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Priors - Solved!
The Spanish authorities have discovered thousands of illegal houses in Andalucía and have knocked, er, one of them down. The house in Vera, Almeria belonging to a retired couple called Len and Helen Prior who, since nothing is at it seems here, have been living in third-world conditions in their garage - which wasn't on the demolition order - ever since.
Making Spain look bad in the world's press and costing Spain thousands of millions of euros in lost foreign income and, no doubt, also causing the loss of many jobs in the moribund interior towns of Andalucía. But that's socialism for you. At the same time, a brave lady minister called for work to be stopped on El Algarrobico, a 440 room 22 storey hotel on the beach (and in a national park) in Carboneras. Now, two years later, we hear that the govt has decided not to demolish the hotel and, er... Well, why not let the Priors live there? We could all come and stay. |
Re: Priors - Solved!
I know you were heavily involved with the Priors
Whats the latest update ...... any hope of ......<cough> compensation? |
Re: Priors - Solved!
No - but there's a meet between a parliamentary deputy (i.e. an 'MP') in Turre (Almería) on Thursday and the local foreign property defence group (AULAN) including the Priors. The deputy may be receptive as he's from the IU and we have some support for the property-abuse problems from the Almerian ecologists.
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Re: Priors - Solved!
lenox, i think your heading "priors-solved" was a tadge misleading. this sorry case has been mis-handled from day one. surely some idiot in the town hall must have known the repercussions of knocking down the villa? maybe so and maybe he didn't give a fig. you are right, millions of euros have been diverted from spain to other climes because of this one case. in my own case,three of my close friends have suddenly changed their minds about buying in spain for their retirement, opting for cyprus instead(now theres a kettle of fish for you, but the cypriots have the name of being fond of the british and not just for their pounds either).how many villas have remained unsold solely because of the "prior effect"? we will never know,the town halls will not run out of money just yet, but the pinch will be felt for some time to come. a sorry state but indicitive of the spanish way of thinking i believe.
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Re: Priors - Solved!
Well, you are right. Cyprus has all kind of problems but they manage to keep things a bit quieter. Spain's main problem is its hubris. It can't imagine that anyone wants to live in these little interior towns rather than in the great cities, or on the coast. It refuses to understand us or to learn anything about the enormous number of reasonably wealthy Europeans who come here to live (calling it 'residential tourism' and yet never interviewing or asking us or our organsiations about ourselves).
We get mistreated with paperwork, hidden taxes, fraud and yet, we are never considered as partners or fellow-neighbours. Even our kids - second generation and fluent - rarely get jobs here and never in the public sector. Since there is nobody in a position of authority to speak for us - and none of us in a position of authority - things will not improve for the forseeable future. *The meeting in Turre with the Izquierda Unida deputy on Thursday has been moved to Friday. Maybe I'll be proved wrong! |
Re: Priors - Solved!
There's an even bigger storm brewing in the Catral region, where 1.200 illegal houses have been built. The local council are desperate to legalise the houses, but the Valencian authorities are stopping them, at the same time proposing a motorway to run directly through the rustic land containing the illegal houses.
As the houses aren't supposed to be there, the Valencian authorities do not have to pay compensation, only a tiny amount for the rustic land. Conversely, if the houses were legalised, the owners would have to pay for the cost of the infrastructure . . . , lose part of their land . . . it's madness. |
Re: Priors - Solved!
don't get me wrong, i like spain,like the spanish,dislike intensely anything that has to do with officialdom. like yourself lenox,i am renewing my residencia next week. i have all the paperwork,all the monies paid,but i just know there is something that will go wrong. so i am prepared for a knock-back. as for the poor priors, i don't believe anything will be done about the situation. the very idea of them getting compensation is far-fetched. but spain is in the e.u, as a full member. the spanish authorities have been criticised by brussels re their cavalier attitude towards "land grab" and all it entails, so i think the way forward for anyone who comes a cropper is to use the (damned) human rights act. it is brilliant and covers everything. you may have to wait some years for a result,but if there are enough cases going through the european courts,it should give the spanish authorities pause for thought. maybe???
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Re: Priors - Solved!
Originally Posted by Lenox
(Post 7730709)
Well, you are right. Cyprus has all kind of problems but they manage to keep things a bit quieter. Spain's main problem is its hubris. It can't imagine that anyone wants to live in these little interior towns rather than in the great cities, or on the coast. It refuses to understand us or to learn anything about the enormous number of reasonably wealthy Europeans who come here to live (calling it 'residential tourism' and yet never interviewing or asking us or our organsiations about ourselves).
We get mistreated with paperwork, hidden taxes, fraud and yet, we are never considered as partners or fellow-neighbours. Even our kids - second generation and fluent - rarely get jobs here and never in the public sector. Since there is nobody in a position of authority to speak for us - and none of us in a position of authority - things will not improve for the forseeable future. *The meeting in Turre with the Izquierda Unida deputy on Thursday has been moved to Friday. Maybe I'll be proved wrong! Oh dear Lennox, you do have a chip on your shoulder! It's not up to the Spanish or Spanish society to integrate into British ways, you're not running a colony any more! In Spain you have to be very educated, know people in the right places and speak/write perfect Castellano to get any good job, and you still have to be lucky! And anyway I dont think the Brits over here are any richer than the Spanish. Not by the look of them on the Costa del sol anyway :rofl: e.g. go to the good expensive restaurants (outside of Marbella), most the customers are Spanish |
Re: Priors - Solved!
I think Lennox has been here longer than most people and speaks (probably) better spanish than most Brits.
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Re: Priors - Solved!
I'm not querying that. Only his ideas about British integration in Spain
The Spanish people or authorities dont owe British people anything. If you want something, go for it as an individual rather than as a "Brit" |
Re: Priors - Solved!
Originally Posted by cricketman
(Post 7731672)
Oh dear Lennox, you do have a chip on your shoulder!
It's not up to the Spanish or Spanish society to integrate into British ways, you're not running a colony any more! In Spain you have to be very educated, know people in the right places and speak/write perfect Castellano to get any good job, and you still have to be lucky! And anyway I dont think the Brits over here are any richer than the Spanish. Not by the look of them on the Costa del sol anyway :rofl: e.g. go to the good expensive restaurants (outside of Marbella), most the customers are Spanish To be honest, I think it is you that has the chip on your shoulder. |
Re: Priors - Solved!
Originally Posted by cricketman
(Post 7731672)
Oh dear Lennox, you do have a chip on your shoulder!
It's not up to the Spanish or Spanish society to integrate into British ways, you're not running a colony any more! In Spain you have to be very educated, know people in the right places and speak/write perfect Castellano to get any good job, and you still have to be lucky! And anyway I dont think the Brits over here are any richer than the Spanish. Not by the look of them on the Costa del sol anyway :rofl: e.g. go to the good expensive restaurants (outside of Marbella), most the customers are Spanish |
Re: Priors - Solved!
Everyone is saying I have misunderstood the posts recently. Maybe I need to be clearer what I am saying :confused:
"It refuses to understand us or to learn anything about the enormous number of reasonably wealthy Europeans who come here to live " I have issue with this statement 1. Why should Spain make the effort to understand a British society/colony/culture/language? It is up to the immigrant to integrate. There is an uproar in the UK whenever the amount of money spent translating benefit forms is released to the press 2. I'm not so sure those British people who are in Spain are any wealthier than the average Spaniard. It is true that Brits tend to settle in the poorest parts of Spain so are surrounded by less wealthy Spaniards i.e. Andalucia, Murcia, Southern Alicante, but still.. "Even our kids - second generation and fluent - rarely get jobs here and never in the public sector" I have issue with this statement 1. It implies there is some sort of inherent nationalism that excludes foreigners from jobs. That is completely against my experience 2. It is hard to get a good job in Spain whatever your nationality. You need to get the best grades at high school (in the Spanish system), a good degree in a worthy subject - and then still have connections and a lot of luck. Of course there are always people who get a good jobs and have none of that :) In conclusion, Spain is what you make of it, but dont blame your situation on being British, it reminds me of Ali G "is it cos I is black"!? |
Re: Priors - Solved!
Originally Posted by HBG
(Post 7730813)
There's an even bigger storm brewing in the Catral region, where 1.200 illegal houses have been built. The local council are desperate to legalise the houses, but the Valencian authorities are stopping them, at the same time proposing a motorway to run directly through the rustic land containing the illegal houses.
As the houses aren't supposed to be there, the Valencian authorities do not have to pay compensation, only a tiny amount for the rustic land. Conversely, if the houses were legalised, the owners would have to pay for the cost of the infrastructure . . . , lose part of their land . . . it's madness. I thought this "land grab" nonsense had been sorted out in the European Court ?? |
Re: Priors - Solved!
Originally Posted by Pavlo
(Post 7733324)
I must be behind the times, or ahead of them.
I thought this "land grab" nonsense had been sorted out in the European Court ?? doesn't mean Valencia will conform though............. |
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