http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00njwd7

The best advice from this is get an independent solicitor

Well the subject of repossessions and illegal housing is causing less of a stir that the opening of a new Ikea. That has to be a sad statement on this world.
Anyway there is a new website which the Spanish government hopes will help to tackle the problem of illegal building. It seemly shows what the land designation is. Read the website before purchasing and you can see the status of your proposed purchase. There is a small problem it seems the government website is not fully operational at the moment.

So in the near future lets hope that this will prove useful to some of you thinking about moving across.

Probably some, like me, have already listened to it, having seen it mentioned on another site.

I think we’ve all been bombarded with so much bad news that we’re sitting tight in our little casas hoping it will all pass over. People are watching their letter boxes and jump when they hear the sound of a bulldozer. What more is there to say?

If you really want to get depressed, go into the ‘returning to the UK’ threads. And take a handkerchief.

This sort of thing does not personally affect us there is hardly any illegal buildings in Galicia and little mass development also. We would never return (and at present have no plans to go anywhere) to the UK there are much better places to live.

As said if the opening of a new store is your bag, then it is quite a testimony as to what is happening in other parts of the expats society. You cannot hide from what has happened only inform those persons who wish to move so they can understand and be aware, of what the situation is like in some parts of Spain. This was posted to enlighten them.

I have noticed though that many expats choose to ignore many truths about Spain. In another forum, they never miss a chance to slate UK, especially the NHS, that's normally a favourite. But recently when someone posted a link to an article in a Spanish newspaper about how someone was turned away 3 times from a Málaga hospital and died, despite being read more than a hundred times, there was not one comment. Had that been the NHS, they'd have all been weighing in with their 2p worth. It's as if it didn't happen, as if mistakes are common in the NHS but not in their Spanish health service. They seem to be in denial that anything can be bad in Spain.

Course not, not with all that sunshine and warm weather abound

I did not see the post that you are talking about, but I am and surprised at the lack of comments.
The national health service in the UK does come in for a lot of stick, as does the low level of government help for the "poorer sector of the population".
Which compared to other countries is incredible, a safety net for all, unlike Spain and some other EU countries.

I n my opinion, the NHS does have its faults, but it is still the best country in the world when it comes to looking after the "Have nots".

The care for older and disabled people in Spain is abysmal, if not non existant. The nursing in hospitals is almost always left to the family to provide, but that is what the staff are for, surely.

The UK may not be my country of birth, but I will always be thankful for my years spent there. I think British people should be made to live in another country, so that they can really appreciate what they have.

Nowhere is perfect. Some places just suit you better than others.

For me, the weather is important. I know that politics is sh*te wherever you go, that I will have problems wherever I go, but I would rather face all that while it is sunny and warm, thank you very much. Much more of the UK's unremitting grey weather and I will be giving serious consideration to slashing my wrists.

You should come live in Phoenix or Tucson, Arizona then hardly gets below like.....75°F (around 24°C) ever, and 300+ days of sunshine oh did I forget to mention, everybody speaks English?

Everyone speaks English or English and Mexican? lol Not the easyest of countries to move to on a permanent basis though is it? The USA would actualy be my first choice if it were easyer to go to.

I think more and more are realising, especially during these times of crisis, that the UK ain´t such a bad place if you have been left with nought! Not only Spain, but in many other places, people have learnt they are very much on their own when things go wrong.. Unfortunately, for some it´s already too late, they are stuck in a country that they cannot escape due to the inability to sell their property. Some have just thrown the keys into the bank and gone home. For those with financial means, they´ll be fine, they´ll survive, but I feel for those that will be suffering.

Especially those with children, who have to be uprooted and taken back to a country that they have forgotten about and is quite alien to them now.

and they all suffer from the greed of others----
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...-of-money.html

It’s even worse than that, often the children were born in Spain and are moving to a foreign country. I pity them their first day in a playground in the UK. I know, I’ve been there.