? do they in their infinite wisdom, consider that the Spanish Judicial system is only for the benefit of Spanish Nationals and not foreigners.
Our crime, like other British, was to purchase a retirement home in Spain.
The home like the thousands of others, marketed by Spanish estate agents, designed and constructed by Spanish engineers and architects, under the guidance of Spanish technical personal, the purchase transaction carried out by an independent Spanish lawyer.
What have we and all the thousands of others done wrong?
The Andalucian legislators have at the stroke of a pen and with scant consideration to Spanish Law or the consequences of their act decreed our homes to be illegal, thereby pronouncing us “criminals”.
It has been bandied about that illegal homes should be demolished, the consensus of opinion is, “they cannot just demolish thousands of homes”, little consolation for the distressed elderly pensioners who are crying themselves to sleep, being told by persons who do not know one way or the other that it may never happen.
We and the thousands of others are allowed to leave Spain, but only by abandoning our homes, paying a ransom of our life savings to the Spanish Government. Should we say thank you for small mercies.
Why are the perpetrators of these so called crimes, the lawyers, banks, estate agents, developers, builders, and local authorities, allowed to flourish on their ill gotten gains, while we the unfortunate victims are held to ransom?
How many British pensioners will die as Hostages of Spain, before this ridiculous and callous situation is resolved?
We are desperate to escape from Spain.
Consider we purchased our house from the person nominated by several Almanzora valley town halls, to form and lead the so called “Inspection Team”, to provide the Junta de Andalucia an inventory of housing, this a basis for the infamous “Demolition orders”, the excuse for stealing houses from elderly pensioners, with complete disregards to the European agreements on human rights.
May be it is time to go home and sip your coffee in the Hebrides Island.
Enjoy the weather – rain and snow provide good governance.
Does anyone reading this forum have any contacts with the national press back home in the UK who could send this whole thread and the comment by this – I don’t know what adjective to use that adequately describes this Miki.
Or maybe the Olive Press itself could?
This Miki and Marcelo are’nt isolated, impotent Falangistas, they are only voicing the mentality of the Junta Andalucia and indeed all the Juntas across Spain, not just Andalucia.
You would think by now that the whole of northern Europe/Scandinavia was totally aware of the actual situation in Spain but by talking with French people, most are totally unaware.
I have unbounded sympathy for these elderly decent people who are suffering traumas they could never have dreamt of in their worst nightmares. I know if I had’nt been a savvy streetwise person it could have happened to us and knowing my partner it would by now have destroyed her.
I also feel rage against the politicians who could have stopped all this long ago by stopping all flights to and from Spain and refusing entry to all Spain’s produce that we buy, even better if joined by the Dutch and Germans.
Don’t tell me it can’t be done – the French did just this with UK beef imports but then the French look after their own.
Jon – it might be a good idea for your paper to forward these personal complaints of British expats to the DAILY EXPRESS & other papers in the UK. These complaints surely give a personal perspective on negative aspects of buying property in Spain, countering the unrealistic views proposed by the “Spanish Property Road Show” now going throughout the UK.
No other government in Europe would treat victims of crime like this. It’s no wonder the Spanish Housing Market is still in the sh1t and the government about to be flushed down the b0wl.
Dunn, sorry to hear of your bad news.
The people that run Spain must be a bit thick. How do they expect their country to get out of a recession. 5 of their banks failed the stress test.
The corruption in Spain and bullying attitude is sinking the Country fast. Our Estate agents look like angels compared to the Spanish estate agents. One of the properties I purchased the estate agent had €20,000 away for themselves. When I see a Porsche or similar in Spain I wonder how many dodgy deals did it take to get that. We paid for it.
I did live in Spain but fortunately I had the good sense and money to leave after one year. I did put one property up for sale in February of this year with an estate agent (what choice do I have but to use them) and I don’t think even one person has looked at it. It is in a good area near the beach…
I think we all go through stages in life, cars, changing rooms like the programme, buying a property abroad, living here and there, but other than the weather there is nothing going for Spain. It is OK for a summer holiday but that is it. 99% of restaurants are sloppy with bad service, just like Fawlty Towers really. Things have not changed there!
The only hope you have is to join that organisation the AUN, I can’t remember the name, but join that and help them stage more protest marches, send a long well thought out letter or email to every news paper in the UK and cause as much bad publicity to Spain as you can. I think you can donate to them on their web site as well. Put a video on You Tube, get someone to help edit that. I have watched the ‘Spain is dying’ video on You Tube, nearly 4,000 have watched that. There are three parts and I find them more interesting that reading a few words. Put your story and others on You Tube, talk about your life before Spain, what hopes you had, the system, what has gone wrong, you are stuck, politicians etc. Involve a few neighbours. Call it Spain is Dying followed by your area and then we will all be able to follow the various series that everyone puts up there.
Unfortunately, unless you have the cash you have to stay there and battle it out. Good luck, I know it is stressful.
Regards
Reap what you sow.
Spain is Dying?…wrong… Spain is DEAD and by the hands of it’s own people, corrupt officials / politicians and aided somewhat by crooked Real Estate companies and individuals. Investors and foreign residents came to Spain with a dream…that dream has been shattered by fraud, corruption at all levels, ineficiency and greed. Town halls say yes, smile, lie and take your money They cheat they are envious and have lack of respect of the law. People by-pass regulations knowing that a fine will all that will be required in the end . 75% of Town Halls are heavy in debt..? why… Coin in the red by some 27 million where has that money gone… certainly not into the town… and the story goes on and on Estepona in debt , Manilva etc… The Costa Blanca..same thing…endless tales of corruption The country has killed itself. As said before take the sun away and there is nothing…! Yes there is a major worldwide crisis….but none more than in ESPAÑA….except maybe Greece…. but España’s is mostly of it’s own doing
Did you consider taking the case to European Court of Justice?
It’s awful to think that such a small group of businesses in Spain can attempt to ruin it for everyone else.
And I’m so sorry to hear that you’d never consider it now Graham.
I spend the majority of my time helping people get money back and getting out of messes like these.
A lot of the time it’s avoidable and then sometimes it does seem that there’s definitely 2 rule books out there!
Spain is a wonderful country with so much to offer, but as reap said there are a lot of pitfalls and it seems that attention isn’t being directed where it’s needed. But the same can certainly be said about the UK.
I still have people buying and selling in Spain in pretty much equal numbers. The best thing to do is make sure you know the area, know what you want from Spain (and know what you can expect to get!) and lastly; don’t just check, check everything 10 times!
I hate seeing cases like this that seem so one sided and hopeless…
They’re not and by no means are they the “norm” in Spain.
Time and time again I always find that you just have to have the right information.
But companies out there that do take advantage? They should be strung up and made examples of!
Too many times I’m reading about people getting away with money. And even when personally I’ve managed to get all of the money (or at least some of it!) back there’s still nowhere to shout and scream it that the company is a scam officially.
Then because the company gets a bad name online, all they have to do is start again, wipe the slate clean, change the company name and they’re off doing it all again.
Spain itself isn’t the problem here. It’s the system and it’s the back-handers that are so acceptable and in common practise… Same old same old. It’s not what you know…