Fredbargate

Suicide Death Jump As Bailiffs Move In

http://news.sky.com/story/1009579/sp...iliffs-move-in

Pocaloca

There have been at least three suicides and thousands of ruined lives because of evictions (desahucios). Over 300,000 so far including people in their 70s put onto the streets. The EU has said that Spanish banks' policy on mortgage default is illegal.

EU court criticizes Spain's mortgage law after massive evictions

Finally the government appears to be about to act, at least for the most vulnerable families. But it's too little, too late.

El Gobierno dará una moratoria de dos años ante desahucios extremos

rugbymatt

I bet not a single ****ing banker is homeless!

teuchterpete

Reminds me of the late 80's in the UK when Steelworks /Car plants /Coal Mines etc. were being closed down left right and centre. Everybody living north of London had to endure the spectre of lost jobs increased mortgage payments and repossesions . Maybe not as bad as Spain but how quickly we forget!
Pete

Lynn R

Too right.

I really don't see what the banks have to gain from evicting families in these circumstances from their homes, as they haven't got a snowball's chance in hell of selling them to anybody else. What is the point of throwing people onto the street or, in these terribly sad cases, driving them to suicide just for their homes to stand empty and deteriorate? Of course people who have borrowed money can't just walk away from their debts, but surely the banks wouldn't be any worse off in the long run if they simply put mortgage payments on hold, or let people pay a token amount, until the employment situation begins to improve?

rachelk

This is THE worst aspect of the crisis for me. And that when the bank takes your house and throws you and your family onto the street, you STILL OWE THEM THE MONEY! Debt for you and your children for the rest of your and their lives.

The government has at last made noises about trying to prevent more evictions but I wonder if this illegality will mean that those evicted have scope to make claims against the banks. I hope so.

rugbymatt

Scum, the lot of them, I don't give a rats crap if they work on the floor or in the boardrooms they are ALL tainted with their blood money.

jojojojojo

So what is the answer??? If you tell people who cant pay their mortgage that they can stay and keep their houses, then its not fair on those who do pay. If the banks simply turn the properties into rental properties to allow people to stay in them, they'll still have to pay the banks something.

Bankers themselves arent at fault, the banks behind them were the villains - even then they were driven by public pressure - even now, the banks are getting slated for NOT lending the money they used to. So they are being drawn by public opinion to start lending silly money gain - in fact in some quarters its the banks lack of lending that is being slated as the cause of the lack of growth in the economy!!!

Jo xxx

rugbymatt

I know business owners that for years have run healthy businesses with large overdrafts to allow them to purchase at all times and with greater flexibility but always balance the books at the end of the financial year and have grown year on year who have had their overdraft facilities stopped over night. In one case it sent them under, in two others they had to lay staff off. When one guy who runs a very successful garden and grounds maintenance company marched into his bank to have it out with the bank manager he was told, and I quote him... "Don't blame me, blame Brown, Blair and Cameron, they are the ones stifling the banks!"

The banks, almost all of them have been complicit in the crap they have brought on top of us all, if they haven't laundered money for criminals they have stolen money from schemes, if its not PPI's, its some other criminal crap they are involved with! Better Banking, thats what we need, the Victorians managed to bank with a conscience yet we find it almost impossible!?

jackytoo

Yes, good point. Problem in Spain is there were a lot of mortgages with strange small print which meant as the mortgage rate went down their mortgages went up, can't remember what they call them. Also there are no benefits to help with payments. I suppose the fair thing would be to give them a payment holiday in the hope that things improve in the job market.

jojojojojo

The victorians didnt give out mortgages to "riff-raff" or to single people, there was no social housing or benefits. If you had no money or no home you went to work either in service and lived in the servants quarters or in a work house and hovel! The victorians certainly werent advocates of people bettering themselves!! So not a good analogy

Jo xxx

Lynn R

The people who are still able to pay will be the ones who still have their jobs, so they should feel fortunate. They might even find themselves in the same position one day. If someone who has lost their job is able to stay in their home, I would imagine they would just about be able to manage to pay their utility bills and eat even if they only had the €400 per month long term unemployment benefit coming in, but they wouldn't be living it up for the neighbours to feel jealous about. If jobless people could be granted a payment holiday, they would still have to pay off the loan eventually.

jojojojojo

I know the banks arent and werent blameless, but most people jumped, rather to high onto the wagon, hoping to make a financial killing without thinking of the consequences. A friend of mine bought two off plan properties just at the start of the crisis - he knew he'd overstretched himself and had taken a silly risk putting all his money and more into this! Yes, the banks should have stopped him - but he'd have just found one who would have agreed. In the end, after some sleepless nights and stress, he sold his off plan properties and broke even - just! He was lucky, but thats the trouble, alot of people gambled with their life savings or borrowed money to gamble and lost. And as for those who were just getting a home with a mortgage and have now lost their jobs - I dont know what the answer is, but kicking them out doesnt help anyone, not even the banks

Jo xxx

Pocaloca

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Pocaloca

I don't often agree with you Jacky but on this I do. They could easily extend the mortgage term and lower the payments to something the families could afford. Even if it's only a few euros a month it's better than putting them on the street and then having empty properties waiting to be vandalised or squatted in. Better for the banks and better for the families!