Expats protest retirement home demolition in Vera

Spain News : Andalucía : Costa de Almería
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Expats protest retirement home demolition in Vera
By m.p. - Jan 28, 2008 - 6:33 PM
ALSO SEE : • Andalucian high court postpones Marbella demolitions - Mar 18, 2008 - 8:30 AM
• Lanzarote dubbed the new Marbella as 22 illegal hotel complexes face demolition - Mar 17, 2008 - 2:32 PM

Hundreds turned out to show their support to Len and Helen Prior, whose home was knocked down as illegal earlier this month
Hundreds of people turned out in Vera on Sunday to a protest organised outside the Town Hall against the recent demolition of the house owned by Len and Helen Prior in the area of La Loma, in Vera. The British couple’s retirement home was brought down on a court order which ruled it to be illegal for being built on rustic land, and it’s understood they are now living in a caravan on the site where their house once stood.

Speaking at the protest on Sunday, Vera’s planning councillor, Francisco Vázquez, said the Prior’s building licence was legally granted, and the couple ‘had not committed any crime.’
The councillor noted five other property owners in La Loma who are in the same situation and who have appeals pending with the Andalucía High Court of Justice against similar decisions.

The protest was organised by the party Ciudadanos Europeos por Mojácar. Their president, Lenox Napier, told Ideal newspaper of the expat community’s concerns that many more houses considered as illegal could be demolished in the province: the figure could be as much as 1,000, he said.

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ALSO SEE :
• Andalucian high court postpones Marbella demolitions - Mar 18, 2008 - 8:30 AM
• Lanzarote dubbed the new Marbella as 22 illegal hotel complexes face demolition - Mar 17, 2008 - 2:32 PM
• Locals fight against coastal development in Villaricos, Almería province - Feb 24, 2008 - 10:14 PM
• Mijas Mayor accuses local PP of using the irregular housing problem for political ends - Feb 18, 2008 - 8:31 PM
• All that illegal property - What should be done? - Feb 5, 2008 - 7:37 PM
• Another British couple in Almería fear their home is to be demolished - Feb 5, 2008 - 12:45 PM
• Demolition starts of Estepona illegal hotel - Feb 4, 2008 - 7:27 PM
• Town Hall promises to help owners faced by demolition in Mijas - Jan 29, 2008 - 6:27 PM
• Expats call protest in Vera against recent house demolition - Jan 23, 2008 - 6:18 PM
• British couple watch on as their illegal house is demolished in Almería - Jan 11, 2008 - 8:25 AM

Comments

John Massey
28 Jan 2008, 19:47

I attended the protest on Sunday. The feeling I got from those at the meeting was the majority of Spanish people are appalled and ashamed by the actions of the regional authority.
Mrs Priors call for president Zapatero to explain how he can endorse a government that allows its agents to make old aged pensioners homeless is one that should be rigorously examined by the media.

Irene
28 Jan 2008, 20:25

By the laws of decency it is the authorities who are guilty. The Priors should be given full compensation and everyone else given immunity. Governments are there to represent the people, (although they seem to forget this) and if the people don't want this vandalism of property it should not happen, and if it does the perpetrators (officials) should be prosecuted. I own a property in Spain and if we lost it we would lose everything, and we're too old to recoup this loss, it would destroy us in every way.

Carolyn
28 Jan 2008, 20:31

My husband and I have sold up in the UK and are ready to move to Spain to live and work permanently. I have even taught myself Spanish. We are now looking to move to Portugal because of the way the British are being treated ie demolition of homes. What exactly is being done to help these innocent people ? Moreover why is nothing being done to stop the corruption and fraud that is causing the problem ?

Pops
28 Jan 2008, 22:14

Carolyn, you asked, "What exactly is being done to help these innocent people?" The answer is simple... NOTHING. You are wise in the extreme not to move to Spain because, no matter what ANYONE in authority tells you, there is NO guarantee that any property you buy in Spain will be legal. That is, at some time in the future, some thief of a politician may just decide to change the rules and bulldoze your dreams into so much rubble just so they can make themselves look good while at the same time make themselves a handy little tax-free profit on whatever con they happen to be working at the time. That's right, Spain is once more a third-world country where that old adage "BUYER BEWARE" should be emblazoned across every advertising hording in the land. Oh, and one other good reason for moving to Portugal is that most of Spain's rivers run that way. Enjoy our water. At least they can't steal that off you... yet.

Patricia
28 Jan 2008, 22:14

The terrible thing that I just cannot get my head around is WHY the authorities in Spain which is a signatory to the Human Rights Legislation etc and an EU Member appear to have absolutely NO interest in traceing the Builder, the promoter or/and Estate Agent, the Lawyer and the Notary and those in the Town Hall as it seems they were also involved ALL of whom MUST have known it was built both on illegal land and or illegaly? They are simply going for the easy catch, the poor buyer who has already suffered and they are making them suffer more while the others laugh all the way to the bank>

Paul
28 Jan 2008, 22:29

I endorse everything "Pops" says and more. Spain or at least Andalucia and its people are showing itself to be exactly what people said they were ie. "an idle bunch of no goods who should never be trusted and who you should never turn your back on" which sounds about right. I reckon they'd nick your eyes if you stood still long enough and anyone thinking of moving to Spain, think again while you have the chance. It's not the Spain of 30 years ago, Andalucia in particular and most of the rest of it are out to shaft the British they haven't already. They'll put as much as 30,000 Euros on the price of a property for a Brit and they are rude,push their way in queues and anywhere else. Be warned.

Irene
29 Jan 2008, 00:08

www.eyeonspain.com
There seems to be a lot of interest in some sort of movement to fight/protest this, including talk of a fighting fund.
I think we should take a lesson from the French (love 'em or loathe 'em!) and take to the streets in MASS protest, right to the steps of Zapatero in Madrid. Regret I don't have the organizational skills or contacts to arrange this but would happily participate.

Brian Gawler
29 Jan 2008, 16:40

Brian G
I live in spain and I am also worried about my property, is it legel or not? I have read many comment about aspects
of the law, yes I belived it to be true and honest when I purchased my property and at this moment in time I am still not sure. What annoys me most is comments like Pauls "8/1/2008 and Pops a lot of what Pops said is true, that there is no guarantee. But to say all the spanish should never be trusted (Paul) and all other insults against them is totally wrong and insulting, and instead of stealing his eyes I hope they steal his pen. some peaple go to spain and treat there Citizens like fools instead of people with a diferent culture, I have many Spanish acquaintances some I like to think of as freinds, I have also been ripped of by some spanish dealers because I'm a foreigner
but equally the Brits here are as bad.I've been out for a drink in the evening in the small town of Tabernas and seen the drunks fight each other, but I've only ever seen one drunken Spaniard, So please don't insult the Spanish peaple because of the few, remember it was mostly the Spanish that came to support the house demolition protest in Vera.

Steve P
29 Jan 2008, 18:03

I live in Albox, where the problem is 1,000 times worse here (and that is no exageration)
I didn't hear anything about this prior to the demolition, we could have definatelt rallied a lot of support if we had known.
Make contact with:
www.lavozdealbox.com and
www.almanzora-au.org
And see if they can help out

Roberto
29 Jan 2008, 20:50

Well said Brian Gawler! You wonder why such prejudiced people, (as Paul clearly is), ever leave the Uk. They obviusly don't know how to integrate into another country and culture.

Trust and honesty can easily be found in Andalusia.

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