HOMEOWNERS facing repossession proceedings could escape eviction, after the Junta passed a decree to expropriate residential properties.

The plan is to effectively buy the houses and allow owners to live rent free for at least the first three years.

Using an old law passed in dictator Franco’s day, to qualify the family must be at risk of social exclusion if evicted and their mortgage instalments need to be more than a third of the household income.

The law has ironically come under strong criticism from the right wing PP party, to which Franco once belonged.

Another scheme will tackle housing shortage by encouraging rentals.

It will introduce rental incentives and place fines of up to €9,000 on unoccupied properties owned by developers and financial institutions.

The Junta estimates that there are 700,000 empty properties in Andalucia.

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13 COMMENTS

  1. On the face of it, a “good thing” for the potential evictees. But actually a hidden subsidy to banks left with toxic debt in the form of many reclaimed properties. Banks aren’t estate agents and hate the role.They will flog these white elephants off for a song to government who can afford to bulk-buy, especially with huge financial penalties on empty properties.
    Ironically, this will leave central government in the role of landlord. Council house anyone?

  2. We’re gonna start living like people in the UK, where 85% of the people can’t afford a property due to the unjustifiably high prices for the real estates. The people there and everything in that country are owned by the crown. We don’t want to live like that. This is going back do Dark Ages.

  3. @Marcos, the Spanish can’t afford property here either. How can they when there is no work and and no prospects? At least in the UK, when you purchase a house, you know it’s legal. Here in Spain buying a house is like roulette. Talking about the dark ages, I see Spain has food and clothing banks on most high streets. Last year in Spain there were 15 evictions a minute last year in Spain. You can’t get out much, obviously.

  4. Marcos & Stefano, where do you get your ideas? You are so obviously and completely wrong i suspect you’re just ‘trolling’.
    Banks love reclaiming homes – thats why they do it with abandon. They then write off any debt. And oh look, no debt AND a house. Hows that not a win? Sell the house to (their) estate agents and they’ve made a profit. Everythings good. Lets do it again. As for saying the crown owns everything is the equivalent to saying the spanish are polite and hardworking.

  5. David M: If it’s so easy for the banks to re-flog their ill-gotten gains, how come they need the state to take them off their hands? When times are booming, of course they love a snatch-back. But they’re stuck with a quarter of a million and no-one to sell them to. There’ll be no profit in what the state will pay.They may, just possibly, get back what they laid out.
    And do me a favour, don’t put me in the same box as Marcos. I can spell.

  6. @stef: maybe you’d be so kind as to provide info about the state taking all these properties. If this is the case in spain where’s the details.
    @crawford:Your unfounded opinions are most amusing. But to accuse people with clearly more knowledge as clueless is perplexing, and disappointing. I guess you’ve never heard the old proverb: if you dont have anything useful to say, its best to keep quiet.

  7. David M,
    excellent, you’ve just described yourself perfectly.

    Of course it is you that has unfounded opinions. I have many friends in the Netherlands and Germany and I always inform them when you have posted – you have provided much laughter for them in the cold winter months – keep it up, we all enjoy a laugh at your expense.

  8. @stef: referring to a *new* decree does not back up your assumptions. which govs have been bulk buying? wherre can i read about this? Im genuinely interested so if you have sources, please share.

    @stuart: another nonsensical comment!
    My description of me having more knowledge than you is indeed a perfect description. thanks for agreeing.
    As for your ‘friends’ laughing when i point out the obvious flaws in your comments; are you sure they’re laughing at my comments?
    (i still suspect you work for the OP just to elicit responces)

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