Reported in Sur that some Gypsy families have moved into empty homes in alhaurín de la torre. One of the comments below says that the town is lawless and recently an English owned home was broken into and stripped of everything. Despite neighbours calling during 24 hours the Police didn't attend until he rang and they came 15 mins later. He says they will get a shock when they arrive from the UK.

http://www.diariosur.es/v/20120319/m...-20120319.html

So, make sure yours is extra secure.

Seems to me that Gypsies do what they want anywhere in Europe seems that no country will make them follow the laws that the rest of us have to abide by. Just hope no one in residence when I come over next month. Still I could just go and squat in one of the empty houses! oh forgot not a Gypsy so they will kick me out and put me in jail no doubt.

The guy speaks very eloquently about why they have taken the houses over

1. They have no job, no money and no homes. They were living in a field previously
2. They chose houses that didnt belong to anyone and werent for sale as they are unfit for habitation i.e. they are effectively abandoned buildings

It's not a perfect situation, but I would do the same in their circumstances, especially with 4 children in tow

Maybe the guy does speak well re this situation and yes obviously he is in a crap situation but as the neighbours go on to say why did they struggle to buy and pay mortgages? If everyone just took what they wanted would you want to live amongst such people? The article does though also mention other properties with owners one who is apparently British who's houses have also been entered. Problem is as in the UK no violence to secure entry then very difficult to deal with. If people buy a home wherever and choose to not occupy it full time that does not mean that anyone can make free use of it, no matter how sympathetic you may be.

The article doesnt mention British houses being entered. Jackytoo said someone mentioned this in the comments section. I didnt trawl through them to check

Yes I completely sympathise with the neighbours

Unfortunately when the law is an ass people have to do whatever they can. Everyone deserves a roof over their head. As the Spanish government will not provide these people with a house - and unemployment is at 35% in Andalucia, what do you propose they do?

How would you look after your small children and pregnant wife in these circumstances?

Without knowing the full circumstances in person I would not comment further and will agree to disagree with you on just taking what is not yours, feel free to hand the keys of your property to who you want.

May I suggest keeping ones dick in ones pants until things improve.

I understand that if "squatters" live in a property over some period of time, then it's legally difficult to get rid of them. There have been a few cases of this around here in the past.

I suppose it's the same mindset which enables tenants to ignore paying rent and destroy the property, while the owners can't legally force them out.

Perhaps related to the same law that requires you to buy a permit to prevent people from trespassing on your property.

Just another example of typical socialist ideological mindset in practice: Penalise those who worked, invested and established something worthwhile, to provide incentive and support for those who didn't (don't? won't?).

On the other hand - for those numerous threads asking if it's good idea to move here when you have no job or Spanish skills, perhaps this is one positive reinforcement - Just tell them to find an empty house and move in!

Simples!

Of course most people don't get what they deserve. It is like the increased vague and often misguided use of the words entitlement and freedom. The latest one in the UK is the freedom to have a family life. When did that automatically become the natural order of things. How long before owning a car and a TV become human rights. The whole human rights lobby and the European Court is degrading it's own cause.
So while I would like to see society ensure that all its citizens receive shelter let's not talk of deserving, entitlement or freedom. It is society or charity that should provide not people feeling that they have an inalienable right to it. Therein lies problems.

Again I ask, what should they do then?

It is morally correct to steal bread to feed your family, rather than have them starve
It is morally correct to squat in an empty house, rather than have your family sleeping on the streets

If society will not provide either a home, income or job for people then one must take drastic measures

Hands up those who would watch their children starve and shiver in the cold?

Maybe they should move to the UK

Better accommodation than they would get in the UK, the housing stock provided for those on benefits is often sub standard.

Give the Gypsy's that housing development designed for 30,000 that was talked about in another thread, its empty just now.

Well, one can argue about what is "right or wrong", and most anyone would support the belief that no one should ever go hungry or be without a roof....

But besides the unsustainable costs of "equalising" wealth, what the idealists never consider is the long-term effects on a society which penalises those most productive, while providing generous benefits to those who are not.

Socialism has always served to de-incentivise achievement, which ultimately results in a significantly poorer and less productive population, unable to compete with more incentivised and enterprising societies.

Sound familiar?

I'm with you on that. The trouble with levelling and equality is that it always results in the vast majority being worse off and an increased feeling of demoralisation.

I'd probably do what I'd have to do to protect my family but that would be my personal decision. I wouldn't expect society as a whole to condone all my choices made in desperation. I might expect a Christian or moral society to be sympathetic and deal out any justice with a degree of empathy and consideration.

I'm sure CM would think exactly the same if he popped off somewhere for a holiday and came back and found a load of gypsies installed in his house. (this assumes he has one, of course). I think this, like a lot of situations, is fine until it happens to you. I know I for one wouldn't be as understanding as he claims he's is, if I found I couldn't enter my home because of a load of okupas.

this also happened about a year ago with a row of finished but unoccupied houses in Atarfe, within sight of the A92 interchange and the Cordoba road

the police raided, evicted and the houses were boarded up, there was still yellow tape all over last week.
I think the builder may have had a buyer or two at the time but nothing has happened on that score since the incident.