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Monday, 19/04/2010 Just a quick update on the events over the weekend. I expect everyone has already heard about the volcano and the problems with the ash, so onto the more important SOHA.ES fund raiser on saturday night at Moreno's. Yet another successfull event with lots of fun, not to mention that over a 1000 Euros was raised for SOHA.ES. Our thanks to so many of you who donated excellent prizes for the raffle and all of you who joined us there. Special thanks to our man of the evening, Gary Miles, for the entertainment, his generous prize offer, as well as contributing his fees for the evening to SOHA.ES. We would also like to thank Debbie, Martin, Lewis and everyone else at Moreno's for making it a great evening for us all.
Tuesday, 13/04/2010 Couple of interesting articles. The first is a report about the mayor of Viñuela and we will let you know how this might affect the preparation of a new PGOU (General Plan) once we have established details and made contact with his replacement: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_25705.shtml The second article is concerning the homeowners in Albox. Albox is in Andalucia and therefore we need to keep abreast of developments as the actions of the Junta de Andalucia are likely to be applied across Andalucia: http://www.theolivepress.es/2010/04/12/five-more-homes-under-demolition-threat-in-albox/ In light of the Albox article and as part of our ongoing work we are planning to hold a meeting to discuss what our plans are in the event that one of our members is given notice of an imminent demolition. We hope to hold the meeting in May and full details will be circulated shortly. Finally and as you know Moreno's Bar in Puente don Manuel have kindly allowed us to use their Music Night this Saturday 17th April as a SOHA.ES fund-raising event. Details have been circulated previously but we would very much welcome any offers of prizes for the raffle and/or the auction. If you have anything suitable or can offer a service or activity that can be auctioned on the night please pop in and see Pauline Greenway at Zalia Properties in Cruce de Periana.
Thursday, 01/04/2010 URGENT REQUEST BY SOHA.ES, Please see progress section, read and act Fund raising event one month after the march in Malaga 17/04/2010, Please see events section of this site More on the BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8593435.stm SOHA.ES took to the streets of Malaga on the 17th of March with support from other action groups, the Spanish public as well as political parties to protest...
In attendance were people of all nationalities, SOHA.ES members, members from Auan, friends from Cartama and Mijas, The green party and Marta Andreasen MEP. Our thanks to all who attended the march, all who supported us, the political parties and Heart FM for their support. All local and national newspapers were there reporting as well as many international ones. All Malaga TV stations also reported the event with various interviews, etc. We made the front page of Diario Sur on Thursday as well as the Sur in English on friday.
See a short film from the day by Janusz Szczerek of www.tvspain.tv on, http://www.tvspain.tv/video_details.php?id=213 See photos of the day on, http://www.flickr.com/photos/48636706@N08/?saved=1 See following links for news coverage, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1258685/Hundreds-British-expats-stage-march-Malaga-plans-demolish-illegal-holiday-homes.html http://www.theolivepress.es/2010/03/17/thousand-strong-malaga-march/ http://services.surinenglish.com/virtual/190310/ http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_25467.shtml http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/03/17/suvivienda/1268836793.html?a=fc70cf9c5c1e201b9835d8b072bf3810&t=1268852828 http://www.europapress.es/andalucia/cordoba-00352/noticia-espadas-pide-paciencia-extranjeros-viviendas-irregulares-no-ejerzan-presion-20100317134502.html http://www.laopiniondemalaga.es/andalucia/2010/03/17/junta-pide-paciencia-extranjeros-viviendas-ilegales/327854.html http://www.diariosur.es/20100317/local/malaga/junta-pide-paciencia-extranjeros-201003171358.html www.almanzora-au.org/ http://www.malagahoy.es/article/malaga/656681/la/rebelion/los/guiris.html
Spanish MEPs criticise their country's treatment of expats who face having holiday homes bulldozed under coastal protection law. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/8584972.stm
Translation of the article in Malaga hoy. They say the foreigners living in Costa del Sol tend to be isolated, only meet with people of their same nationality and don't make the slightest effort to learn Spanish although many have spent decades living here. Most of these claims are true. Foreign residents, mainly British and Germans typically are retirees who come here to enjoy the weather and to live in peace and tranquility. However, contrary to what one might think, they have also warlike vein demonstrated yesterday in downtown Malaga. The reason for them was more than justified: the Junta, applying the new Law of Urban Planning, want to demolish their houses scattered throughout the Axarquia or the west coast built in open countryside on undeveloped land. Around a thousand people belonging to five groups of neighborhood associations in the Axarquia and Mijas, adorned with banners, t-shirts, speakers and megaphones, yesterday showed his displeasure over this situation as "unfair" with shouts and song, sung in Spanish but with the typical tone guiri, had some humor: "Hey, hey, Board, Board, I wat to know ... why punish me," they sang. Thus, from the Plaza de la Marina, Calle Larios, rounded the rostrum of the Constitution Square, walked down the Calle Alarcón Luján, to return to the Calle Larios and Plaza de la Marina to the attention of all passers-by and shopkeepers. Without fail, even though many of these were retirees. One of the organizing associations was SOHA.ES (Save our homes in Axarquia), an entity created in 2008 and already has 300 members. They called yesterday's rally taking advantage of European ministers meeting in Malaga and the event was a success. Nader Haghighi, SOHA.ES committee member, told this newspaper yesterday that "many people have bought houses in La Viñuela, Alcaucín and other nearby municipalities in good faith, with all papers and licenses in order and, six years later, the Junta has come to challenge them and have even demolition notices. Thus affected, he arrived in Malaga in 2001 from Great Britain with his wife and two children because "we liked the area and wanted to live peacefully," he said, "We are seeking a reasonable solution to the problem because it is not logical" and wondered, "If these houses were illegal, why not tell us for 10 years before building?, why they gave us the licenses?, why are they registered?, why are we paying taxes? and Why pay the IBI? ". Haghighi said that foreign buyers "are not speculators, but ordinary people, mostly retirees with 60, 70 or 80 years, who now have to be lawyers, lawsuits that will generate a lot of stress at theirage. It's unbelievable." This is the case of the marriage between Les and Janet Nash. Les has over 77 years and 34 years worked in the Royal Air Force. He retired in 1985 and bought a house in Nerja. In 2001, he decided to seek a quieter home and purchased a plot in La Viñuela. "We had all the permits and paid everything. We lived there for six years without problems and last year we received a letter in which we were told that the house was illegal," said Nash, who explains that, besides being in a trial, "The problem is that I can not sell the house, I'm older and I have nothing else. No one is seeing the human side of this situation. All my life saving to buy a house here and we do not know what will happen." Steve Wood and his wife, Jan, have nothing clear. They have lived in several towns of the province since 2000 and in 2004, also bought a house in La Viñuela. Steve, who is disabled, is overwhelmed. He is a mortgage of 100,000 euros, has no other property in Britain and they might demolish their current home. "I'm very worried, if I lose the house i don't know what to do," he said. There are thousands of foreign residents who fear for the future of their stories, but there are also thousands of Spanish nationals. Jose Antonio Sanchez is president of the homeowners association Chaparral in Mijas-La Alberquilla and has the same problem as above. "In Mijas they have declared 3700 houses illegal but we will not demolish them because it is unfair. The municipalities and the Andalusian Government turned a blind eye and now we pay but have no blame for anything" he complained. Meanwhile, both foreigners and Spanish will create a partnership at a provincial level to defend their rights. Yesterday they took a first step that was plenty noisy. Report of the demo in Malaga, As everybody knows, we held our protest march in Malaga last week and the whole event was a great success. We estimate that around 500 people from our locality supported the event with some people flying directly to Spain in order to take part. We left the coach park in Velez Malaga with 6 full coaches and during the journey everyone was briefed on the order of the day and also practiced the singing of our protest song (thanks to Alan Liptrot for the lyrics and for acting as cheer leader). We arrived in Malaga on time and even the sun came out to support us ! As we waited in the Plaza de la Marina we were joined by a number of other groups from Andalucia who had come to protest with us and we reckon that our total number exceeded 1000 people. We were pleasantly surprised to see so many journalists and tv crews in attendance and they were all keen to report our story. If you click on the link below you will see the online version of the Sur in English who reported our demonstration on the first 3 pages: http://www.surinenglish.com/20100318/news/costasol-malaga/homeowners-march-malaga-protest-201003181825.html (English) http://www.diariosur.es/hemeroteca/?qAND=SOHA.ES (Spanish) There are plenty other links relating to the media coverage mentioned above. Once we had dealt with all the media requests our President Philip Smalley gave a speech (see below) which was loudly received by everyone in attendance. Mario Blancke then repeated the speech in Spanish before handing over the microphone to Marta Andreasen MEP who had flown over from the UK specifically to support us at the demonstration. She spoke passionately about the situation that many of us find ourselves in and pledged to do all she can to help us resolve the issues that are blighting so many people's lives. She also urged everyone to write to their MEPs to ask them to take up our cases at all appropriate meetings of the European Union. At the conclusion of the speeches and with hundreds of earplugs fitted and whistles fully wetted the march began through the main shopping district of the city centre. We were surprised at the number of Spanish people who were very interested and supportive of our situation and are very grateful to the large number of locals who actually joined the march. After 45 minutes of marching (and deafening the Malagueños) we returned to the Plaza de la Marina before Philip Smalley and the other group leaders headed off to deliver a letter to Señor José Antonio Griñán Martinez who is the President of the Junta de Andalucia (see below) Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made the effort to be with us in Malaga. Although we hope that our protest will persuade the Junta de Andalucia to re-consider its current stance I'm certain that we will need to maintain our pressure by way of further demonstrations. Therefore please don't throw away your whistles and drums just yet.............. Speech by Philip Smalley, president of SOHA.ES, made prior to the march in Malaga on 17/03/2010, My dear friends. Welcome to Malaga. I would especially like to welcome our friends from Almanzora, Almeria, Cartama, Mijas Thank you all for coming here today to Malaga on this very important occasion. We march here today as immigrants to Spain from other European countries - from England , from Germany , from Ireland , from Scandinavia * and from many other countries? We are the foreigners who have invested our life savings to come here to Spain to live a better life. For many of us this is the last house we will ever buy. But many of us are now having our right to live peacefully in those houses threatened by demolition. Demolitions being forced through by the Junta of Andalucia. We are the buyers of some of Spain's many irregular properties. In Malaga province alone, we are told, there are 50,000 illegal properties. In Spain as a whole the figure could be many times that. We came to Spain to enjoy, not only the warmth of the sun but also the warmth and friendliness of the Spanish people. We have come to share the remainder of our lives with you. To share with you the sunshine and the laughter. We march here today so that the Junta of Andalucia might understand our plight. In Andalucia many thousands of houses have been built on rustic land over the past 10 years. Houses bought in good faith with lawyers engaged, taxes paid and proper paperwork obtained. The Junta now declare that many of these houses are now illegal and demand their demolition. Where was the Junta as the Alcaldes wrote the licences? Where was the Junta as the concrete was being poured? Where was the Junta as the houses were being registered? Where was the Junta as the tax receipts rolled in? The Junta stood by and did nothing. Is this justice? Is this fair? No. Will we stand idly by and see the dreams of thousands of Europeans destroyed? Never. Spain is in the grip of a fierce economic crisis. Unemployment stands at 18% and could go beyond 20% this year. For the youth of Spain the figure stands at 42% the highest in Europe. Retirement to the sun is a huge industry in Spain. At this moment there are 500,000 retired people from other European countries living in Spain. If each of us on average spend 10,000€ each year then the total spend is 5,000 million € annually. This figure is roughly equivalent to the total amount of exports from Spain each year to the USA. Add to that the money our visitors bring, our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our friends and family. Our contribution to the economy of Spain could easily exceed 7,000 million €. This could grow but will not while our homes are being threatened, while the bulldozers stand ready, while our human rights are being ignored. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Junta, are you killing the goose that lays the golden eggs? Today, we ask three things from the Junta. Firstly, that if a house must be demolished because it is in an inappropriate place, for example in a protected area, then compensation and alternative accommodation should be provided in advance. Not be fought over after-wards in a painfully slow legal system. Secondly, the Junta have told us that they believe that the majority of illegal houses can be regularised. We have seen no evidence of this process. If the Junta mean what they say then the time to start that process is now. Actions speak louder than words. And finally, that the issuing of new demolition orders must stop immediately. As things stand the Junta continues to demand demolitions. In the vast majority of cases the villain of the piece is not the homeowner. How can the Junta promote such an unjust system. If a mayor has broken a law, punish the mayor. If a lawyer has broken the law, punish the lawyer. If a developer has broken the law, punish the developer. But by demanding the demolition of a house the Junta seems intent on punishing the victims! Punish the guilty, not the victims! Punish the guilty, not the victims! Letter handed to Mr. Grinan Martinez, 17/03/2010 Dear Señor Griñán Martínez, We are the representatives of associations from Andalucia formed to defend the homes of citizens against urban abuses. While the problems of our members differ widely the source of all our problems remains the same, namely, the inability of the Junta de Andalucia to manage the urban planning process. To resolve these problems the Junta de Andalucia has embarked on a strategy of punishing the victims of urban abuse while allowing those who have broken the laws to walk free. Article 8 of the The European Convention on Human Rights states that everyone has the right to respect for his home. Our objective is to defend these fundamental human rights for every single member of our associations. Today, we have taken to the streets of Malaga to ask three things of the Junta de Andalucia. Firstly, that if a house must be demolished because it is in an inappropriate place, for example in a protected area, then compensation and alternative accommodation should be provided in advance. Not be fought over after-wards in a painfully slow legal system. Secondly, the Junta have told us that they believe that the majority of illegal houses can be regularised. We have seen no evidence of this process in some areas and in others it has become clear that the current strategy will take much time to achieve. Time that the homeowners and the economy do not have. If the Junta mean what they say then the time to speed up that process is now. If the law must be changed to achieve this then please change it. ‘Si quiere, puede’ And finally, that the issuing of new demolition orders must stop immediately. We are prepared to work with you as much as we are prepared to defend the rights of our members. We hope that it will be the former. Yours faithfully Philip Smalley - Save Our Homes Axarquia Maura Hillen - Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora No John Bowling - Abusos Urbanisticos Levante Almeriense No Jose Antonio Sanchez Pena - Asoc.Chaparral - Alberquilla( Juan Antonio Blanco Ruiz y Xavier Leiva Leiva - Regulacion Viviendas Mijas
Wednesday, 10/03/2010 Link about the EU meeting in Malaga next week, http://www.eu2010.es/en/agenda/informalesministros/evento131.html
MEETING FRIDAY 5th OF MARCH 2010-SEVILLA- WITH THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND TERRITIAL INSPECTION. A delegation from SOHA.ES, The Greens of Alcaucín, the law firm Borbolla and the local architect J. Gámez gathered with a delegation of the Junta de Andalucía, presided over by Ms. Ana María Moniz Sánchez, Directora General de Inspección de Ordenación del Territorio, Urbanismo y Vivienda and her colleagues for about an hour on the afternoon of 5th March. SOHA.ES stressed, once more, the problems that the owners of irregular houses are facing. The Junta admits that there has been massive fraud. They suggest that owners should not direct their anger solely towards the Junta, but that they should start legal proceedings against the promoters and Town Halls who have acted improperly. SOHA.ES responded that these procedures are far too expensive, that they might take 10 years before any sentence is pronounced and that the promoters or Town Halls could still plead “insolvent”. At the end, it might turn out to be a waste of time and money. The Greens of Alcaucín added that if the Junta had begun to act against irregular building practices 10 years ago, the number of houses affected would be significantly less. The Junta suggested a major factor was the slow speed of the judicial system. The Greens of Alcaucín also suggested a moratorium on new demolition orders while the Junta looks for a solution to this problem. The Junta suggested the use of a procedure called the “Incidencia de ejecución de Sentencia”. This procedure is only valid for those villages who have presented a new PGOU (Ordenation Plan) within the LOUA. Alcaucín is among 16 villages that have already presented that plan, Viñuela is currently in the Supreme Court. In this case the judge suspends any demolition order until the new PGOU is updated. Some of the affected houses might be legalized within the new PGOU. However, to be regularised, the Junta insists that those properties will have to be equipped with roads, street lights, sewage, etc. and that the cost of it will have to be borne by the promoters or the owners! The Junta confirms that some demolitions will be inevitable, and went on say that over the years, it is expected that all irregular houses will “return to dust”. We strongly oppose this policy. We also stress that once again that it is the victims that appear to be being punished. We suggested the possibility that the LOUA adapt to the situation by postponing the date of application of the law. This could give the Junta the possibility to legalize the vast majority of irregular houses. Afterwards they could start with the firm application of the law to avoid further destruction of rural zones. This of course doesn’t exclude the possibility of taking legal action against mayors, lawyers, politicians, etc. who are suspected of breaking the law. The subject of the registration in the Town Hall was also discussed. According to the Junta, the irregular situation of the houses doesn’t impede registration-EMPADRONAMIENTO. SOHA.ES and the Greens express their wish that massive registration of the foreign community take place so that they may exercise their political rights during the next municipal elections of May 2011. We had a very interesting meeting but without any positive result. The Junta will continue to appeal against the irregular issued building licences. They suggest a new meeting within 2 or 3 months. The priority for La Viñuela is to present a new PGOU in accordance with the LOUA. The only way to prevent demolition orders for the moment is that the Town Hall appeal against the revocation of the building licence. Conclusion: Your attendance at the Protest March of the 17th of March in Málaga, is more important than ever before, at least if you want to defend your houses and those of your friends.
Tuesday, 09/03/2010 Article in today's Sur (in Spanish) http://www.diariosur.es/v/20100309/axarquia/extranjeros-viviendas-irregulares-movilizaran-20100309.htm
Monday, 08/03/2010 Article in the Telegraph today. Please see link below, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/7392959/Bulldozing-expats-will-hurt-Spain-Foreign-Office-minister-cautions.html Article with regards to the visit of Mr Chris Bryant to Andalucia, Please see link below, http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=21849038 Articles in El Pais and El Mundo today, The Spanish government has agreed to place an advisor at the orders of the British Consulates to watch for British owned property problems in Valencia (Alicante) and Andalucía (Málaga) after an agreement was reached today in Málaga with Gaspar Zarrías (the long-time advisor of Manuel Chaves, now Secretary of State for Territorial Cooperation), Juan Espadas the Junta's planning tsar, Chris Bryant the British Minister for Europe and the British ambassador Giles Paxman. Mr Bryant evidently travelling down to Málaga after his meeting this morning in Albox. The agreement, which will help 'the million Britons living in Spain', is designed to help and advise Britons wishing to live here, with the endless and complicated rules and regulations explained and observed. This should avoid any future 'illegal' situations for Britons to do with property, health and social issues. 'It is better to find a solution beforehand', said Minister Bryant today, 'before the courts are needed. In Albox they used lawyers but still got into trouble, and this is not good enough'. Zarrias and Espadas (in what some British readers might consider to have been a jocular moment) underlined that juridical security in Spain is absolute: 'Los británicos saben que aquí funciona el Estado de Derecho y que hay leyes, todo se hace conforme a derecho'. So, perhaps - in one month's time, when the new system begins and certified Spanish advisors are in place in the two consulates - things may have taken a change. And that's good news. Chris Bryant in AlboxSunday 07 March 2010 - 06:28:16 The British Minister for Europe Chris Bryant is met four of the 'Albox 8' home-owners today in Albox, a fact which has now made the national Spanish press. An article in today's El Mundo is rather better and more balanced than the effort from yesterday's provincial El Almería (see below). The article explains that many British families (it suggests eight thousand) bought homes in the Almanzora Valley for an average 200,000 euros in the 2002 - 2003 period 'in good faith' only to afterwards find them to be (in one way or another) 'illegal'. This has caused a stir in the UK and the British ambassador has now asked for an audience with the President of Andalucía, José Antonio Griñán, to explain the behaviour of that authority. Later: (AUAN Press Release): Representatives of the AUAN were very pleased to be invited to attend a private meeting between Chris Bryant, Minister for Europe, and four of the Albox families threatened with the demolition of their homes. Also present at the meeting, were Giles Paxman, the British Ambassador, and Steve Jones, the British Consul. Mr Bryant, who was well informed on this subject, reassured the affected families that the British Government were both aware of and concerned about the situation in the area. He went on to say that, though the UK has no jurisdiction in the affairs of Spain, he would do everything in his power to help. He also referred to the detrimental economic impact this scandal has had on Spain. Homeowners told him of the stress and legal expense they are suffering as a result of the demolition threat, despite having purchased their homes in good faith and being in possession of all the correct licences. They stressed to the minister that a quick and equitable solution was required to this problem. Maura Hillen (AUAN President) raised the disgraceful track record of the administration with respect to the payment of compensation to Helen and Len Prior and the difficulties surrounding the ‘one by one’ solution currently proposed by the Junta. After speaking with the homeowners, the Minister went on to have a closed meeting with the Mayor of Albox, Jose Garcia. Before leaving, he spoke of a planned meeting with Juan Espadas, the Planning Minister of the Junta de Andalucia. Watch this space for more upto date news and the report of the latest meeting between SOHA.ES and Junta de Andalucia which took place last week. Also from one of our Dutch members, Support for SOHA.ES from the Dutch supermarket in Algarobo Costa on www.super-rijo.com Look out for articles in Dutch newspapers and magazines with regards to SOHA.ES.
Wednesday, 24/02/2010 Update on our last general meeting, Despite bad weather and access problems for many, over 180 people attended our meeting last wednesday evening at the camping restaurant. The minutes will be published shortly, however the main subjects were the demonstration in Malaga in March and the appointment of officers for 2010. With less than a month to go we are getting organized for the march and it is of the utmost importance that we can count on everyone to be there. Keep an eye on your emails and on this site for more updates very soon.
Other news... SOHA.ES has another appointment with head of the inspections and urban developments in the Junta de Andalucia on the 5th of March to continue the existing dialogue with them. This is our third meeting with them in Seville, and the chairman's report will be published on this site once the meeting has taken place.
Thursday, 11/02/2010 Reminder to all, Please note the date for the next meeting, Wednesday 17th February 2010 (next Wednesday) The meeting will all be held at Camping bar/restaurant and will begin at 19.30 hrs. For directions see link, http://www.campinglavinuela.com/ We look forward to seeing you all there.
An up date with regards to case of Mr and Mrs prior (Rosabel Rodríguez-Almería. El País 04-02-2010) The Town Hall of Vera will pay the rent for the owners of the illegal demolished house. The retired British couple, Leonard and Helen Prior, are about to close their garage where they have been living under inhuman circumstances-without water or electricity-since the 9th of January 2008, when their house was demolished following a court order: After waiting more then 2 years (during this laps of time the Constitutional Court revoked the demolition order), the Town Hall of Vera will now have to pay the rent of a similar house for the Priors. This order comes from the “Juzgado de lo Contensioso Administrativo”, Court Nº 1 of Almería, presided by Judge Tomás Cobo. “Town Hall has to provide a similar house or pay to the Priors the rent for it”, till the appeal of the Priors, asking for an indemnification of 600.000€ has been resolved. The local administration is held responsible for the loss of their house that was build in the non urban zone of La Loma. The resolution of the Judge will now be appealed by the Town Hall. However, the Mayor of Vera, Felix Lopez (PA), said that “they will look for a proper place for this family that is now living under inhuman conditions”, after their house had been demolished. The Mayor also expressed his disagreement with the demolition order. “We will not let them down, and after months of anxiety, their smile is coming back. The must know that we will help them till their case has been resolved”. After the decision of the Judge, the Priors started looking for a new house in the area. At the same time, they are facing the re-opening of their legal proceedings that revoked the municipal licence of June 2003 and the subsequent demolition order of their house. Their case has been re-opened by the Constitutional Court Nº4. The Court states that the constitutional rights of the Priors have been violated, as they have never been informed that their building license had been revoked. The Judge Vicente Martín therefore revoked the demolition order in April 2009. The Priors are holding the Town Hall responsible for “abnormal function of municipal services, granting a building license and revoking it years later”. At this moment, the Priors house is the only case of demolition in Almería. The estimation is that there are at least another 5000 houses in the same area facing the same irregular situation. Tuesday, 09/02/2010 Yet another article, yet another sad story... This story goes back to September 2008 and we don't know how things have gone since. See link below, http://www.theolivepress.es/2008/09/03/demolished-dreams/ Also Reminder to all, Please note the date for the next meeting, Wednesday 17th February 2010 (next Wednesday) The meeting will all be held at Camping bar/restaurant and will begin at 19.30 hrs. For directions see link, http://www.campinglavinuela.com/ We look forward to seeing you all there.
Friday, 05/02/2010 MAYOR GIVES OWNERS OF ILLEGAL HOMES HOPE Owners of illegally built homes in Spain have reason to be a little hopeful. There are signs that the Junta de Andalucía is showing more flexibility on the subject of the demolition of these homes. For the full article see the link below, http://theleader.info/article/21603/
INTERESTING FACTS AND REPORTS PRODUCED BY CIUDADANOS EUROPEOS (SPAIN) FOR YOUR INFORMATION. Please see the following link: http://www.c-euro.org/
WE ARE TRYING TO ORGANIZE A MARCH IN MALAGA IN 2010 to coincide with the meeting of the EU held at the Palacios de Congresos. You may be aware that Spain has taken over the Presidency of the European Union for the first six months of 2010 and we wish to take advantage of their holding a Ministers meeting in Malaga also on the 17th March. We hope to be able to confirm this very soon, meanwhile we need as many people as possible to attend this march. This is our chance to show the public how we feel and bring our problems to the attention of the national and international media. Watch this space for updates.
Monday, 01/02/2010 Please note the dates for the next meetings, Wednesday 17th February 2010 Wednesday 14th July 2010 These meetings will all be held at Camping bar/restaurant and will begin at 19.30 hrs. We look forward to seeing you all there. Please inform others about these meetings and SOHA.ES activities and encourage them to take part and support us.
Friday, 22/01/2010 We have the following links to see an article and also sign a petition to bring our situation to the public attention. It may be a good idea if you could email it to your contact lists as well, so we can get more people involved. http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_24588.shtml and the petition is at, www.so-called-illegal-properties-in-spain.com TAKE ACTION! Every name counts. Help yourself by doing your bit and don't leave it to others to do it for you.
Wednesday, 20/01/2010 We have received this today from Richard King Parliamentary assistant to Marta Andreasen. To see Marta Andreasen's speech in the European Parliament today before Mr. Zapatero please see link, www.ukipmeps.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0wk5cK4LU Below is the text of her speech I have heard with attention your proposals for the Spanish presidency and ..I wish you luck. I represent the South East of England and many of my constituents together with other European citizens have been suffering urbanisation abuses in the Mediterranean coast and other parts of Spain for a long time now. Three reports have been approved by this Parliament urging the Spanish authorities to take action but other than the conviction of local officials and politicians and the passing of the new land law, no specific action has been taken to defend the people who are suffering prejudice. The problems my constituents face go from the dramatic situation of Mr.Len and Helen Prior (of Berkshire) who saw their house being demolished because the authorities said it was built in breach of the Costal Law, to cases like that of Mrs. Doreen Snook ( also from Berkshire) in Alicante or Mr. Lohmann in Lanzarote who cannot actually live in the houses they have purchased because of the lack of proper infrastructure and services. As a national of Spain I am ashamed to see what is going in my country. And I have big concern for the future of the Spanish tourism business now that the press is telling about the bad fortune of these people. Sr. Zapatero me dirijo a Ud. ahora en su lengua materna que es también la mía: los afectados no son personas de gran fortuna, son simplemente personas que con el fruto de su trabajo compraron una casa en este país de clima benigno y buena gente para vivir después de su jubilación. Esta gente se ve injustamente abocada a pagar honorarios de abogados y otros expertos para defender el caso por vía judicial, todo ello sin grandes perspectivas de éxito! The European Union has been convincing its population that it is there to maintain peace in Europe. Is the situation I describe a way to maintain peace? You are telling us that you are going to get Europe out of the crisis. If you cannot solve the problem I am referring to, how much credibility can you have in solving Europe´s financial crisis? Mr. Zapatero, We want a solution now. We want the people to be able to live in the houses they bought. If this is not possible they need to be granted a fair compensation that allows them to buy a similar property. This Parliament has only threatened to block payment of subsidies to Spain, but I can assure you that if this situation is not resolved during the Spanish presidency I will do everything I can to turn this threat into action.
Tuesday, 19/01/2010 Just for your information there are a couple of new articles from the UK daily newspapers. Nothing really new in the stories themselves but they do at least show that the situation here in Spain is still very topical in the UK and hopefully the continued publicity can only help our cause. Article from today's Times: http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article6991752.ece Article from yesterday's Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1243586/If-come-bulldoze-villa-chain-inside-die-Spanish-dream.html
SOHA.ES report of the march in Almeria, A full coach of SOHA.ES members and friends set off from Vinuela on Monday January 11th to join the protest march in Almeria. We arrived in good time and were joined by 5 coaches of supporters from Cantabria and one from Valencia. Numbers present were estimated to be between 500 and 1000. Maura Hillen, the organiser, had done a good job of organising it and the Police were at the ready to close off traffic where needed and keep us all in order. Some leaflets were given out but it was felt that next time we need far more as many Spanish were curious to know what it was all about. Although it was reported as a group of British and Irish taking part, there were some Spanish and other European and Scandinavians protesting at the problems many of us face because of the corruption in Town Halls or the power struggle taking place between the Junta de Andalusia and the Town Halls. Maura Hillen, Charles Svorboda and Helen Prior all spoke when we reached the offices of the Junta. Maura reported that as a result of the protest march, a meeting had been arranged for Friday January 15th with the Spanish Ombudsman, to discuss the demolition threats. Did it achieve anything? Well, it was certainly well reported in the British papers both in Spain and in England and was reported in several Spanish papers as well as on the television by Canal Sur. We still need bigger numbers if we are to get the interest of the Central Government to put pressure on the Junta or Regional Government if we are to see a solution to the problems in our lifetime. Those that took part in the protest feel ready to march again, and next time it will be aimed at a wider audience. Get your banners ready! For photos of the march, see links below.
Wednesday, 13/01/2010 Auan Press release, 12th January 2010 NEW DEMOLITION ORDER FOR ALBOX COMES TO LIGHT Please see the link below for the full press release, http://www.almanzora-au.org
Tuesday, 12/01/2010 As you know a demonstration took place in Almeria yesterday and we were able to offer our support with a full coach of 55 people. Thanks to all those who made the effort to attend. A full report of the day will be issued in due course but for ther moment and just for your information I have provided several links of the protest below: English Press coverage, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1242378/British-ex-pats-streets-Spain-protest-plans-bulldoze-illegally-built-homes.html http://www.euroweeklynews.com/2010011170527/news/costa-de-almeria/british-ex-pats-demand-justice-in-almeria.html http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_24666.shtml http://www.theolivepress.es/2010/01/11/expatriates-march-on-almeria/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/4213997/British-expatriates-march-in-Spain-to-protest-against-chaotic-planning-laws.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exzSyCn8daI&videos=3jihqgYh7cI Spanish Press coverage, http://www.elpais.com/articulo/andalucia/500/britanicos/reclaman/Almeria/legalicen/viviendas/elpepuespand/20100112elpand_11/Tes http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/01/11/andalucia/1263238950.html http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/604008/0/ http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/603886/0/ I realise that not everyone speaks spanish but it at least shows that the situation is not being ignored by the spanish press.
Monday, 11/01/2010 Some positive news... AUAN Press release – 9th January 2010 Victims of the recent demolition orders, together with their lawyers, met yesterday in Albox with several representatives of the town council and the AUAN to discuss the current situation. The Mayor of Albox, Sr. José García, was in Seville for talks with the Vice consejero of the Planning office of the Junta de Andalucia, Justo Mañas Alcón. The lawyers representing affected homeowners outlined their points of view. It was underlined that the legal process is both complicated and very advanced. Town Hall officials were at pains to reassure those facing the loss of their homes that “Your problem is our problem” and that “We are all in the same boat”. Asked whether Sr. Garcia would be prepared to execute the orders, we were told that he would do everything in his power, within the law, to prevent them from being carried out. We were assured the Town Hall would not act impulsively and would continue to stay in close touch with the affected parties and their lawyers. Sr Garcia will return to Seville for another meeting next week with the AUAN... It was explained that it was in the hands of the Junta de Andalucia to stop these demolitions and within their legal powers to do so. Our continued pressure is therefore one of the most valuable tools we have in our struggle to stop this lunacy. Meanwhile, support for the planned demonstration on Monday has grown and grown. We have had to increase the number of coaches to take people to Almeria from Albox, and we will be joined there by groups from all over the country. Media interest has also been strong. In the UK many national newspapers have given us wide coverage. Spanish media interest is also very high and we have had sympathetic and widespread coverage.
A campaign has been mounted on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-house-demolitions-in-Albox-and-other-areas-of-Spain/274981508867?ref=m
There is a petition to 10 Downing Street http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/No-demolitions/#detail Local ‘Albojenses’ (citizens of Albox) are signing a petition and the story is being covered on countless forums and interest-group web-sites in both English and Spanish.
Latest….. The planned demolition of a home in Vera on the 12th of January has been postponed after last minute legal arguments were accepted. Our thanks to all the individuals and media who are supporting us. We still need you! Please continue to help!
Other News... From our friends in AUAN... I was interviewed by Canal Sur last night via Pat our press officer. It will be on around 2.30 today and they will be attending the march on Monday. The story has been covered by La Voz, El Almeria and El Mundo have gone BIG, publishing our much awaited two page article TODAY.
SOHA.ES have now over 40 members confirmed for the trip tomorrow, to take part in the protest march in Almeria. There are still spaces should you wish to go. Please contact Philip Smalley.
Also more you tube links below, The Priors story, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q89mu1xehhs Last protest march in Almeria, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfrVvgJ0cI4 Other marches, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYz63-wwPlc There are more videos on you tube under similar or same headings
Wednesday, 06/01/2010 Article in Typically Spanish, more on possible demolitions. Please see the link below for the full article, http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_24588.shtml URGENT The travel arrangements for the trip to Almeria on Monday 11th January 2010 are confirmed as follows: A coach willl leave Camping bar/restaurant at 0745 hrs and we expect to arrive back between 1900 and 2000 hrs. Thank you very much if you have already informed us of your intention to join the protest. We still have a number of places left on the coach so I would urge everyone else to consider joining us. If this protest is successful and helps to make a difference it will clearly be of benefit to all people who are affected by the actions of the authorities, included those of us here in the Axarquia region. Don't leave it for others to take action as we have no way of knowing when the bull-dozers may arrive in our own towns or villages..............
Monday, 04/01/2010 Article in the Sunday Express, 03/01/2010, by Jane Slade. Please see the link below for the full article, http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/149500/We-ll-march-on-Seville-to-save-our-homes
We have been asked by the administrator of the forum below to post the following link on our web site; http://www.arboleas.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=87.0/demolitions As a forum they are coordinating a campaign to stop these and other possible future demolitions happening.
Saturday, 02/01/2010 ENOUGH IS ENOUGH – THE VICTIMS TAKE TO THE STREETS AUAN Press release, British ex-pats in the South of Spain are organising themselves to strongly oppose eight demolition orders recently issued to British residents in the town of Albox, Almeria. We understand that none of the victims had been informed of the initial proceedings, and indeed the demolition notification has come as a big shock to them. We consider that they were deprived of a proper opportunity to defend the action, and that their human rights have been infringed.The Auan’s legal representatives, and the victim’s lawyers, are attempting to mount a legal challenge to the imminent demolitions, together with the support of the Mayor of Albox, who described the demolition orders as an ‘atrocity’. Candlelight Vigil 9th January, The first of two planned actions will be the holding of a candlelight vigil on the 9th of Janurary in the ruins of the home of Len and Helen Prior, pensioners whose house was illegally demolished in nearly Vera two years ago on that date. This couple are still living in what was their former garage with no mains water, no electricity and absolutely no sign of any compensation for their loss. This event is the result of collaboration between two local groups fighting urban corruption in the area and they will be joined by representatives from across Spain, including the newly formed National Federation of Organisations against urban abuse (FAUN). Peaceful Protest March 11th January, The presentation, just before Christmas, of yet more demolition orders to unsuspecting homeowners in the area, again without any sign of compensation, has been the catalyst for the ex-pat community to take to the streets and make its voice heard. The AUAN (an organisation of homeowners in the area campaigning to obtain legal status for members’ property) is organising a march in Almeria town on the 11th of January to protest against this scandal and appeal to the authorities to respond to the just demands of those innocent people who invested in good faith and are now facing the possible loss of their home and life savings. We are protesting against legal and planning uncertainty, against bad administration and corruption, against the failure to respect citizens’ human rights and against the failure of the administration to comply with European Parliament resolutions including the Auken report. We cannot sit back and watch these demolitions and will do everything possible to avoid this injustice. March Route, The starting point for the demonstration is the Puerta de Purchena at midday (12.00). The route is envisaged to follow the Ramble de Obispo Orbera to the Rambla de Almería (Avenida de Federico García Lorca). There will be a pause for speeches in the area of the Obelisk in calle Regina Regente and the marchers will return to Puerta de Purchena at apx 15.00. We are not prepared to stand politely by as more unfortunate families are destroyed through no fault of their own. Recourse to further demolitions will only further damage Spain’s image abroad. The authorities must be made to realise that to continue with these actions is not acceptable, is contrary to the rights of its citizens, attracts damaging and hostile publicity and is tantamount to economic suicide in this region. Support, We ask all citizens and groups who wish to raise their voice and make their presence felt to turn up and support us. SOHA.ES will be attending to support the march on the 11th, please see below for more informtion.
Friday, 01/01/2010 Protest march In Almeria Monday 11th of January 2010 The message and press release above has been sent to us via our friends from Auan as there are more demolitions planned in Almeria and Albox areas starting from the 12th of Januray 2010!!! We need to support this event as numbers are very important. Members and friends of SOHA.ES should receive an email shortly asking them to take part. Please get in touch with us to register your interest as we need to organise transport, etc.
Other news, We have been notified that articles were published in the Sun and the Daily Mail today reffering to our situation in Spain. Please click on the links to read the articles, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1239219/Bulldozer-threat-Britons-villas-Expats-Spain-fight-save-homes.html http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2787580/Brits-told-their-Spanish-villas-will-be-bulldozed-in-weeks.html We have also had contact from the Sunday Express who informed us that the article with regards to our area will be published on Sunday 3rd of January 2010.
Saturday, 12/12/2009 Support for SOHA.ES. Article by the Green party... What is amiss in Alcaucín? What no one wants to happen to even his worst enemy is now occurring in Alcaucín. We are referring to the case of Judith and Ivor Pringle. They are inhabitants or our village since 2001, the year in which they bought their house from Sr. J.M. H.G. A lawyer was consulted to verify the correctness of all official documents. The Pringles are in possession of the “Escritura Notarial”, building licence, licence of first occupation, and are paying IBI, water and electricity bills since 2001. On the 16th of October 2009 Judith and Ivor received a Juridical Order from the Town Hall for demolition of their house. They were devastated and asked themselves: “What went wrong?” Apparently the former owner had been notified in December 2000 that during the construction of his house he had exceeded the area he was allowed to build and that the plot was in rustic area. Consequently his building licence was revoked by the Town Hall. The Pringles of course were not notified of this important fact, neither before nor after having bought the house. In fact, the previous owner received a second notification in 2008. Now in 2009 the Pringles have been given two months time to demolish their house. In case of nonconformity the authorities would do so, and present them with the bill! This is travesty of justice! The fooled and innocent one has to pay for the incorrectness of the former owner. First our village had to suffer the shame of being in the headlines of national and international press for urban corruption, and now we are faced with the persecution of the innocent. This is a clear example of blind justice and abuse of power. If the relevant authorities are so anxious to start with demolition, why don’t they begin with the four level apartment blocks of 300 units in Los Altos de Alcaucín? The Green Party of Alcaucín is against the methods of the authorities in the handling of the Pringles case in the demolition of their house. Many times we have been told that we should respect Justice, but how can Justice be respected when the innocent has to pay for the guilty? This is neither about the size of a house, nor about the nationality of the present and former owners, nor about a house in a legal or illegal situation. This is about total injustice and lack of defence. The Green Party of Alcaucín is trying to defend its environment. People are part of the environment. When we are facing a clear case like this, where people first have been deceived when buying their house and now must suffer the consequences of a deaf and blind justice system, we have no other choice then to stand up for those people. For this reason, the Greens of Alcaucín have decided to support each and every protest that will be organized. If necessary, we will be the ones to organize the protest. We cannot and will not allow this property to be demolished without a prior and complete refund for the present owners. We need all the neighbours of our village to support these protests. This is the first but not the last order for demolition. We will support everyone facing the same injustice, but we will condemn it when the owner knew he was violating existing laws. Last but not least, we want to emphasize that the Greens have denounced for over more than 10 years all those irregularities. If the authorities had listened and investigated those complaints, we would have avoided situations like this. The Greens of Alcaucín.
Wednesday, 09/12/2009 On the weekend of 5th and 6th December 2009 SOHA.ES were visited by Ms Jane Slade who is the Property Editor of the Sunday Express in the UK. She had flown over specifically to report on the terrible situation that many of our members find themselves in, having bought property here in Spain. On the Saturday morning Jane met with with over twenty of our members who were given the opportunity to discuss their own situations directly with her. After listening to everybody's stories Jane arranged to visit several of the homes under threat of demolition during the course of the weekend in order to order to gather more details and also to take photographs of some of the affected houses. Jane was extremely disturbed to hear how so many innocent people had bought their homes, after carrying out very thorough checks with reputable lawyers etc and who had acted entirely legally only to find that several years later the issuing of those licences was being revoked in court with demolition orders being issued as result. She has pledged to do all that she can to raise awareness of our situation in the National press back in the UK and we look forward to reading the finished article in due course. SOHA.ES are extremely grateful for the commitment and support shown by Jane and very much hope that she will be able to highlight the issues and exert some pressure on the relevant UK authorities who may be able to help us. On Friday 4th of December SOHA.ES held a quiz night at the camping bar/restaurant to continue with the awarness campaign in our area. For full report please see the Events section of the web site. We would like to thank all who attended, those who put in time and effort to make this happen and also all who donated prizes for the raffles.
Thursday, 26/11/2009 Minutes of the general meeting held on 18th of November 2009 Introduction, The Chairman welcomed everyone and requested that questions be kept to the end. He touched on the subject of ‘Land Grab’ in other areas, and mentioned that several members had written to their MEP’s. He stated that the tribunal in Madrid had annulled the decision of Vinuela Town Council to unilaterally pass the PGOU and said we that had the legal right to get involved in influencing the new one. The Plan General is an important way of solving our problems if our houses can be shown as being on land authorised for building i.e. urban. Other Groups, Report from Les, with reference to the Joint Brief for Jose Antonio Castro and the Right Honourable Chris Bryant, MP, informed us that Mr Bryant had visited Madrid on that day for talks with relevant bodies. The MP for the Green Party was interested in, and working with, AUN and it may be that the Ombudsman will be asked to get involved now in solving ‘housing illegality’ problems, something not previously acceptable when a court case was pending. AUN are promoting the Federal Group but we have not yet formally joined although Les attended the first meeting in Madrid. We can contribute at a ‘working level’ but without the language it is difficult to take part in formal discussions. We agree in general with it’s formation but would like to clarify our involvement first. We were told that the Government is not keen to get involved with decisions made at Regional level because of the autonomy of action that has been taken. We have an established relationship now with the Junta de Andalucia and that seems the best way forward in liaison with our Ayuntamiento. Visit to Seville, Nader reported on the second meeting that he and Phil attended with the Junta and Ana Moniz, Inspectora in the Junta. It was suggested that they are planning to find solutions to the problems within the existing Spanish law but must first have an inventory of each village. She warned that not all would be part of the PGOU and it would involve some form of compensation from owners for infrastructure work. She is happy to meet with any groups as long as it is not confrontational. We may arrange another meeting as we feel the need. There is an intention to resolve the situation. Guest Visitors, The two lawyers present, Juan Diego Miranda and Alberto Pelaez Morales, who represent six of the members, were thanked for attending and were happy to meet with anyone requiring help or had any questions. Membership, Steve reported that membership had gone up from 60 to 120. As we are now meeting with more influential bodies, the higher the membership the better so please continue to seek support. Notification of Destruction Order, Ivor and Judith Pringle were then introduced and he gave an outline of his case and thanked SOHA.ES for the immediate support they received in October. He felt it took much of the pressure off them and pointed them in the right directions to cope with the problem. They were given a demolition order on Oct 14th 2009, saying that their license was nullified before they bought the house back in 2001. In 1997 a license to build was granted by Alcaucin but the Green Party denounced it the following year, so the owner put it up for sale in Dec 2000. The lawyer found nothing wrong when going through the paperwork for the Pringles, there was no addendum on the escutura warning of the withdrawal of the licenses so the seller was committing a crime. Paperwork always goes to the original owner not the present one. On Oct 17th they were notified that they had two months to demolish the house. The case is looked at in four phases: • meet with the Alcalde to say there was now a legal case pending. • A case file was prepared for the court case in Malaga. Failing that it would come under the ‘Human Rights’ and a suspension order would be obtained- until such times as the laws change. • Recover all legal costs from the Ayuntamiento. • Take legal action against the previous owner. Ivor pointed out that everything had to be recorded – a book of expenses, including each visit to the lawyer with documentation, and a compilation of major action. The lawyer has asked for an enormous amount of paperwork. He fortunately has the original contract stating ‘no outstanding debts’. He had received a phone call from Phil Ellis, Foreign Office, who is very interested in the case and is fully aware of the problems. A neighbour has said that there are another 25 cases in the area (Alcaucin) awaiting the results of this case. Fund Raising, Pauline brought the Quiz night on Friday Dec 4th to the attention of members and stated that those wishing to take part but not eat would need to pay only 3 euros. Contingency Planning, A request was made for members once again for members to help on a working committee to prepare for action, should the need arise. Some legal information had been received from AUN but options need to be considered. Any Other Business, • Jayne Slade, a journalist with the Sunday Express, would be at the Camping Bar Restaurant with her photographer husband to talk to members about their problems on Sat Dec 5th at 10.30 am. We need members present who are happy to be in a write up. • Nader asked for more photographs for his presentation, to be used at meetings, etc – houses in construction, views of them completed, with the owners, gardens, etc. Please email 6 to 8 photos to SOHA.ES membership. We are told that there are 660 new detached houses on non urban land, in Vinuela alone, and of those, 89 licenses have already been impounded. • A protest in Malaga was mentioned by Harro Posthumus and he said a demonstration outside the house prevented a demolition order being carried out. He also said there were many Dutch groups, and other nationalities, that we should try and visit to recruit and inform. He asked how solutions can be found if …’”there is no reason to change the laws”? Phil stated that the President of the Diputation de Malaga has said that there are provisions within the law to solve most of the problems of illegal houses. No decision has yet been made as to how they do it – there has to be a solution. • Richard Eely stated they also had a demolition order and a 540,000 euros fine because they had built on agricultural land, and like many others in Benamargosa, had been given the go-ahead by the Ayuntamiento and had 3 documents from them, including one for the Manchester Building Society, saying they were legal. How could that be right? Phil said unfortunately he had no easy reply, only that we must remain patient until the PGOU’s are completed and the Junta can begin to find reasons for them to remain.
Monday, 09/11/2009 Three important articles in as many days... RTNews: 06/11/09: Catral solved? I wonder.... Written by : Louise Clarke Round Town News After years of campaigning by Catral residents to get their homes legalised, it seems that, at last, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Town Hall in Catral will soon be reclassifying and therefore legalising the pockets of land which are classed as rustic. Over 1300 homes in Catral alone have been affected by this 'illegal' homes situation, where builders and developers built properties on rustic land and built houses on plots less than the required 10,000 square metres. As a result, homes were deemed illegal, habitation certificates were never issued and hundreds of home owners were left with houses that they couldn't sell, not to mention without the basic utilities. Now, after many petitions, meetings, the ousting of the previous Mayor, which resulted in the Valencian government taking over the town briefly, as well as a trip to the European parliament in Brussels, which was exclusively covered by Round Town News, the affected homes will soon become legal and habitation certificates will be issued. Good Faith, Sadly, this will not happen without cost and after initial estimates and many rumours, the Town Hall has decided that every municipal home owner must pay 1% of the valuation of their house to the Town Hall to pay for the required infrastructure which is needed to make the land urban. Obviously, this has caused furore amongst some residents, but the Town Hall insisted that this was the fairest way to do it. In an exclusive interview with the Catral Mayor, Aurelio Albero Garcia and Councillor for Urbanism, Antonio Bellido, Round Town News was told that the Town Hall had pondered over the question of charges for many months and as much as they don't want to have to implement charges, they will have to. Antonio said: "If we had just charged the affected home owners, this would have been unfair as they all bought in good faith. I appreciate that some of the town's residents will not be happy about it, but this is Catral's problem and it must be resolved. It is only fair that the problem is shared." IMPORTANT, When RTN left the meeting, we met two Catral residents who are happy that the situation is being resolved. Pat Bagnall, is Secretary of the Vecinos Colaborando or Neighbours Association. She and her husband have lived in Catral for five years and they are happy to pay the money so that they can secure their property. Pat told RTN: "We have been waiting five years for this and if it means that our property is legalised after we pay this 1%, then we are happy to pay it. This is our home and we love it here." She did say that it was important that residents are aware that they must all get the forms from the Town Hall as soon as possible as they need to be filled in and sent back by the end of the month. She said: "There is a BANDO, which is an official notification, on the front door of the Town Hall. The forms must be filled in and sent back to them by 30th November and there will be an opportunity to meet Town Hall representatives on 26th November between 8:30 and 11:00 in the Centro Sociocultural." She added: "It is very important that everybody who is affected does this or the Town Hall has said that an embargo could be placed on your property." She concluded: "This is a very positive move on the part of the Catral Town Hall and I, for one, welcome it. A lot of people have their heads in the sand, but they must now realise how important it is to fill these forms in." Responsibility and Blame, However, not everyone is happy about the way that the Town Hall has handled the situation. Brent Gardner, President of CACAU, told RTN: "CACAU has not even been informed by the Catral Town Hall of any new process that is to take place. Rumours have been circulating and now of course, we realise that the press and other persons have been informed of this latest development before consulting or even informing the very people that it concerns, i.e. the residents of Catral" He continued: "It would seem that the authorities are completely disregarding the reality of the situation and completely ignoring the fact that they should bare(?) an extremely large proportion of responsibility and blame for allowing and in fact, condoning the illegal practices that have taken place in Catral. If these faceless people had done their jobs correctly, this situation would not and could not have occurred." He concluded: "It seems to be a popular opinion that the residents who purchased what they believed and were told are legal properties, have an unlimited supply of money and can just produce what is required at a moments notice; this is an unrealistic and ridiculous notion. As an association, we will endeavour to officially obtain the current information and we will of course be consulting our solicitor to guide us towards any future action and in turn will inform our members of any developments via our newsletters."
The Scotsman: 06/11/09 Justice plea by Britons caught up in Spanish homes scam By Alfonso Daniels in Almanzora Valley, Spain BRITONS whose Spanish homes have been rendered worthless because they lack a "habitation licence" will today petition Madrid in their fight for justice. The petition will detail more than 1,000 cases of people, mostly retired couples who fell victim to a scam whereby local mayors reclassified rural land to sell to builders, often in return for bribes, and they in turn marketed properties to unsuspecting clients, knowing the requisite permits were not in place. Many have not even been able to occupy their houses, getting only a stamped document in exchange for their life savings. Suzanne Wyatt said: "The majority paid the money six or seven years ago and lost everything. I spent 90,000 (£81,000) and haven't received anything. I doubt we'll be compensated. " She admits the chances of getting a response from the Spanish government are slim. Danish MEP Margrete Auken said: "It's the largest case I've ever come across. Tens of thousands of people, British, Germans, Spaniards, are affected. Rules were not respected, corruption was rampant." She said the Spanish government was trying to avoid tackling the issue, despite a resolution passed in March by the European Parliament threatening sanctions unless these cases were resolved. Nowhere is the situation starker than in the arid and rugged Almanzora Valley in south-eastern Spain. Liz and John Browne, a retired couple from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, moved there five years ago. But their retirement dream turned into a living hell after realising they had bought one of some 11,000 illegal properties built in the area. "We're trapped. We can't do anything. The builder and our Spanish lawyers said the building licence was in order, so we paid 140,000, which was half of the total, and look what we have now," said Mr Browne, pointing at the empty concrete shell of his house. They have spent the past five years renting another place for 600 a month using the other half of the money, waiting in vain for someone to compensate them or to be allowed to complete their house. "Our money is running out," Mr Browne said. "I'm 72 years old and a few months ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. I feel sick. I don't want to leave my wife with nothing and give up our dream." In another part of the valley, in Aljambra, 13 British couples live in whitewashed, tiled houses with swimming pools which they bought five years ago for about 200,000, but which turned out to be illegal. Their electricity has been cut off, forcing them to buy diesel generators which they can afford to run for only about five hours daily, while some houses do not even have running water. The local mayor has been arrested, but they do not expect their cases to be resolved for years. and so it continues... The Olive Press 02/11/2009 Case 1, Retired lawyer John Toomey and wife Marissa are among the 300 families caught up in the Banana Beach saga. Despite initially not believing that the authorities would demolish the Marbella complex, they have been forced to realise it is now an imminent threat IT TOOK us a while to come to terms with the harsh reality that these people really do intend to destroy our home. We were in denial for a long time, we thought it would go away but it hasn’t. They really will demolish everything, we have to fight them. Imagine what it will be like when they destroy everything and turf out 300 families. Although we spend most of our time in London, we do regularly visit our Banana Beach home. I could not even begin to imagine what it is like for people who live there full time. Everyone is very distraught about this, some people are already very ill. There are English couples in their 80s and young families with mortgages and they have this horror hanging over their heads. The human cost as a result of all this really is huge, it’s truly horrendous. This is the last thing I wanted when I invested here, it’s very distressing for both my wife and I. My wife Marissa is diabetic and stress is extremely dangerous for her health. Unfortunately, she probably has never been so fraught. It constantly dominates our thinking as every day we are making telephone calls and sending emails to try and garner support as well as actually get to the bottom of what is really going on. Even the Spanish lawyers who live here are absolutely clueless. They’re leading us out in the cold, not even the Marbella town hall are sure exactly where this is heading. However, I have a feeling they are planning to send in the demolition men early next year because the proposed town planning bill looks set to be approved. But I can assure you it will actually taken them years and years. We know we are in the right and we will stand up against this and fight them till the end. We did everything by the book and we will not allow this to happen. In fact, I have most recently sent a letter to all London MEPs, urging them to put pressure on the European Commission. Every day we are trying to keep our minds occupied but it is so tough with this hanging over us. It is completely debilitating. Everything seemed to be so straightforward and clear when we bought the place. Sadly this has turned into a nightmare. Case 2, Richard and Sandra Jenkins have just discovered their dream retirement home in Alcaucin may be reduced to rubble in just two months They are now painfully contemplating the cost of destroying their own home before the Spanish demolition men arrive to do it themselves LAST week the local police came round and issued the terrible news that our house is set to be demolished in two months. We are thinking about all the possible scenarios. How is it going to feel to be homeless? What we can do to stop this from happening? We are even considering selling the car to try and raise some cash to move to France. The reality is we have no idea how to raise enough money to do this. It is a completely drastic situation. We are living in fear that we may end up homeless. It doesn’t even bear thinking about that we may be back in England by Christmas, homeless. My wife is on tenterhooks at the moment, she has not been well, her blood pressure is very high. During the day the situation doesn’t seem quite so bad, but at night it is horrendous because that’s when your mind starts to wander. The desperate truth is that our whole life and everything we own rests on our house. If it gets pulled down what will I have to leave my children for their inheritance? We are about to employ some lawyers in Malaga – our future will soon be in their hands. I just do not have any idea how long it is going to take or whether they will be able to make a difference. Unfortunately, we had no idea our licenses had been nullified when we bought our house in 2001. If so, we definitely would not have bought the property. Furthermore, we have also spent in excess of 40,000 euros modernising and improving the property – it is now worth half a million euros. I worked 32 years to be able to buy this dream house. A JCB costs 280 euros a day to rent, our house is three floors tall, we cannot even bring ourselves to consider the possibility of paying for the destruction of our own home. I just wish I could get hold of the old owner of the house who sold it to us. There was no mention whatsoever of the licenses being revoked in the purchase contract, we were completely caught out and look set to be punished. It’s heartbreaking. Worse still, we have been told that we need to pay for the demolition of our own home, if not, the Junta will send people round themselves and we will later foot the bill. A JCB costs 280 euros a day to rent, our house is three floors tall, we cannot even bring ourselves to consider the possibility of paying for the destruction of our own home. And that is even before we think about the legal bills. Even if we win the case it will take ages for us to be repaid by the Junta. Apparently, Len and Helen Priors – who had their Almeria house pulled down three years ago – are still waiting for what they are owed after the Spanish High Court ruled it was illegally pulled down. (The Junta has now announced it will re-start court action against the Priors). A thin ray of light may be that the new mayor of Alcaucin, Guillermo Perez Martin, has confirmed he will do everything in his power to make sure all the houses in danger are protected. We live in hope. Case 3, Although their monthly 3000 euro fine has been waived due to a “clerical error” Andy and Theresa Bartlett are facing an anxious wait to see if their kitchen extension will be on the Mijas town hall demolition list Their 16-year-old son – who is currently studying for his GCSEs – is suffering due to the on- going stress of the situation. We are so scared of receiving the 24-hour demolition notice. We are surrounded by about 45 other illegal builds but, for some r eason, they seem to be specifically targeting us. We are still waiting for the demolition list to be made public and you can bet your bottom dollar we will be on it. There doesn’t seem to be any clear-cut way to solve this. Our life is a living hell – worse still, our son is right in the middle of studying for his forthcoming GCSEs. His stress levels have gone through the roof. According to him, he has never known us to be so worried. We are just not ourselves at the moment and it definitely is the unknown that is killing us. We feel like we are being persecuted, especially when we look out of our windows and see what other people are happily building. For instance, our neighbour has built a massive six-foot high wall that completely surrounds his whole garden but he has received no such warnings. It appears as if he can get away with whatever he wants, he has got more bricks in just one corner of his wall then we have in our whole kitchen. This is like persecution, we feel like Jews waiting to go to the gas chamber. We have taken our problem to British Consular Minister Chris Bryant, but we are just going around in circles. At least the fine was suspended, thankfully the town hall told us it was a clerical mistake just before we had to pay for the first month. We are in a stagnant situation and have no idea just what exactly is going to happen. Believe us though when we say, we will fight them to the death if they do decide to tear our kitchen down. Case 4, After seeking the support of some 70 British MEPs, Dan Thorneycroft vents his anger to the Olive Press regarding the dire situation faced by thousands of home-owning, law-abiding expatriates across Andalucia His 172,000 euro home in El Fas, Cantoria is illegal and facing imminent demolition WE have been told that no building permissions were issued by the Cantoria town hall for 25 years. Why are we being punished when we had done all we could to ensure that we complied with the law and bought in good faith? It is inconceivable that the regional authorities were unaware of thesituation regarding illegal building, and thereby condoned it. Where did they think the extra revenues were coming from? Why has Spain been booming in recent years? Where did all the businesses that profited from the mainly British investments think that the money came from? It really is shameful that they should suggest that we should pay to have our homes legalised. What about sharing some of the profits they have made out of us? This is the shame of Spain! The realisation that so many houses are now classed as illegal was the main cause of the property slump in Spain, long before the current worldwide economic problems. All we want is to live out our lives in peace, and enjoy your wonderful country among the good Spanish people. Surely this is our basic human right.
Friday, 06/11/2009 House of Lords Questions, Four questions put forward by Lord Burnett which is asking the Goverment to take action with regards to the Spanish land laws, and the rights of EU citizens being abused. Lord Burnett, to ask Her Majesty's Goverment what assessment they have made of the report prepared by Margrete Aucken MEP, dates 20 February, on the impact of extensive urbanisation in Spain on individual rights of European citizens; and whether they have raised the matter with the Prime Minister of Spain. Lord Burnett, to ask Her Majesty's Goverment what action they have taken in response to the petition delivered to No 10 Downing Street on 12 March by Suzanne Wyatt concerning United Kingdom citizens who have bought, or attempted to buy, property in Spain; and whether they have raised this matter with the goverment of Spain. Lord Burnett, to ask Her Majesty's Goverment whether they will make representations to the goverment of Spain about the level of compensation paid to United Kingdom citizens for properties nationalised under the Ley de Costas. Lord Burnett, to ask Her Majesty's Goverment what assessment they have made of the number of properties owned by United Kingdom citizens in Spain which may be demolished following the revocation of planning permission, in the light of assurances given to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on his recent visit to Madrid that no, or very few, properties owned by United Kingdom citizens would be demolished.
Tuesday, 03/11/2009 From our friends in AUN... We listened to the 30-minute documentary that was broadcast on Mon 2 Nov 2009 11:00am on BBC Radio 4, that is now available online for the next week. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00njwd7
Tuesday, 26/10/2009 Important, please read... A letter from one of our members we received recently... We live in El Toril, a small hamlet going towards Zafarraya, for administrative purposes, we come under Alcaucin. Although not full members, my wife has always attended your meetings. Out of the blue, over the last three consecutive days, we have had a visit from the local Police, on each day delivering an official letter from the Ayuntamiento de Alcaucin regarding our property. The first two letters informed us of a resolution that revoked/nullified the building licence in December 2000. The Third letter delivered this morning (Saturday) states that our house is to be demolished in 2 months time from the date of the letter (16th October). This is the first time we have received notification of any kind whatsoever that our house is illegal, although, the previous owner (as stated in the letter) was notified in October 2008. As far as our solicitors are concerned our paperwork is in order and our house is legal, the only outstanding issue is that the previous owner who built the house has exceeded the m2 of the licence issued by the Ayuntamiento de Alcaucin. Steps to rectify this situation to obtain a new and accurate escritura are at present in motion. As you can imagine, these series of letters come as a total shock and we are obviously very devastated by the course of these "sudden" events. Needless to say, my wife and I find the contents of the letters very upsetting. We bought the house of our dreams from Juan Manuel Hurtado Gonzalez in July 2001, (the original owner of the house when first built.) We were not aware that the licence to build had been nullified in December 2000, if so, we would not have bought the property. In addition to buying the property we have also spent in excess of 40,000 euros modernising and improving the property. Given our limited funds we have a home that we are very proud of. Secondly, we employed the firm of 'Expatriates' (whose office is in Torre del Mar close to the Supersol supermarket) to ensure all legal matters were checked and taken care of. They told us that everything was legal and that there were no reasons why we should not go ahead with the purchase. At the conclusion of the sale, we were, and still are, in possession of escituras for both the land and the construction of the house. We also have copies of the licence to build, issued by the Ayuntamiento, Nota Simple and Licence of First Occupation. Now my wife and I are told that our home will be demolished within 2 months when we are the innocent party, totally. We have done no wrong. Everything we have in the world is in this property, it has been our home for over 8 years and we are very happy. However, because the previous owner lied (with regard to the fact that he was aware that the licence had been nullified in December 2000) and our legal representatives (when we bought the property) did not carry out a 100% property check we are the people who will suffer. If the property is demolished we have no money to buy another house, my wife is a pensioner and I am 61 years old in January. Where will we live? Why are the authorities not prosecuting the parties who are in the wrong? Since buying the house we are registered for Spanish Income Tax, we have paid our IBI every year, also our water and basura rates, electricity and anything else we have to pay as residents living in Spain. We have always complied with the laws of Spain and now we are to be punished for other peoples wrong doings. Needles to say the first two letters are in the hands of our lawyer and the one received today has already been scanned in and sent. As it is the week-end, we await their comments early next week. Newspaper articles from the Costa del Sol News. 22/10/2009 And unbelievable, but true... Monday, 25/10/2009 With regards to the vote mentioned below, please find extract from an email from one MEP who was in contact with one of our members. (full email is available on request) "Unfortunately although I supported this amendment and intended to voteupon it; unfortunately it was prevented from being brought to the floor on procedural grounds. I am sure you will share my frustration that we the supporters of this amendment felt...."
Thursday, 22/10/2009 Today there is a vote in the European parliament on the 2010 budget and the Greens/EFA group are tabling an amendment to place funds in reserve until Spain alters its land policies. Extract from one of our members email to his local MP... "We would like as much support as possible for this amendment , I hope we can rely on your support and from as many of your colleagues as possible. We strongly believe that this type of action is the only thing that will persuade Spain to change its ways".
Wednesday, 21/10/2009 Re our recent visit to Alicante, some of the interviews after the conference are available from the following links Interviews from the Alfaz conference.......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wP3WT_kRpQ&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NMNnJso_h0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lywRiYLhMNE&feature=related
Wednesday, 07/10/2009 Other news... Willy Meyer, MEP, chair of EU petitions committee, Member of Andalucian parliament and senior figure in the United Left party has stated his intention to raise a question in the Andalucian parliament on the topic of urban abuse. The IU are a minority group in the Andalucian parliament but opening the dialogue is still a major step for our cause. He has been given the information via other groups and we wait for an outcome.
Tuesday, 06/10/2009 Meeting in Albir (Alicante), 26th of September 2009 The meeting was held in Hotel Sun Palace, Albir, and was attended by over 500 people, including 12 SOHA.ES members who made the journey to support the groups under their own steam. Speakers included Margaret Auken, who explained more about her report and there were also people from other organizations with various difficulties. Most people had one thing in common. They had problems because of the land laws in Spain. Many were there because of the land grab issues in Valencia, others with similar complications. Having a motor way built a few meters from their home was another problem as well as the problems on the coast and the plight of the fishermen and their families in the Canary Islands, which was seen on the television all over Spain. (Footage may be available on you tube) There were a few speeches and some audio visual programms. Questions were taken by Margaret Auken, as well as others chairing the meeting. Philip Smalley, our chairman, also put our case to Margaret Auken. Amongst people attending, were the Prior family who had their house demolished. A petition was also available and signed by most people there to forward to Mr. Gordon Brown, again, to bring these issues to his attention. Another step forward is the formation of FAUN. This is a Spanish federation, formed to unite different groups, like ours, aiming to approach Madrid and the Goverment. First meeting has already been planned for 24th of October 2009 in Madrid. Anyone wishes to attend please contact Philip Smalley for more information. This meeting was an important step forward for the people in Valencia as well as others all over Spain. We welcome other members who may wish to attend future meetings to support others in a similar situation.
Monday, 05/10/2009 Article in Round Town News - Safe as Houses Written by Jack Troughton Thursday, 24 September 2009 The Jalon Valley, a property hotspot. Safe As Houses? (Demolition of illegal homes “unlikely”) Thousands of homes branded ‘illegal’ – many owned by ex-pats chasing the Spanish dream - will escape the bulldozer, revealed MP Chris Bryant following Madrid talks. After meeting Spanish counterparts, the minister said the “good news” was that the demolition of property would only go ahead in “exceptional circumstances”. Mr Bryant, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said he had met with politicians of the newly created Ministry of Territorial Politics and discussed controversial property laws. As well as the notorious ‘land grab’ legislation, he said talks also included the problem of illegal property where homes bought in good faith “no longer have the right planning permission” and faced being razed to the ground. And he said central government was “very aware” of an “indiscriminate” problem that affected Spanish and ex-pats alike. SOLUTION Mr Bryant told British journalists at the new Consulate General: “They are keen to find a solution but it is complicated. However, I am confident on some key issues the minister wants to move forward. “The minister said he felt someoutrageous things had happened and he was keen to reassure me that it was very unlikely people’s houses would be taken down. However, he accepted that in the immediate future, the nightmare for home owners would continue and blighted properties lose value. Mr Bryant said the foreign office would also want to see what teeth the new ministry had – especially as Madrid’s political relationship with the autonomous regional governments could be “quite difficult”. And he said the Spanish minister was “very clear in saying that except in very exceptional circumstances he could not see a situation where people would have their houses pulled down.” Mr Bryant added: “I think that is very good news.” CLARITY He also said things would vary across the different parts of Spain and there was a need for clarity. The MP for Rhonda added it was also hoped to reach a position where a victim who bought property in good faith, only to see it torn down, would be offered another home of “similar stature and value”, or receive compensation. It is understood there are some 35,000 cases of “property issues” in Spain – around 7,000 involve foreigners and, of those, 2,500 are linked to British citizens. And Spanish and foreign citizens continue to form associations to campaign against the abuses of property and the environment caused during the country’s construction boom. The European Parliament voted earlier this year to accept MEP Margrete Auken’s scathing report on the problem – which called for funding to Spain to be put on ice until action is taken. A Danish politician, Ms Auken will tour parts of Alicante this weekend to meet residents affected by Valencia’s property legislation and the national Coastal Law to gauge feeling on the ground. She will also speak at an open meeting on Saturday September 26th at 18.00 until 20.00 at the Hotel Sun Palace, Alfaz del Pi.
Saturday, 19/09/2009 Meeting with Junta de Andalucia The above meet took place Wednesday 16 September with myself and Tony Lindsay-Jones representing the assoc.and Sra.Ana Matiz for the Consejeria supported by two of her assistants Eva Gamero Ruiz(Vivienda) and Antonio Jesus (Inspector). The meeting was very cordial ,lasting approx.1.5 hrs.with Sra.Matiz(who is new in the role) showing great interest in our problems. She explained that a general amnesty cannot be contemplated as it is important for society in general that those who have abused the systems cannot be seen to get away with that abuse,but that she is confident that ,within the law progress can be made towards legalisation of the majority of properties,but that it is inevitable that where a building should not have been constructed that demolition would occur. I asked who would pay compensation and she replied that it is the Town Hall's responsibility as they issued the illegal license. She stressed that the Junta is not our enemy and that everything possible would be done to resolve the problems throughout Andalucia, stressing that the problems in the Axarquia (detached houses in the Campo)are totally different from other areas,and I got the impression that ours is one area she wants to quickly resolve.The inspection teams are completing Sayalonga and Sedella?,but the inspection done by Viñuela Town Hall is not sufficient and needs more information,although it is a positive that Viñuela is co-operating. She is looking for commonality with our building problems and to that end has asked us to supply her with some case studies - Tony and myself have already agreed to provide her with all our paperwork(copies of),and they also want chapter and verse on who you bought the land/building from,estate agents,lawyers,notaries etc. involved in the purchase . Tony and I are quite prepared to supply this info.is there anybody else?I also believe the questionnaire we sent out some time ago would be quite useful in showing commonality,but despite repeated requests we still only have twenty forms when the membership stands at more than sixty so I am resending the form - can those of you who still have not filled it in PLEASE do so and send it back to me. We have been invited to return on 16 November for another meeting with the Director,with them having had a chance to analyse the case studies we will have sent - volunteers please! The important thing for me here is that the request for a further meeting came from the Director and that she is happy to continue with the dialogue - at last we are making progress. Philip Smalley
Monday, 13/07/2009 Article from Typically Spanish, sounds more positive... Mayors of the Axarquía want to change the building laws By h.b. - Jul 12, 2009 The mayors have proposed legal construction on rural land The 31 mayors of the Axarquía region of Málaga, meeting at the Mancomunidad de Municipios de l a Costa del Sol Oriental, have come up with an idea to legalise the illegally built properties in the region. They want the law to be changed, to allow construction on rural land. The idea is, according to El País, supported by Mayors from all parties, who consider it to be the easiest way to regularise the situation, with a single change to the LOUA, the Andalucian Law for Urban Ordination. PSOE Spokesman in the Mancomunidad, Francisco Muñoz, explains that the idea ‘is not to escape any responsibility’ but to ease a situation which has led to ‘social concern’ with many citizens worried about the future of their homes, and a consequent total paralysis of the construction sector. The Mayors also propose that granting an illegal licence no longer be considered a crime.
If you want to read the Spanish copy it (highlight the text then press cntrl C) then paste it (cntrl V) into google translate. (Type Google translate into google.) Its not perfect but you´ll get the gist.
Martes, 21/4/2009 Alcaucín, otro caso que se veía venirLos alcaldes de la Axarquía se muestran temerosos ante la investigación judicialFERNANDO J. PÉREZ - Málaga - 08/03/2009 Unos jóvenes sudamericanos jugando al futbito en las pistas municipales es la única actividad aparente en Alcaucín una semana después de que el nombre del pueblo abriera todos los informativos por la detención de su alcalde, José Manuel Martín Alba. El pasado viernes, el silencio y los gatos se habían adueñado de sus calles estrechas y empinadas, las mismas calles que el viernes anterior habían sido tomadas por un ejército de guardias civiles, periodistas y vecinos que se negaban a creer que su querido Pepe Calayo, que tanto trabajo había traído al pueblo, fuera un corrupto.
Los compradores de viviendas se unen para luchar por que se legalicen Con la perspectiva que dan siete días y unas cuantas informaciones periodísticas -entre ellas la de que Martín escondía 160.000 euros bajo su colchón- la fe de los vecinos en la probidad del ya ex alcalde comienza a resquebrajarse. Lo que no ha sufrido ni una grieta es el cariño que sienten por él, pese a saber que ahora duerme en el módulo 10 de la prisión de Alhaurín de la Torre. "Seguramente habrá hecho algo, no sabemos qué, pero Pepe es una buena persona", sentencia un vecino en el bar. "Se ha dejado engañar por los promotores", opina otro. Todos dedican palabras gruesas para su compañero de cárcel, el jefe del servicio de Arquitectura de la Diputación de Málaga, José Mora, Chiqui, a quien consideran, sin entrar en detalles, culpable del triste destino del regidor. Eso sí, todo el mundo reconoce ya abiertamente que la operación Arcos - traducción al castellano del árabe Al-caucín- "se veía venir". Junto a la pista de deportes, una urbanización de 60 viviendas permanece parada. Así están todas las construcciones del pueblo, muchas de las cuales son bloques de pisos. El paro ha hecho presa de los habitantes de la comarca, que hace una década abandonaron masivamente los olivares y las viñas para lanzarse a alicatar el paisaje de La Axarquía de la mano de unos alcaldes que no supieron, o no quisieron, evitarlo. Ahora, entre 10.000 y 21.468 viviendas irregulares ocupan el suelo rústico de los 29 municipios más Rincón de la Victoria y Totalán. El arresto de Pepe Calayo ha sembrado de inquietud a los residentes. "El pueblo tardará años en recuperarse de esto", afirman los parroquianos del bar. También están temerosos los alcaldes de los pueblos limítrofes. José Manuel Aranda (PSOE), regidor de Canillas de Aceituno, donde la Fiscalía y los juzgados han abierto al menos seis diligencias de investigación por supuestos delitos urbanísticos, se confiesa "deprimido" y dice llevar "dos o tres noches" sin dormir. "Tenemos parados por un tubo, no hay día en que no venga alguien a pedir trabajo al Ayuntamiento. Con el kilo de aceituna a 25 céntimos, ¿para qué sirve La Axarquía, para criar camaleones?", se indigna. Aranda reconoce que "urbanísticamente" los alcaldes de la comarca han caminado "por el filo de la navaja de la legalidad" y culpa de la situación a la Junta de Andalucía "por emitir informes no vinculantes". "Que miren mis cuentas si quieren", desafía. En Canillas se ha pasado de una inmobiliaria a 30 en sólo siete años. Muchos de quienes vendieron sus terrenos a promotores adquirieron casas en la costa, en Vélez-Málaga o en la capital. Otros, como Javier, permutaron los terrenos donde tenían sus negocios de hostelería a cambio de pisos en las futuras promociones y con la crisis se quedaron sin pisos y sin negocio. Ahora trata de malvender su todoterreno y sobrevive con una pequeña tienda en la que comercia, entre otras cosas, con las sillas de su perdido restaurante. Otro colectivo que teme por su propiedad son los miembros de SOHA.ES, una asociación creada por residentes extranjeros para reclamar la legalización de sus viviendas en La Axarquía y evitar las posibles demoliciones. "Los propietarios somos los únicos que hemos cumplido las normas y pagado religiosamente, mientras inmobiliarias, alcaldes, abogados y notarios se saltaban la ley", recuerda su portavoz, Gary Miles, un jubilado londinense de 51 años. "Más que los alcaldes vayan a la cárcel nos importa poder confiar en el sistema", remacha Philip Smalley, de 62 años, y secretario de SOHA.ES. Ambos alaban "el sentido común" y la "profesionalidad" del nuevo consejero de Vivienda de la Junta, Juan Espadas, quien les ha "asegurado por escrito" que la mayoría de las viviendas se regularizarán. Here is a recent article on how the EU Parliament would like to pressure the Spanish government.
We would recommend that you tale a look also at the Abusos urbanisticos Almanzora No website. http://www.abusos-no.org/
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