Lenox

The Andalucia government has offered a solution to the '300,000 illegal homes' in the autonomy. That's right, they're popping up everywhere. In a meeting in Chiclana yesterday, the Junta's housing tzar Rosa Urioste proposed legalising these homes whenever possible, by having the home-owners pay the urbanising costs.
Imagine. Each home worth some 200,000 euros. Multiply by 300,000. That's 60 billion Euros. Add similar amounts for Valencia and elsewhere... stir gently over a warm stove...
and ASK THE SPANISH WHAT THE BLAZES they think they are doing!

Mitzyboy

Put me right if I'm wrong ... didnt people who bought in Chiclana know they were illegal homes? Or were they all conned?

Lenox

...and here's a written question in the European Parliament from Nessa Childers MEP:

As I'm sure the Commissioner is aware, there is a suspected program of property abuse on a systematic level currently underway in Spain. The Spanish authorities are threatening the lawful owners with demolition of their houses without compensation, or are imposing extortionate financial penalties. These judicial orders have been given under an arbitrary cancellation of building permits or a retroactive application of the law.

This issue is widely reported in the European press, yet the Spanish government is dismissing those claims as a mere infringement of building regulations by wealthy foreigners. This is not true: the families affected are mostly ordinary Spanish citizens, and retired foreigners, who are facing ruin and are being denied their most basic human right of a shelter and peaceful existence. These people are fighting their cases through the local courts, but are not being given justice.

This is particularly disturbing during the Spanish presidency of the EU. Is the Commission aware of these concerns? Is it taking any action in this regard?

steviedeluxe

to which the smart-arse reply would be "What were those British (or German or Swedes etc) thinking of, when they bought up illegal homes in a foreign land".... Of course it's not quite so simple as that.

I wonder if the politicians are now thinking they've got a great money-making opportunity - "paying the urbanising costs". At least it should provide some much needed employment.

YMF

The majority of people who bought in Chiclana didn't know they were buying illegal homes. Some understood they were buying in a non urban area but were told the area was designated for urbanisation. They did not realise that non urban = illegal. They were told that the urbanisation fees would be in the order of 12K not the 30k figure that is being talked about currently. Most of these people used laywers and none spelt these things out.

The Ayuntamiento recently said that Spanish people dont use lawyers they just go to talk to the local planning department. If that is true I'd like to know why so many local people are also caught up in this mess.

Yvonne

Mitzyboy

Mmmm ... well there are instances of people who have been using solicitors and still got caught out. It seems strange that there are so many in this instance though.

I suppose this is another instance of the Spanish authorities not quite realising what damage they are doing in the bigger picture

expat2be

It's a long running PR disaster for Spain but definetely an opportunity for some money to be made. I think if they were reasonable in the costs they wish to apply then it could be a solution for a lot of people and the issue could go away quietly for them, of course they may end up being greedy and make things even worse PR wise. I think if I were caught in the trap and someone said pay a few thousand euros to make everything 100% legal I would jump at the chance if circumstances at the time allowed.

Chiclanagir

Yes in a word. We were told six years ago that we had bought on yellow land which would be urbanised in due course. Not that it was an illegal house. We were told that when we signed in the notary´s office that our electricity would be connected immediately and we would have all services transferred into our names. We asked several times whether this was all correct and we were informed by both our lawyer and our estate agent that there were no problems. Then suddenly a few weeks later when our electricity supply was cut off the lawyer turned around and said, "yes, there is a problem in Chiclana". We were also informed that when urbanisation came it would cost us about 5000 euros. Naive perhaps but at that time there was no publicity about the problem in Chiclana.

Casa Santo Estevo

Maybe Lennox should contact Marta Andreasen.

Mitzyboy

Wow ... was your solicitor local / connected?

jackytoo

30,000 is the figure floating around...not just a "few thousand". Some may not even have that money. Anyway with house prices falling anywhere between 20% to 40% who wants to have to pay more money down the drain

Chiclanagir

Yes, stupid I know but when you don ´t speak Spanish or know anyone in the area and you think you can trust your estate agent........... the thing is too she still advertises in the local Brit magazine.

Lenox

We talk about 'leaving our brains on the plane' or 'not doing our homework' as if we are buying some 'grass' off a dodgy looking street-dealer. But no, this is buying a house, in the 21st century, in a modern European country.
Now - it is humanly possible that a house buyer becomes the victim of a scam, usually about payment, false escrituras or builders' promises. The odd illegality - since greed drives a few people to corruption or crime.
But 300,000 cases in Andalucía alone? Six hundred thousand people affected and ripped off and facing years of uncertainty and maybe a generator and a hosepipe...
WTF?!!!

YMF

It didn't seem to matter which solicitor you used, the truth just didn't come out. I even heard of someone who used a solicitor who writes books on how to buy in Spain, they still ended up with an illegal property.

Fredbargate

No in Spain