More demolitions are being carried out in Spain on so-called ‘illegal’ houses.
The latest victims of the Spanish property scandal are retired Britons.
At least two houses were bulldozed today, Tuesday, with more scheduled for tomorrow. The houses were in the country village of Cantoria.
Grafitti daubed on the house in English read “punish the guilty” and “compensate the innocent”.
Andalusian officials deemed that both the houses had been built illegally. Altogether, some 300,000 houses in the province have been proclaimed illegal.
Since 2008, 16 homes in Andalusia have been destroyed. Hundreds of people are at various stages of legal battles.
Of the houses bulldozed today, one couple purchased theirs in 2005 for £139,000 with a further investment of £20,000 for fixtures and fittings.
But early the next year, armed police accompanied regional government officials to the house to inform the owners that the property had been built on rural land and as a consequence was illegal.
Following this, the water and electricity supplies were cut off.
A demolition order arrived in 2009.
A court ruled that a total of €790,000 should be awarded to the two British couples whose homes were flattened today – plus two other British home owners whose houses were bulldozed in October 2013. But this is not enforceable.
“It’s been eight years and we’re still not any further on. The courts have let us down totally. It was a waste of time going. It’s not made a blind bit of difference,” said one of the owners, Mrs Hegarty.
“And our money’s gone too,” added Mr Hegarty.
Maura Hillen, president of AUAN, an action group representing illegal home owners, said: “As the law stands the judge doesn’t have the authority to force that payment. He has no more power than to set the amount of compensation.
“The court proceedings take so long, the accused have ample time to move their assets. By the time the amount is set to pick the guilty party’s pockets, those pockets are empty.”
“It’s a crazy situation that’s crucifying people who never did anything wrong. All they wanted to do is live in the sunshine, enjoying their retirement.
“We blame the administration for allowing the rascally promoters to carry on with impunity.”
