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"Squatters" in CE

"Squatters" in CE

Old Apr 18th 2021, 9:09 am
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by MikeJ
I do have a high security front door with multiple securing bolts and a registered hardened steel lock. But I'm not sure how well it would stand up to a determined attack with crowbar/club hammer etc.
I want to get some visible deterents so that the squatter look somewhere easier.
Hi, I already had a metal grill. I installed a metal security door and have more faith in that to stop even a determined thief.
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 9:33 am
  #62  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by Jon-Bxl
Crazy that one has to go through all this hullabaloo! Ive seen security grills all over and frankly it doesn't bother me at all... they are probably 'illegal' re 'the rules'... But so common in Spain. The 'council estate' comments are really unnaceptable .. and so very subjective.

I also dont mind if people e.g window-in their terraces, but that causes waves with 'the management'. I guess I am not a fan of enforced standardisation in my home... Or the tedious process one has to go through... Whilst others just do it... What's that old saying? "Its better to ask for forgiveness, than permission"!

However I think that M1,2+4 have standardised (so accepted) models. I'll be checking this week...

Jon
Im starting to think, that why do the owners of the apartments/houses/villas 'ask' if they can put a security grill on their front door? Do the 'squatters' ask if they can move into your house, and therefore deprive you of your hard earned holiday home or even main home? And as the 'law' does not protect the owner, and clearly the attitudes of the management organisations are not being very 'proactive' or helpful in combating this extremely serious issue and substantial loss to the owner, then are we not being a little too 'polite' in not taking our own action in protecting our property with a steel grill, the likes of which can be seen on hundreds of houses locally?
This seems quite bizarre to me
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 9:44 am
  #63  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by neil77
Im starting to think, that why do the owners of the apartments/houses/villas 'ask' if they can put a security grill on their front door? Do the 'squatters' ask if they can move into your house, and therefore deprive you of your hard earned holiday home or even main home? And as the 'law' does not protect the owner, and clearly the attitudes of the management organisations are not being very 'proactive' or helpful in combating this extremely serious issue and substantial loss to the owner, then are we not being a little too 'polite' in not taking our own action in protecting our property with a steel grill, the likes of which can be seen on hundreds of houses locally?
This seems quite bizarre to me
Maybe they want to abide by the law?
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 9:55 am
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by missile
Maybe they want to abide by the law?
I think that is more than likely, but when the law is so ridiculously outdated and to the severe detriment of people who have worked hard all their lives to own such properties, and the law protects those who simply steal those huge costings assets [which also contribute to Spain, its financial system, taxes etc] from them, is not protecting one's own property the only alternative?
Just imagine you were telling this story to someone who knew nothing about this 'situation', wouldnt that person respond and ask you "what, and you just sat back and did nothing, and let that happen? Are you mad?" And they would be right. Laws will never change unless the 'people' do something about them, if they are unacceptable, you take action, collectively, and show the government the absurdity of some of their laws. By action I mean, you protect your own property, which, in my mind, is a more than reasonable action to take, and common sense. Just because some wally says 'they dont look nice' or will make the area 'look like a council estate', should we be so 'polite' and say, 'oh, yes, good point, then I wont protect my property, even though you have no other solution to offer'??
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 10:00 am
  #65  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by neil77
I think that is more than likely, but when the law is so ridiculously outdated and to the severe detriment of people who have worked hard all their lives to own such properties, and the law protects those who simply steal those huge costings assets [which also contribute to Spain, its financial system, taxes etc] from them, is not protecting one's own property the only alternative?
Just imagine you were telling this story to someone who knew nothing about this 'situation', wouldnt that person respond and ask you "what, and you just sat back and did nothing, and let that happen? Are you mad?" And they would be right. Laws will never change unless the 'people' do something about them, if they are unacceptable, you take action, collectively, and show the government the absurdity of some of their laws. By action I mean, you protect your own property, which, in my mind, is a more than reasonable action to take, and common sense. Just because some wally says 'they dont look nice' or will make the area 'look like a council estate', should we be so 'polite' and say, 'oh, yes, good point, then I wont protect my property, even though you have no other solution to offer'??
There are similar "outdated" laws in the UK which protect owners from those who would do whatever and whenever they like with total disregard for their neighbours.
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 10:01 am
  #66  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

If there is a door or window on the ground floor some insurance agencies will not provide cover unless there are security measures taken such as the bars at the window and suitable protection at the door.

Rosemary
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 10:58 am
  #67  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by missile
There are similar "outdated" laws in the UK which protect owners from those who would do whatever and whenever they like with total disregard for their neighbours.
Totally agree, and landlords have suffered because of such ridiculous UK laws, which are quite similar to the Spanish squatting laws. However, with regard to landlords and the UK justice system, it only takes a few months, the judges are far more sympathetic to landlords [even though the original laws are not!] and an eviction order is relatively quickly obtained. But with regard to 'neighbour' situations, Im not familiar with that aspect, luckily, but Im sure you're right and those need addressing as well.
It seems a shame that this obviously long standing problem has not been addressed by the Spanish government, who wish to attract foreign investors and increase the tourist trade, but this goes against that. Im sure its down to politics and cost in the end
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 11:18 am
  #68  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by neil77
Totally agree, and landlords have suffered because of such ridiculous UK laws, which are quite similar to the Spanish squatting laws. However, with regard to landlords and the UK justice system, it only takes a few months, the judges are far more sympathetic to landlords [even though the original laws are not!] and an eviction order is relatively quickly obtained. But with regard to 'neighbour' situations, Im not familiar with that aspect, luckily, but Im sure you're right and those need addressing as well.
It seems a shame that this obviously long standing problem has not been addressed by the Spanish government, who wish to attract foreign investors and increase the tourist trade, but this goes against that. Im sure its down to politics and cost in the end
I am not in disagreement, being a Landlord is not easy money like most seem to think.
It is neither quick or easy to evict a squatter or troublesome tenant in the UK.Almost everything comes down to politics and cost.
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 11:47 am
  #69  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by missile
I am not in disagreement, being a Landlord is not easy money like most seem to think.
It is neither quick or easy to evict a squatter or troublesome tenant in the UK.Almost everything comes down to politics and cost.
I was under the impression, correct me if Im wrong, the laws in the UK have now changed that regard 'squatters' now as 'burglars' and can be evicted straight away with the help off the police? With regard to landlords evicting troublesome tenants, I did mean about the system in UK being 'fairly quick' by comparison to the Spanish justice system. I had the exact situation myself, a tenant refusing to pay rent, also knocking down internal brick walls in my rental house, and the law stated that if he had requested me to come and fix a broken boiler, for example, I was obliged by law to get that boiler fixed! However, applied to the Court, took a month or two, won the eviction order, and got the eviction order. Did the tenant leave? No! A week later my wife and myself went to the property and stood there whilst he removed all his belongings and I changed the locks. Took a few months, but quick by comparison to Spain. But agreed, there are many outdated laws that are no longer realistic in today's society, and yes, all comes down to cost, governments wont fork out for social housing, so we suffer!
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 12:11 pm
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by neil77
I was under the impression, correct me if Im wrong, the laws in the UK have now changed that regard 'squatters' now as 'burglars' and can be evicted straight away with the help off the police? With regard to landlords evicting troublesome tenants, I did mean about the system in UK being 'fairly quick' by comparison to the Spanish justice system. I had the exact situation myself, a tenant refusing to pay rent, also knocking down internal brick walls in my rental house, and the law stated that if he had requested me to come and fix a broken boiler, for example, I was obliged by law to get that boiler fixed! However, applied to the Court, took a month or two, won the eviction order, and got the eviction order. Did the tenant leave? No! A week later my wife and myself went to the property and stood there whilst he removed all his belongings and I changed the locks. Took a few months, but quick by comparison to Spain. But agreed, there are many outdated laws that are no longer realistic in today's society, and yes, all comes down to cost, governments wont fork out for social housing, so we suffer!
You are correct, there has been a change, see here > Evicting Squatters - Residential Eviction Professionals (thelandlordgroup.co.uk)
Recent changes in the law now mean it is now a criminal offence for individuals to squat or trespass in a residential property. However, some police forces have been slow to adopt the new law and still refuse to get involved in these matters.
I am old enough to remember when rogue Landlords could do whatever they liked and many did treat tenants unfairly. Perhaps the pendulum has swung too far in favour of nightmare tenants.

Last edited by missile; Apr 18th 2021 at 12:14 pm.
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 5:21 pm
  #71  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Must be a good business opportunity for a team of Big Angry lads that used to be employed in the UK (London as far as I can recall) who would evict any scum within the hour.
The last eviction I saw them doing was all the scum's kit went out of the upstairs windows & they would follow in a few minuets if they argued the toss.

Never ever report them as they then have rights, just give witness to the fact that the Big Lads are the rightful squatters should anyone ask.
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Old Apr 18th 2021, 6:06 pm
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That's the way to do it
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Old Apr 19th 2021, 5:27 pm
  #73  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

It's only a matter of time when landlords becomes so desperately frustrated with the Spanish Laws bias towards tenants/squatters that they resort to violent means to protect their property. Spain is living in the dark ages at the moment and already the Scandinavians (who play a big part in the property market) are alarmed at okupas and being put off buying holiday homes.

I got a quote for a security door and it was over 3000 euros which isn't worth it for a 70-80k 2 bedroomed flat that is now in a state of disrepair after the tenant (and his sublet tenants) were evicted.

The place is filthy , the marble floors ruined while they painted over our tiles in the bathroom (some sickly green color) and then also ripped out all the unit doors in the kitchen. Took all our cutlery , plates , coffee tables and left us with some dirty old sofa beds, broken cupboards and flea-pit beds with dirty blankets.

My brother wanted to hire some beefy Russians to get rid of them and it would have cost us less than the many thousands we spent doing it the legal way.

Anyhow, the property market has been collapsing in Spain before the Cov19 and now its getting even worse. Other countries as far off as China are well aware of the squatter situation in Spain (look at Sweden in the graphs in the link below). Unless Spain does something , it's only going to get worse for them in the long run.

.Foreign demand for Spanish property in 2020: Covid reduces market 25% (spanishpropertyinsight.com)



Last edited by DOWNANDOUT; Apr 19th 2021 at 5:52 pm.
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Old Apr 20th 2021, 2:35 pm
  #74  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

yeah i can't wait to sell our apartment when the market improves and move out of Spain as it wasn't never my first choice
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Old Apr 20th 2021, 2:51 pm
  #75  
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Default Re: "Squatters" in CE

Originally Posted by bitmanev
yeah i can't wait to sell our apartment when the market improves and move out of Spain as it wasn't never my first choice
How long you owned it and where would you rather be?
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