AN expat single mother whose Granada home has been hit by a monster landslide has accused authorities of ‘washing their hands’ of the situation.
Pilates instructor Victoria Steinmetzer, 46, a US-Luxembourg dual citizen, told the Olive Press she has been frantically seeking help since February 5, when torrential rains sent a massive wall of earth crashing down a hillside and slamming into her three-storey home in Molvizar.
The incident, which struck at the height of this winter’s rainy season during Storm Leonardo, left ‘seven trucks’ worth of dirt’ pressing against the back wall of Steinmetzer’s property – blocking doors and windows up to the second storey, according to expert reports.
Yet, the mother-of-three said, no authority – including a state-backed body responsible for disaster relief – has helped or taken responsibility for removing the dirt.
Now, more than a month on, photos seen by the Olive Press reveal the home’s inner walls cracking under the crushing weight of the earth mound – posing a serious safety risk for Steinmetzer and her children, aged 8, 9, and 13.
“We cannot take this anymore,” Steinmetzer told the Olive Press. “I cannot work, my whole body hurts. We feel so alone, abandoned.”
The landslide has also caused mould to spread across the walls of her children’s bedrooms, rendering them uninhabitable.
With the three youngsters now forced to share a single bed, sleep has become a nightly struggle, Steinmetzer said.
“They are exhausted. They have not been to school in three days, they were just falling asleep at their desks,” she told this paper on Friday.
The family’s nightmare began as Storm Leonardo wreaked havoc across Andalucia in early February, sending rivers spilling over and displacing hundreds from their homes.
Steinmetzer and her children were sheltering in their living room, riding out the storm, when they suddenly heard a deafening roar.
“It was terrifying,” she said. “It sounded like an earthquake.”
After realising what had happened, Steinmetzer immediately reported the incident to Molvizar town hall.
Because the landslide came from a neighbour’s property, she hoped the council could tell her who owned it so she could claim damages.
But shockingly, the town hall could only provide the name of the previous owner, who has since passed away – which means Steinmetzer currently has no way of tracing her neighbour to request payment.
In an even more infuriating turn, Steinmetzer said, the local council allegedly refused to draft an expert report on the situation, saying they ‘did not want to take responsibility.’
In an email to Molvizar mayor Irene Justo Martin, seen by the Olive Press, the expat renewed her desperate pleas for help – but says she has yet to receive a response.
“I pay taxes here and I believe I have a right to the information I requested,” she said. “It’s not too much to ask, is it? I just want authorities to get involved so we can move things along – as is their job to do.”
Approached by the Olive Press, the Molvizar town hall has not responded to a request for comment.
Steinmetzer also pleaded with her insurance company, Reale Seguros, to help remove the dirt, but the firm insisted her premium did not cover ‘damages caused by water.’
In early February, insurance inspectors and private contractors estimated the cost at €28,000 – rising to €36,000 three weeks later as the walls began to bend under the mound’s weight.
And yet, Reale says there is nothing they can do.
The company did promise to provide a lawyer to help her claim damages from her neighbour – but Steinmetzer cannot proceed until the council identifies the owner.
Reale also advised her to contact the Spanish Insurance Compensation Consortium, a state-backed public body that covers disaster damage not handled by regular insurers – including floods, landslides, and storms.
Maddeningly, Steinmetzer says she is still waiting for an inspection by the Consortium more than a month after reaching out.
To add insult to injury, police officers who visited her property noted in a report that Steinmetzer needed to ‘remove the dirt urgently.’
“But who is going to pay for it?” she asked. “My neighbour is nowhere to be found, public authorities are shunning me, and my insurance company says there is only so much it can do.”
Left to her own devices as the ordeal takes an increasing toll on her and her children, Steinmetzer has launched a fundraiser on GoGetFunding to try and save her home.
“I do not want to take money from anyone,” she said. “This is just to raise awareness.
“I pay my taxes here, I pay a hefty insurance premium. And yet, it’s been nearly two months since the landslide and we’re still alone.
“We cannot take this anymore. I just wish somebody would step up and do their job to help us.”
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