Re: It's still happening...
 

Spain - at least the southern and eastern coastal areas, plus the islands - is the 'Florida' of Europe. Many people fly here for their hols (a number lovingly if inaccurately collected by the Spanish Tourist Office), many drive down in their caravans and tents, and many others stay with Mum and Dad who moved over a few years back and bought their home - either on some estate or, with luck, in the back of some quiet pueblo. So we have tourism and we have permanent settlers. The Spanish seem oddly fascinated by the first group (much of whose tourist money stays with the tour-operators in Britain) and less happy with the second group, who buy a house, a car, a washing machine and a sofa and who keep on spending twelve months a year, creating jobs and helping the local economy.
So now, they take away our 'residence cards' in favour of a passport plus blue A4 combo (to be worn at all times) and they start to issue threats to demolish homes which were bought, in every instance, in the faith that they would stay standing during the final years of the peaceful and bounteous owners on this Earth.
There's a big demonstration in Almería City on January 11th from 12 midday at the Puerta de Purchena.
I think a lot of Spaniards will support it. Will you?

Re: It's still happening...
 

I'm not sure what you're getting at here Lennox

Are you saying Spanish people are destroying houses because they hate British people, or not?

Re: It's still happening...
 

But this is happening to the Spanish as well ... However, the reason we hear so much about the brits is 2-fold.

1. Most brits tend to only read brit press.
2. The Spanish tend not to buy this type of property, generally.

Re: It's still happening...
 

The Spanish authorities are too greedy and don't seem to know on which side their breads buttered. They are scaring people off.

Re: It's still happening...
 

You are getting a bit cynical in your postings. Maybe sticking to the facts would help others understand to validate your points.
1). The Spanish did not take away the cards. The Spanish government were taken to the EU court by a contingent of British who had settled in Spain and thought that having to carry around ID cards was against their civil liberties. The EU agreed but did not say anything about the fact that all but the UK (and maybe Ireland?) you have to carry around some sort of ID. So as the UK government thinks we do not have any other form of ID so the British are left having to carry around a passport.
2) Is not the colour of the certificate green? And you cannot carry that around as it says on the bit of paper it is no form of ID.
3) It is not only the British who are having threats made against their houses. So it is hardly, as you have seemly believe, a one sided affair against the British.

Re: It's still happening...
 

Is that story true though ? (Brits involved the EU)
We have always been obliged to carry a passport "when abroad", and this was the very reason that we obtained a card to avoid this. Spain never demanded that we should have a card & were quite happy with a passport as ID.
It is illogical that Brits should go to the EU over the obligation to carry a card, when we "are" obliged to carry ID (or is this what they petitioned the EU about)

Re: It's still happening...
 

Having had it liberally buttered and jammed on both sides for so long, they are no doubt beginning to find their present dried up bread diet difficult to stomach.

Re: It's still happening...
 

I doubt they give a damn actually..

The thieving councillers and constructors who have ripped off the Spanish people and the foreigners who bought the properties have made their money.

And they have made literally millions each, so they are sitting very comfortably.

Those that will be suffering are those who make an everyday living honestly from immigration/contruction or those who have come late to the game and want to make their millions dishonestly like those that have gone before them.

You only have to make a million once!

Re: It's still happening...
 

I doubt they give a damn either!! But lets not forget in the good days, everyone made money didnt they! Even those who sadly are possibly about to lose their houses. In the main they came here for the extremely cheap property, the extremely cheap cost of living and of course the sunshine. However, Spain is still unable to find its level since its days of Franco and is still wrestling with its corruption and bureaucracy.

As for the demolitions, well its very sad. I've discussed it on another forum and read up on it at length. Its nowhere near as clear cut as it appears.

Jo xxx

Re: It's still happening...
 

My god the Spanish have followed EU rulings, now that is supprising.

Re: It's still happening...
 

All good stuff.
On Saturday, we will attend a candle-lit vigil for the Priors, who came here to spend their final years in 'tranquilidad'. They don't speak Spanish, they don't know who Rubalca'aba is (SOB), they don't worry about Lorca's final resting place, they don't read El País and they don't have an interesting opinion about Rioja wine.
They just came here to retire peacefully.
If you think I'm exagerating, their home is/was actually called 'Tranquilidad'.
So, now there are eight more in Albox.
And then, there will be 800 more.
And then, just in Andalucía alone - 60,000 illegal homes (according to the junta).
Now me, I love Spain. I've lived here 42 years. But one day soon, I'll move away to another country.
Regretfully.

Re: It's still happening...
 

The Priors are pawns in a very long standing game of chess. There is a lot more at stake here - political careers, money, reputations.

60,000 homes - how many voters would that represent? A handful.

What about the EU? Or foreign investors? Are they going to vote against anyone? No.

Re: It's still happening...
 

I was going to agree with that, until I thought of Catral and their 1300 illegal houses. But then, they do vote, and their vote in such a small place can make a difference. (Or have I got that wrong, you can’t vote if your house is illegal?)

Maybe that’s why there have been no demolitions there and the council are scratching their heads trying to legalise the houses built on rural land?

And then there’s Orihuela Costa and San Fulgencio, where the foreigners are starting to vote and getting seats on the council.

On the other hand, they couldn’t demolish houses there, there would be no one left. And they'd be demolishing town halls and police stations.

Re: It's still happening...
 

There was a candle-lit vigil last night (Saturday 9th January) at the 'home' of Len and Helen Prior to mark the second anniversary of the demolition of their house in Vera. There's a write-up and photos at Corruption in Spain.
Next event: Demonstration in Almería City 11th January (now supported, surprisingly, by the Izquierda Unida/Los Verdes).

Re: It's still happening...
 

The demonstration in Almeria went well yesterday. Some 800 people were there, including a group from Catral, another from Benissa and some people from Nerja. It's pretty well covered in the press for once. Perhaps things are beginning to change.