NEWS
Brit home owners in Zurgena building
scam
Builder flees with thousands
while expats are forced to cover unpaid mortgages
Costa Almeria News, 12th December, Richard
Torne
THE pitfalls of buying
property in Almería are once more in the spotlight this week following
revelations that scores of expats have fallen victim to a crooked developer who
fled with their cash and left mortgages unpaid.
An investigation by this
newspaper can reveal that the owner of building firm Socribo S.L., responsible
for the Jardines del Almanzora housing complex in Zurgena's La Alfoquía
district, took out at least seven mortgages on properties expats had already
bought and paid for.
The bank, Caja Sur, started legal proceedings in
July to reclaim seven of the properties and is threatening to evict expats
unless the outstanding moneys are paid.
Nigel and Jane Thomas bought a
part-built villa in October 2004 for 120,000 euros. The villa was completed in
March 2006 after a delay caused by a dispute between the builder and the firm
selling the land, New Horizon Villas - a company currently being investigated by
the Guardia Civil for fraud.
Although the couple were instructed to pay
73,418 euros into Socribo's Banco Popular bank account, the builder's mortgage
was with Caja de Ahorros de Córdoba - a subsidiary of Caja Sur, the bank that is
now demanding the money.
To their horror, Mr and Mrs Thomas only recently
learnt the bank was foreclosing the mortgage on the seven properties, including
their home.
Lawyers who have reportedly filed criminal proceedings
against Socribo's owner, Jose Manuel Bonilla Vargas, are claiming Sr Vargas
Bonilla has fled without a trace.
But Costa Almería News can reveal
that, far from disappearing off the face of the earth, Sr Bonilla Vargas is
happily living in Almería city. He is also in hot water with the Spanish Inland
revenue for not paying social security contributions and is the subject of four
claims of irregularities with the authorities.
Coupled to claims of
fraud by the developer, there is suspicion lawyers did not act in the interests
of their expat clients. One lawyer in particular acted as representative for
both the real estate firm involved in the sale, Art of Living, and the victims.
To add to the couple's woes, the sales contract falsely stated there
were no charges on the property and they are still without their title deeds.
There are also question marks hanging over the agent representing the real
estate company, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as she claimed to be the
owner of the property when it was sold.
Read the full story in the Costa
Almeria News.
Costa Almeria News
Online
Illegal House
"Lobbies"
Outlying area residents without licenses join
together to get their homes legalised
Libertad Paloma, Cadiz Andalucía Section, El País, 7 December
2008
They built without permits,
paid much less for their houses than normal prices, and broke the law. But now
they want more. Amongst the many illegal outlying residential areas that have
sprung up in Andalucía, pressure groups have formed: neighbours have joined
forces to convince authorities to overlook the offences that have been committed
and to drop the cost of getting their houses regularised. Angel Núñez, tax
coordinator of the environmental department, has dealt with them and warns about
the power of these "lobbies" whose demands the municipal governments cannot - or
do not want to - ignore.
"We aren't illegal", say homeowners protected by
neighbourhood groups in Chiclana (Cádiz) who began building in this town without
any planning control two decades ago. Today there are 15,000 such houses and
their owners stand fiercely by the letter of planning law. "We built our homes
without building permits, but the majority of the houses are over four years
old. They are untouchable," argues Rafael Ortiz, one of the group's
spokespersons.
One of the first meetings of José María Román (PSOE),
Chiclana's recently appointed mayor, was with this neighbourhood group. He has
already announced that he will reduce the municipal ordinances drawn up by the
previous local government which had anticipated prices of between 20 and 36
euros per square meter for mains electricity, water and sewage hook-ups.
Pressure comes to other towns via demonstrations. Residents of El Puerto
and Chipiona have joined to denounce the "social impact" created by the current
policy of sanctions against illegal constructions and have called for a protest
for January 16. In Chipiona, with some 300 demolition orders, Manuel García, the
socialist mayor himself, in a letter to the Junta de Andalucía, admitted that
demolition could provoke "social conflict".
…In Vejer, the Council of
Territorial Planning and Housing of the Junta de Andalucia is going to let the
houses built in El Palmar on non-urbanisable land remain, as long as the
residents themselves monitor to ensure that no new buildings are constructed.
The illegal urbanization of Las Pitas has become a real headache for the
local government of Córdoba whose residents have been demonstrating and
pressuring the Junta de Andalucía and the town hall in search of a
regularisation of their situation. Built near the archeological ruins of Medina
Azahara, the land where the Last Pitas urbanization lies was declared of public
interest in 2003. This has resulted in actions taken against six families who
built homes after 2006…
… Residents have staged a concerted pressure
campaign, including demonstrations in the streets of Córdoba, cutting off roads,
congregations in front of the tribunal of the city as well as marches to the
archeological ruins. Representatives of both the Junta and the town hall have
met with neighbours to explain the contents of a new decree which claims the
expropriation of several undeveloped plots in Medina Azahara. The homeowners in
Las Pitas have also joined up with those in other urbanizations.
The
British community living in the Almanzora Valley, in Almería province, have
joined forces in forming AUAN and spearheading a drive urging the Administration
to legalise the 5000 homes which are currently illegal in the comarca. The
British association was greatly troubled by the demolition of the Priors' home
in Vera, as well as by the police operation carried out in Zurgena against the
mayor and councillors for alleged urban planning offences. The British community
has roundly criticised the "tardy" wheels of justice in all these cases.
The aftermath of a visit of a European Parliament group in 2007 who
wanted to see for their own eyes what was happening to British residents has
resulted in some attempts on the part of the Junta to resolve the situation. The
British even wrote to King Juan Carlos explaining the problem of the residents,
the majority of whom are pensioners.
Last September, the Junta announced
that houses built in eight municipalities of the Junta de Andalucía on
non-urbanisable land - upon which planning disciplinary actions or penal
procedures or administrative proceedings were pending - would have priority in
an action plan to find a "solution" to the problem. The Housing Department
delegate, Luis Caparrós, ventured to say that the first estimates indicated that
only 5% of the houses in question would be "exempt from regularisation" because
they were found on public or protected land.
Los Lobbies de las viviendas
ilegales
The Costa of
"Innocent Third Parties"
Málaga, Andalucía Section, El
País, 7 Dec 2008
The
neighbourhood associations affected by planning irregularities have discovered
the best way to be heard by town halls in the Costa del Sol: forget the word
"association" and call yourself "platform" or "citizen's group".
In
Marbella, the most influential is the citizen's group of those affected by the
PGOU (General Plan of Urban Planning). This group includes the owners of houses
considered illegal and who are threatened by demolition. These owners call
themselves "innocent third party buyers who bought in good faith", in other
words, that they purchased their homes without knowing that they were illegal.
They also refuse to pay the costs levied by the town halls to regularise their
homes.
The mayoress of Marbella, Ángelli les Muñoz (PP), has worked hard
to stay on the good side of this group who have never turned against her in
their public protests. In October 2007, before the provisional approval of the
PGOU, the group brought some 2000 residents into the streets to protest the
urban plan which they say was "imposed by Seville".
Also very active is
the 29-M Neighbourhood Citizen's Group, whose name harks back to the launch date
of the anti-corruption Operation Malaya campaign in the city. This group's 3000
members includes those who were seriously prejudiced by the uncontrolled
planning practices of the Gil epoch…The group demands the carrying out of 40
final demolition orders. It is also considering contesting the current PGOU on
the grounds that it "is a law which grants amnesty and not accountability for
the planning infractions that were committed in Marbella" with its over 18,000
illegal houses.
The residents of Mijas who live in some 1700 homes with
pending demolition orders…are complaining that although they managed to convene
a plenary session to discuss the plight of their homes, their mayor (PSOE) has
not put a stop order on the demolition orders during the discussions.
In
Estepona, owners of campitos, isolated dwellings in outlying areas, are also
fighting for regularisation. Those from this group say it is unfair that while
their homes are receiving fines, municipal employees have illegally built an
agricultural zone.
La Costa de los "terceros de
buena fe"
EU threathens to freeze funding if Spanish urban
abuses are not resolved.
AUAN, 2nd December 2008
A preliminary report to the Petitions
Committee of the European Parliament on urban planning abuse in Spain proposes
to freeze EU funding if the situation is not resolved.
The motion for a
European parliamentary resolution was authored by the Danish green MEP Margrete
Auken. It is the third such report on urban planning abuses in Spain and
the language is getting stronger.
The report notes that 'many thousands
of European citizens have, in different circumstances, bought property in Spain
in good faith acting with local lawyers, town planners and architects, only to
find later that they have become victims of urbanisation abuse by unscrupulous
local authorities and that as a result, their property faces demolition because
their homes have been found to be illegally built and therefore worthless and
un-saleable'.
It further notest that 'Whereas there is growing
evidence that the judicial authorities in Spain have begun to respond to the
challenge resulting from excessive urbanisation ……'(the report) 'observes
however that procedures remain outrageously slow and that sentences passed in
many of these cases are unable to be enforced in a way which provides any
satisfaction to the victims of such abuse'.
The report claims that the
activity of urban abuse ' has been most damaging to the image of Spain and to
its broader economic and political interests in Europe'. It states that' …
the tens of thousands of workers in the building industry now face unemployment
because of the unsustainable urbanisation policies which were pursued and from
which they now have also become victims'.
The report reminds
the committee that the EU commission has the power to suspend funding
to a member state or region 'if it considers this necessary in order to persuade
a member state to end serious breaches of the rules and principles'.
The
report will be subject to revision and amendment before it is voted on in March
2009.
Read Report in
Full
A co-ordinated plan
Translated from EL Pais, 10th November 2008, Diego Narvaez
The collaboration
with the town halls in the general plan of urban inspection being developed by
the Ministry of Housing and Planning has a strategic character. Both
administrations have powers in urban planning discipline, but the ultimate aim
of the revision and status update is the drawing up of development
plans.
The plan provides for the signing of agreements with
municipalities of less than 5.000 inhabitants and the creation of assessment
offices to give technical support in different areas.
The inspection
plan has begun in seven problematic areas: Valley of Almanzora, Freilas, the
coastal area of Vejer de al Frontera, Medina Azahara, Axarquía, Sierra de
Aracena and Quesada (Sierra de Cazorla).
One of the first aims of the
plan is the elaboration of an inventory of the houses built on suelo no
urbanizable . The forms include technical information (location, promoter, if it
has got or not got licenses suitable for the house and project plan), stage of
development (in what condition they find the house,, if it is inhabited and
since when) and the legal situation (if there is any administrative process or
some judicial procedure), in addition to photos, sketches and the geographical
location of every construction.
The inspectorate, which has 25 agents,
will be increased with 11 others next year, when there still will be only half
of the foreseen number.
The inspection will outline the most serious cases of
illegal houses for demolition
The
type of land built upon or the existence of profit will determine the
scale
Translated from EL Pais, 10th November
2008, Diego Narvaez
Urban development legality is a path
that does not allow for short-cuts and its restoration must be considered in the
municipal PGOUs. This message has been persistently repeated by the Director of
Housing and Planning, Juan Espadas, in meetings that he has had with the mayors
to tackle planning. The phenomenon has acquired such a dimension, with dozens of
thousands of houses built on non buildable land all over the Andalusian
territory, that a global answer isn't possible. It isn't either possible to
demolish all the illegal houses, nor can there be a general amnesty because this
would reduce the legitimacy of the planning regulations.
So the process
of regularisation will have to establish a hierarchy of irregularities, and
determine those which can be adopted by planning and those that have no other
remedy but to remain 'fuera de ordenacion'. Somewhat similar to the plan of
regularization designed in the PGOU for Marbella whose author, Manuel Gonzalez
Fustegueras, adopted the concept of mortal and venial sins to
explain.
The newly created Inspectorate of Urban Development has, among
its missions, to define a precise register of all the irregularities, which will
allow them to establish which measures to apply to restore the legality, but
always from the premise that no infraction must remain unpunished and the
general interest must prevail over the individuals.
To give guarantees of
objectivity and to remove doubts of arbitrariness, they have elaborated a
regulation that establishes four fundamental criteria on the priorities of the
Plan of Inspection.
Social repercussion. The
social, judicial or economic context must be considered. " It is necessary to
take into account the existence of a special social sensibility when assessing
some infractions because it is necessary to link the disciplinary action of the
Administration with civil society ", explains the Director General of
Inspection, Jose Antonio Ortiz , referring to places like Medina Azahara, El
Palmar or Axarquía, where the phenomenon of urban development is a source of
social conflict.
Prevention. One of the priorities
is disciplinary actions that can further prevent infractions from multiplying. A
rapid and effective action against the first manifestations of a new type of
infraction can have this preventive effect, and an example can be the new
phenomenon of installation of wooden houses brought about by the wrong belief
that they can be placed on seulo no urbanizable.
Territorial
consideration. They will preferably take actions that have an effect on
a territorial scale and concern protected lands, or lands reserved for
infrastructures and equipment in the regional plans. Turning a tool shed built
in a ravine or in the riverbed of a creek, into a house isn't the same as if it
is built in a land without this type of problems. An urbanization on land
planned for road links in a mountain that forces a re-plan of infrastructure, is
not the same as if it is on a plain where it is possible to create an
alternative route.
Economic benefit. There must be
different disciplinary answers for those infractions that have provided profit
to their author, from those others that have not. For example, illegal plot
divisions that have allowed the construction and selling of several houses in an
area are different from the construction of a house for one's own benefit and
use. Ortiz makes clear that when there is a professional activity it is easier
to damage the general interests. For example, filling a fertile plain with
houses destroying cultivation.
Original Article in Spanish
Special Edition on Spain
The Economist, November
2008
The Economist magazine has produced a
special report on Spain which makes interesting reading. The
Economist Special Report
One reader has sent the following response
to this report.
Dear Sir or Madam,
While transiting through Madrid
Airport last Saturday I picked up the current issue of the Economist. I was
attracted by the 14-page special report on Spain ; it had personal relevance for
me. In 2000 I bought an apartment in Estepona. It was marketed in Ireland by one
of our top property companies and conveyed professionally at considerable
expense through the local acquisition processes.
Six years later what
should have been a basic routine economic exchange has turned out to be a
nightmare. The internal specifications were ignored and then fundamental
construction problems emerged. The response from the developer, despite protests
to Estepona Town Hall and legal challenges in the local Court was to do nothing.
Moreover he attempted to build twenty-five extra units in an area designated for
recreation and services and was only stopped after vigorous representations by a
lawyer, not Spanish, who happened to be in residence. The construction company
is now in liquidation, Estepona Town Councillors are in jail and the Spanish
Legal system is systemically incapable of protecting small property owners.
So what you may and Spain may say? Well in our comparatively small
urbanization the injured parties are British, German, French, Dutch and Irish.
When we read that Spain has received €186 billion from the taxes of EU citizens
and yet is happily complicit in their individual plundering we have a right to
be angry, angry with Spain and our respective Members of the European
Parliament. While a united Europe may be a great idea at the macro economic
level it will not survive if built on an indifference to the basic right of
citizen to see their taxes having some minimum payback.
All politics are
local said Tip O'Neill. The rejection of the Lisbon treaty in Ireland had more
than a small element of payback for the presumptive attitude of our politicians.
An anti-EU party has now formed in Ireland and any belief that another ballot
will carry the day for our politicians would again be highly presumptive.
Better for the EU if it took a little more interest in the rights of its
citizens especially in countries like Spain where the basic rights of
non-nationals are being trampled on with impunity.
A good start
would be the turning-off the flow of cash aid and treating Spain like a packet
of cigarettes - a large health warning to all EU citizens who might think of
doing business there.
Yours sincerely,
Hugh Doyle
Cantoria: The inspection has
commenced
AUAN, 6th November 2008
The
inspection of homes in Cantoria has commenced in a flurry of confusion. The
homeowners are as usual in the dark. The AUAN is seeking a meeting with
the mayor of Cantoria to clarify the situation and to request the creation
of a working party so that the homeowners can be better informed.
In
the meantime we have gleaned the following information.
If an inspector
calls to your home they must by law be empowered to do so and must provide you
with identification.
The form should be completed by the town hall
representative and NOT by you, the homeowner. You are not obliged to answer any
of the questions but we remind you that this survey has been vaunted as the
first step on the long road to regularisation.
Cantoria
Survey Questions (translated)
Location?: Poligono
No,Parcela No: (The inspector should know this if you do
not)
Builders Name and Address:?
Owners
name and address?
Owners Post office Box Number?
Does
the property have a building license? Yes or No If in doubt,
refer the inspector to the town hall.
Is there a license of first
occupation? Yes or No
Is there a 'Proyecto de
actuacion' (a construction project on rural land (eg. for a
farm house).) ? Yes or No If in doubt refer
the inspector to the town hall.
Stage of construction?
What year
was it completed?
Is it inhabited?
If
yes, is it a first home or second home?
Legal situation, is
it under administrative or criminal proceedings? Yes or No If in doubt,
refer the inspector to the town hall. They will have this information.
Please note that this form is for Cantoria only. The inspection process
will vary from town to town. We will provide updates on other areas as we get
more information.
Expats told to cough up
Costa Almeria News, Richard Torné, 31st
October 2008
THOUSANDS of expats who own illegal properties throughout the
province will be expected to foot a substantial part of the infrastructure bill
as part of the regularisation process, the Junta's chief planning inspector
declared last week.
José Antonio Ortíz insisted that neither cash-starved
local authorities nor developers will be able to stump up all the cash needed to
transform clusters of isolated developments into proper
neighbourhoods.
Sr Ortiz made the comments at the fourth Jornadas de
Urbanismo conference in Albox, which had been organised by AEPA, an association
of local businessmen.
More
....
Summary of AEPA Seminar - A solution for
homes 'fuera de ordenacion' in the Almanzora Valley
AUAN , 23rd October 2008
Members of Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora NO (AUAN) attended this
seminar with a translator.
Attached, please find a translation of the
topics discussed on the second day of the seminar (23rd October). They are of
interest to property owners in the Almanzora Valley.
Summary of AEPA Seminar 23rd October
2008
Open Letter from the AUAN
AUAN Press Release, October
2008
Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora NO (AUAN) is an association of
people who purchased homes in good faith in the Almanzora Valley, only to
subsequently discover that they are illegal. We are campaigning for a resolution
to this situation so that we can live our lives in tranquillity.
We are
writing this open letter to our friends and neighbours in the Almanzora Valley
to dispel some of the myths surrounding the owners of the 'illegal
homes'.
We did not purchase our homes cheaply. Our members spent an
average of €200,000 for their homes between 2001 and 2006. According to
statistics published by the Ministry of Housing, average new build prices peaked
at €161,469 in Andalucia for the same period.
We did NOT know that our
homes were illegal when we bought them. Why buy an illegal house when we could
have bought legal ones for the same price? We trusted our professionals to
protect our interests, and our town councils to ensure that the planning
regulations were enforced. Our trust was misplaced, and a number of
constructors, lawyers, council members and other professionals are now involved
in criminal and administrative proceedings as a result.
We are not rich.
The majority of our members are pensioners who spent their life savings on their
dream home in Spain. Now our income is reduced by the worldwide economic crisis
and, like you, we must economise.
We have no peace of mind. We are
threatened with legal and administrative proceedings up to, and possibly
including, the demolition of our homes. It is deeply upsetting and embarrassing
for our members to be treated like criminals when they acted in good faith. Some
members have already been dragged into these court actions and have spent
thousands of euros defending their homes.
We are not living an easy
life. Over 50% of our members have no electricity and are forced to use noisy
generators costing many euros/week. A similar percentage has no mains water
supply, and has to have their supplies delivered by tanker. Those that have
supplies worry that they will lose them. Surely these basic necessities of live
could be made available to those without, on humanitarian grounds?
We are
not asking for luxuries. We would like legal paperwork for our homes, and the
peace of mind that will bring. We would also like the guaranteed supply of
electricity and water. These are things that we paid for, but have never
received.
We welcome the fact that, after years of procrastination, the
Junta de Andalucia has finally acted and initiated an Inspection Plan as a first
step to finding a resolution to the problem. We say to the Junta… 'Hurry up and
tell us what happens next! How will you regularise the houses, once you have
counted them?'
Finally, we think that this problem affects you too. The
owners of illegal houses cannot pay their annual IBI. This represents at least 2
million euros in lost revenue for the councils of the Almanzora Valley. This is
money that your councils need to improve the quality of life for everyone.
The actions of a small minority have damaged the reputation, and the
prosperity, of the entire valley. Please urge your politicians to resolve this
issue as quickly as possible for the benefit of all.
Press
Release in Spanish
Denuncias in Albox
AUAN , 17th October 2008.
The attached maps were received by one of our members amongst
court documents.
The maps shows the homes that have urban discipline
proceedings in a small area of Albox.
Denuncia Map 1 Denuncia Map 2
The DUs (disciplinas
urbanas) date from 2005 to 2007.
Urban planning conference in
Albox
AUAN , 11th
October 2008.
The AEPA (Association of Entrepreneurs and
Professionals of the
npcomments-->npcomments-->Subtitled ‘Solutions to homes ‘fuera
de ordenacion’ in Almanzora and possible future of the region’, the conference
will be inaugurated by Luis Caparros, provincial delegate for Housing and Public
works (amongst others).ML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O
/>
A keynote speaker will be Sr. Jose Ortiz, Director General
of Territorial planning, urban planning and housing from Seville.
Sr. Ortiz recently announced the 'Plan of Inspection' which will audit all
houses outside of an urban nucleus in the Almanzora Valley.
As far as we
can tell the meeting will be conducted entirely in Spanish but we will be asking
the AEPA to provide a translator for the key speeches.
More information
and a timetable is available at:
http://www.portalmanzora.es/a/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6492
If
you live in the Almanzora Valley and affected by the illegal housing situation,
we strongly recommend that you attend.
Legalisation plans revive
illegal construction in Almanzora
Translated from Teleprensa ,
1st October 2008.
The legalisation
plans announced by the delegation for Housing and Planning and agreed with the
mayors of the area in an unprecedented move to legalise over 5,000 villas deemed
to be illegal have not had the expected effect, as some locals
have denounced this action to environmental and other groups as an attack on the
legal system and the environment.
In a denuncia sent today to Greenpeace, it
is claimed ".......Simply take a stroll through Albox, Limaria, La Aljambra, Los
Llanos de Arboleas, Los Carrascos, Zurgena, Oria, Partaloa, Cantoria" they say.
There are "thousands of houses for
foreigners without any integration into
the environment, without services, that have been built indiscriminately
,without any order"...." causing irreversible impact on the environment".... (Full article in
Spanish)
Translated from Teleprensa , 1st
October 2008.
Luis Caparrós, delegate for housing and
planning has this morning denied that the construction of illegal houses
continues or has been increased by the announced plans for legalisation as
alleged by a communication sent to Greenpeace and various media. "That does not
agree with my information" he affirms......
He asks that the residents of
Almanzora remain calm, both those who are worried about the environment as well
as those worried about their houses because everything will be done within the
law.
(Full article in
Spanish)
News Digest - Latest quotes
from Luis Caparrós about the regularization process
AUAN,
Translated from articles in El Mundo and Europa
Press.
The delegate for Housing and
Planning, Luis Caparrós, has revealed some more snippets of information
about the Juntas thinking with respect to the regularization process in various
press interviews. Any NEW information has been summarised
below.
El Mundo, Saturday 27th September (Article in Spanish)
The town
halls have been given two actions to complete.
1) Compile a
list of all dossiers opened by SEPRONA, the Junta de Andalucia
or the relevant local authorities.
2) Perform an
inventory of all houses on non-urbanizable land (with photos and
an explanation of whether or not it has a license of
first occupation,
infrastructure and basic services
etc).
According to Sr. Caparrós the councils have been given 6
months to complete this task and the Junta will provide the
necessary legal, technical and economic support to the councils to help
them.
Through meetings with the mayors of the town halls affected by
thousand of illegal houses (Lubrin,Albanchez,Zurgena,Cantoria,Albox,
Arboleas, Oria and Partaloa) the minister has established that from
now on these councils will exercise their responsibilities
and will open disciplinary proceedings against those promoting illegal houses
and will demolish if necessary.
With respect to the regularization
process for houses that are already built, Sr Caparrós had the following
comments.
- Isolated houses that have the characteristics of historical
cortijos may be given
the same status as these traditional villas.
This measure adaptable to the
LOUA is only one of many
measures which will be taken.
- It is likely that incomplete houses with
concrete skeletons and no facade will be
demolished.
- The Junta
will not hesitate to demolish houses in ramblas where there is
a
danger to life.
Europapress 23rd
September (Article in
Spanish)
Houses with an administrative or penal dossier will be
given priority in the regularization process.
An office will be opened in
each of the affected towns in order to complete the inventory of houses as
quickly as possible.
Municipal Plan of Inspection
to regularise houses
Translated from ElAlmeria.es,
20/09/2008.
The delegate for
Housing and Planning for the Junta de Andalucia, Luis Caparros, has organized a
series of meetings at the headquarters of the Ministry in Seville with the
Almanzora municipalities affected by the problem of housing on 'suelo no
urbanizable', with the aim of making progress on the Municipal Inspection Plans,
which will serve to regularize the situation and prevent further illegal
constructions in the area.
The director general of Inspection, Jose
Ortiz, and his technical team will receive the mayors of Albox, Cantoria, Oria,
Partaloa, Arboleas, Albanchez, Lubrín and Zurgena who,together with Luis
Caparrós, will analyze the specific characteristics of each
municipality.
The meeting will also spell out the mayors and their
technical teams the characteristics of a Municipal plan of inspection and
specify how they have to make the inventory of the homes on non urbanisable
land.
The delegate of Housing emphasised how swiftly the Junta are
moving to resolve this problem because "the director general of Inspection met
little over a week ago with the Mayors in Almeria and we have already arranged
the next meeting". Luis has Caparros indicated that "it is impossible to do
things faster" and emphasized that the speed with the mayors have been convened
is "a good indication of the interest of the Junta solve the problem of housing
in non-urban land for the thousands of residents in Almanzora who have been
affected."
After the meetings to be held on 23 and 26 Sept, the councils
will have to approve the execution of the inventory by council plenum.
Caparros does not want to forget either about the difficulty of some
smaller municipalities to produce this document which will specify the
characteristics and location of each home located on suelo no urbinizable.
Therefore, he explained that "the Seville meeting will also allow the
mayors to meet the Inspection team and call on the technical support needed to
produce it as soon as possible "
It is noteworthy that the eight
municipalities have already committed themselves with to implement a
Municipal Plan of Inspection, which must be completed by the end of the year.
Once the Andalusian government and municipalities have a census in which
they detail the status of all buildings, it will be down to the each
municipality to decide which houses can be included in the PGOU and therefore
regularized (provided that they have basic services and infrastructure), which
houses will be 'fuera de ordenación' and which must be demolished because
they are in a dangerous location (such as a ramble) or on a right of way.
Finally, Caparrós has been very pleased with the willingness that all
the mayors and their councils have shown at the time of launching this plan.
Original Article in
Spanish
End in
Sight....
...but
Junta's proposal to solve scandal of illegal properties gets mixed
reception
Richard Torne, Costa Almeria News, 19th Sept
2008
A BID to legalise the vast
majority of illegal properties in the Almanzora under a bold new proposal by the
regional government has been met with scepticism by the leading association
fighting to save expats' homes.
Housing Delegate Luis Caparrós revealed
the Junta's latest plan at a two-hour meeting last week with the mayors of nine
towns: Cantoria, Zurgena, Albox, Arboleas, Oria, Partaloa, Albanchez, Vera and
Lubrín. He later briefed the press before meeting representatives of the expat
association, AUAN.
Under the latest proposals, each council will
undertake an inspection of districts, plotting every property using aerial
photographs and opening a file on every home to determine whether it has been
built by a river bed or on protected land, and whether it is located close to an
urban nucleus or in the countryside.
The thrust of the Junta's scheme
will be to designate all those properties built on rural land and not threatened
by flash floods as 'Fuera de Ordenación'.
This would legalise up to 95
per cent of properties, but at a cost. Owners would first have to wait for a
period of up to four years for that to happen, and would not be allowed either
to alter or increase the size of their properties. In addition, they would not
enjoy basic services such as rubbish collection.
Describing the
inspection plan as "the definitive solution", Sr Caparrós said the legal status
of these properties would be "the same as that of any old cortijo", although he
stressed that every home would first have to pass a quality inspection approved
by the EU.
The Junta's ace card will be to declare land on which these
houses have been built as 'protected' in the forthcoming municipal and
sub-regional plans. This means that once development plans are approved anyone
building a property on the land will face criminal charges. The Junta estimates
there are between 5,000 and 6,000 affected properties, but the Plan Municipal de
Inspección, as it is called, will provide the definitive number.
However, although mayors have been enthusiastic about the initiative,
the proposal was given a cool reception by the AUAN, who said in a brief
statement there were still large question marks over the entire
operation.
One of the major sticking points is the time-frame for the
inspection. Sr Caparrós said he "hoped an agreement with councils would be
reached before December", but this would only be to draw up the inspection plan,
not to complete it.
Although the AUAN said the meeting with Sr Caparrós
had been "constructive and cordial", the association highlighted the fact there
was no detailed information "on the mechanics" of the plan.
The proposal
will provide no comfort for expats who paid deposits on half-built properties,
either. These, Sr Caparrós quickly pointed out, might face the bulldozers first
as there was no likelihood they would be ever completed.
Paying for the
infrastructure will also be down to the owners or, in certain cases, the
developers, many of whom have gone bust in recent months as a result of the
property crisis.
In addition, homes built near river beds or on protected
land amount to five per cent of the 5,000 to 6,000 affected properties, if the
Junta's estimates are correct. This means up to 300 properties could still be
pulled down - a prospect which horrifies the AUAN, who said further demolitions
without compensation "would do irreparable damage" to the local economy.
The Junta was also criticised for failing to introduce legal steps to
simplify the purchase and sale of property and land. The AUAN is calling for the
creation of an independent commission to review the underlying problems in
planning and real estate "to prevent these problems arising again", a suggestion
welcomed by the mayor of Albox, Jose Navarro, but which was not discussed at the
meeting between the Junta and the councils
Costa Almeria News
Peaceful March in
Cantoria
AUAN 18th September.
Around 300 people attended a good humoured and peacful march in
Cantoria today.The organisers, residents in Cantoria and their supporters held
the protest to highlight the situation of many properties in Cantoria, some of
which, are subject to the threat of demolition; but also to protest against the
real estate and planning irregularities in the area of the Almanzora Valley and
elsewhere, and the grave situation many homeowners find themselves in since
purchasing their properties in good faith.
The march navigated the
streets of Cantoria (left), pausing at the town hall where a petition for the
restoration of services was presented to the mayor.
The march concluded with presentations
from Bruce Hobday (Cantoria Resident and one of the march organisers),Bruce Hobdays speech
in English, Lenox Napier (AULAN), Helen Prior (whose house was demolished
without compensation in January) and Bob Naya (AUAN), AUAN Speech in
English AUAN
Speech in Spanish
MORE
PHOTOGRAPHS
PRESS REPORTS
La Voz de Almeria El Mundo
Smoke gets in your
eyes
AUAN Press Release, 15th September
2008.
With respect to the recent announcement of the inclusion of the Almanzora
Valley in the Plan General de Inspección de Andalucia, we believe that the Junta
is concerned about the adverse publicity arising from the demolition of the
house of Mr & Mrs Prior and the forthcoming Cantoria march, and wanted to
make some sort of announcement to try to diffuse the situation, though what was
announced is by no means 'regularisation'.
The expressed intentions are good, but we are advised that regularisation is
still a long way off, and expressed intentions can always change.
What was announced?
We were told that our inclusion in
the Inspection Plan allows the Department of Inspection of Territorial Planning
and Housing to initiate a formal inventory of the number of illegal houses in
the Almanzora Valley. The activity of inspection is normally that geared towards
identifying illegalities and taking coercive measures to restore the planning
situation. It is expected that the regulations for the plan which will be used
to order this activity will be approved before December.
The Town halls are expected to publish their own municipal inspection
plans.
The inventory will be executed by the Town halls, presumably after the
municipal inspection plans have been publicised, with the support of the Junta
and will consist of aerial maps of the affected areas, an individual photograph
of each house and the collation of data about each house (proximity to urban
nucleus, availability of services, etc).
Timeline
- We were advised that the some Town Halls would approve their
municipal
inspection plans in one to two
weeks.
- We were told that the Junta already has some materials
(aerial photos) but
detailed work on the ground
with respect to each house would have to be
undertaken - "as soon as possible".
- No timeline was available
for completion.
What is the Department of Inspection of
Territorial Planning and Housing? Headed by Sr. Ortiz, the Department
of Inspection of Territorial Planning and Housing is where the "buck stops" in
matters of urban discipline. Sr. Ortiz informed us that 30 demolition orders
(including the Priors) had been executed in Andalucia as a result of proceedings
brought by the department for which he has ultimate responsibility.
An
inspection is a study by the urban discipline departments which, by law, have
the obligation to:
a. Inform the criminal
courts of planning irregularities.
b. Take
measures to restore the legality with fines etc.
What do we
want?
A. Clarification of the regularisation process with
timescales.
We have been told for some time now that houses will be
regularised via the town plans or the Subregional Plans. The Sub Regional Plan
is nowhere in sight and we have yet to be advised of the legal framework which
will make it possible to incorporate 95% of the 5,000 - 6,000 homes within the
town plans given the % caps in growth placed on those plans by the LOUA.
B. Interim provision of services to homes without license of
first occupation.
Given that the issue of regularisation is complex,
with no definitive end date in sight, we made special mention of the provision
of services (electricity and water) to the illegal houses. Sr. Caparrós and
Ortiz were adamant that it was against the law to provide services to houses
without a license of first occupation. We suggested that in that case the law
should be adapted to provide a humanitarian solution for this special case,
though Sr Caparrós and Ortiz did not think this feasible.
C. A
mechanism to prevent demolitions whilst the regularisation process is
ongoing
Both Sr. Caparrós and Ortiz stated on numerous occasions
that demolition was not an inevitable consequence of illegality. Sr. Caparrós
stated that he was confident that 95% of the houses would be regularised. The
exceptions would be those properties in ramblas where there was a risk to human
life and properties on public rights of way. However, with respect to ongoing
proceedings, no guarantees could be given. We believe that further demolitions
without compensation will do irreparable damage to an already beleaguered
regional economy.
D. Written agreements between Town halls and
developers
The regularisation process should include at an early
stage, written agreements with Town Halls and developers so that the developers
pay for the infrastructure and give up land for services.
E. Written
agreements between the Junta the Town halls and the AUAN
To define
rights and responsibilities on all sides with respect to the regularisation
process.
F. The creation of an Independent Commission
We
would like to see the creation of an independent commission (of which the
administration and association could be a part), to review the general problems
in planning and real estate, and to make recommendations to prevent these
problems arising again.
Spanish Translation
A plan to review 5,000 illegal
homes in Almeria
Translated from ElPais, M.J.L.D.
12/09/2008.
The Government of Andalusia has
included the Almanzora region of Almeria in the Comprehensive Plan Inspection of
Andalusia designed to combat illegal urbanism. Mayors of municipalities as
Zurgena, Albox or Cantoria, yesterday attended a meeting at the Delegation of
Housing and Planning of Andalusia in Spain to find a way out of the more
than 5,000 illegal dwellings located in undeveloped land in their
municipalities.
The delegate of Housing and order, Luis Caparrós,
said that most of these houses belong to British citizens. "This plan will have
its regulations agreed before December and this allows us to reach a
collaborative agreement with the municipalities who will in turn draw up a
municipal plan of inspection." said the delegate.
Caparrós announced
that the inspection would draw up a file on each house to determine its
situation. Some of them may be regulated in the Plan General de
Ordenacion (PGOU) of each municipality but others in suelo no
urbanizable would remain 'fuera de ordenación'.
After the meeting with
the delegate and spokesmen for the association Abusos Urbanisticos No Almanzora
(AUAN), Caparrós advanced that the work will be done in parallel with the
drafting of the PGOU.
Original
Article in Spanish
Good intentions
but where is the detail?
AUAN, 11th September
2008
Members of the AUAN
committee, accompanied by their legal and planning representatives, met with the
delegate from the Housing Department of Almeria, Sr. Luis Caparros and the head
of the department for Inspection of Territorial Planning and Housing from
Seville, Sr. Jose Ortiz today to discuss a way forward for the illegal homes of
the Almanzora Valley.
During the two hour meeting, the Junta
representatives re-iterated their determination to provide a solution to the
complex situation of illegal houses within the law and with respect to the
rights of the homeowner, regardless of their nationality.
However, other
than to confirm that each council has been requested to commence an inventory of
the illegal houses in their municipality within the next 2 weeks (under rules
relating to breaches of the planning law!), we are disappointed
to report that no detailed information on the mechanics of a solution appears to
be available at this time.
Our Junta representatives could not tell us
how long the study will take to complete, precisely what planning instrument
will be used to regularise our homes, who would pay for infrastructure, or how
long that regularisation process will take.
On a positive note, the
meeting was both constructive and cordial. Sr. Caparros has agreed to meet with
us again in October. We look forward at that time to learn more facts about
exactly HOW and WHEN Sr. Caparros will achieve his assertion that 95% of our
homes will be regularised.
Alas, for today, we looked into the hat but
could not find the rabbit.
Spanish
Translation
Luís Caparrós to
meet with AUAN
AUAN, 4th September
2008
The AUAN sent a letter to
Luís Caparrós asking for a meeting to discuss the future for the many illegal
properties throughout the Almanzora Valley. We received the following email on 1
September, offering the AUAN a meeting:
Estimado Sr.
Preston,
En relación a su petición de reunión con D. Luís Caparrós Mirón,
Delegado Provincial de Vivienda y Ordenación del Territorio en Almería, le
convocamos para el próximo día 11 de septiembre de 2008 a las 12.30 horas en
esta Delegación Provincial sita en Calle Hermanos Machado, 4 - 6ª planta de
Almería.
Les rogamos que lo antes posible nos confirmen que pueden
asistir a dicha reunión y nos proporcionen los nombres de las personas que van
asistir, así como un número de teléfono de contacto.
Un
saludo.
The AUAN confirm that they will meet with Sr.
Caparrós on the 11th September and look forward to a constructive discussion.
Technicians from
Seville will meet with mayors to avoid demolition of more
houses
Caparrós
to hold meeting with committee members of AUAN
Translated
from El Mundo,Javier de la Horra, 28th August
2008
ALMERIA - Technicians from
the head office of Inspection of Territorial Planning and Housing from Seville
will be coming to Almeria in September to meet with mayors from the Almanzora
Valley to find a solution to halt the possible demolition of more houses in the
comarca. Likewise, the delegate from the Housing Department of Almeria, Luis
Caparrós, will hold a meeting in the next few weeks with committee members of
Abusos Urbanísticos Almanzora No! (AUAN) "in order to analyse the situation of
the houses and to try to find solutions," sources from the Junta de Andalucía
said yesterday.
The Housing Department maintains that most of the
hundreds of illegal houses found throughout the Almanzora comarca could be
regularised through the PGOUs which are being drawn up in each of the
municipalities and could also be legalised through the subregional plan foreseen
for the Levante (sic).
However, the Junta will be unbending regarding any
construction found in riverbeds or other waterways. "If any house is in such a
place, it will be torn down," said the same sources. "The regional government
must be prudent and responsible and that it is why it cannot legalise any
building where, in the event of flooding, tragedy could be the outcome," said
the same sources.
With respect to the possibility of imminent demolitions
in the municipality of Cantoria - the first and only demolition to date occurred
in January by judicial order in La Loma in Vera - those in the regional
government are ruling out such occurrences for the moment. "There is no
definitive demolition order," the same sources said, referring to the four open
files in Las Terreras, Cantoria, whose owners are fighting for restoration of
legal status for their homes.
AUAN maintains that the owners of one of
these four houses, British couple Janet and Frank Doel, received a letter from
the head of the regional Planning Inspection Office on June 2 which gave them "a
period of two months during which they were to demolish their own home". "Those
files are open, but there is no demolition order," said the source from the
Junta de Andalucia. The meeting with the Almanzora mayors is considered to be
"priority" for regional authorities when work resumes after the summer
break.
Demonstration against demolition
orders
Almeria - The AUAN has called for a march scheduled for
September 18 in protest against the four demolition orders which have allegedly
been issued by the Junta de Andalucia as well as criminal proceedings initiated
by the No. 2 criminal investigation court in Huercal-Overa against 23 houses
owned by British residents in Cantoria for being "contrary" to law.
Legal
sources associated with AUAN confirmed to Europa Press that the head office of
Inspection of Territorial Planning and Housing ordered this June the demolition
of four buildings located in Las Terraras, Arroyo Albanchez, within two months
after which time the authorities reserved the right to carry out the order. The
resolutions are awaiting a ruling to be made by the Provincial Court on the
continuity of the criminal case which is ongoing at the same time. The Superior
Court of Andalucia previously refused to grant an appeal made by the owners who
argued that two separate proceedings involving imposing sanctions could not take
place based on identical facts. The court stated that the two procedures - one
to re-establish legality of the houses and the other punitive - were in fact
separate.
Original Article in
Spanish
Housing
delegate will meet with the expats of Almanzora in September to deal with
irregular houses
Teleprensa, 25th August
2008The
representative for Housing and Planning in Almeria, Luis Caparrós, wants to
reassure the British and foreigners who have made Almanzora their residence and
said that he will meet them in September, to discuss the houses that may be
irregular in that area.
He responds in this way to a letter from
Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora No (AUAN), which expressed concern about the
danger of demolition of four houses in Arroyo Albanchez, in the Almanzora
Valley, within the boundaries of Cantoria.
Janet and Frank Doel, owners
of one of the houses "have been in and out of courts for a number of years,
fighting to save their home. In June they received a letter, dated 2nd June
2008, from "El Director General De Inspección De Ordenación Del Territorio,
Urbanismo Y Vivienda", which gave them just two months to demolish their home
themselves or the Junta would do it for them! ", reads the letter from AUAN. At
the same time it is claimed that "no offer of compensation has been made to them
as yet, from any source".
The Housing representative corrects the
location's detail indicating that it is situated in Paraje Las Terreras and
reports that it is true that there are four cases , given out by the said
Director General, however he reminds the owners that there is still much to be
resolved and that they can be appealed against. "This is still an open case and
nothing will be demolished for the time being".
That is the commitment
to the meeting with AUAN and those affected in the region, to "find a
satisfactory solution" to the situation of these houses outside the law.
Original Article in
Spanish
Press Release from Cantoria March
Organisers
1st September, 2008
PEACEFUL PROTEST MARCH IN CANTORIA. THURSDAY
18TH SEPTEMBER 2008 AT 12.00 MIDDAY. (MAXIMUM 3 HOURS). SOME 300 PEOPLE
EXPECTED.
PLEASE COME ALONG TO SUPPORT US
Theme: We bought in good faith: save our homes.
Stop planning and real estate abuse: regularisation
now.
The organisers,
residents in Cantoria, but with the support of a substantial group of residents
throughout the Almanzora Valley and the Levante Almeriense, and on their behalf
also, are holding a peaceful protest to highlight the situation of many
properties in Cantoria, some of which, are subject to the threat of demolition;
but also to protest against the real estate and planning irregularities in the
area of the Almanzora Valley and elsewhere, and the grave situation many
homeowners find themselves in since purchasing their properties in good
faith.
The march will follow the route as per the attached directions and map, with speeches at the
end. Those Cantorians not registered to vote are asked to do so at the end of
the march.
No offensive banners are welcome, some suggestions of permissible
slogans below Soluciones ya – solutions now -Somos víctimas inocentes – we are
innocent victims Justicia – justice Somos pensionistas – we are pensioners
Thank you for the support of Cantoria residents, as well as members of
the associations : AVEP, AULAN, AUAN, AUN, LSOS, Ciudadanos Europeos.
Bruce Hobday, 0034 662 413 075 (English only Spoken)
George
Morris and Keith Boulter
Organisers of the March
Spanish
Release
Cantoria Expats
announce protest march
Costa Almeria News,Richard
Torne August 2008
EXPATS in
Cantoria are to stage a protest march on September 18 to highlight the plight of
hundreds of residents who unknowingly bought illegal properties in the
area..
Read
More.....
AUAN raises
formal objection to latest Cantoria plan
AUAN,25th August 2008
Following the discovery of an announcement on the 'Boletin Oficial de
la Provencia' (BOP), that Cantoria town hall proposed to make a partial
adaptation of the 'Normas Subsidiarias de Planeamiento de Cantoria' to
the Andalucian Planning Laws (L.O.U.A.), members of the AUAN committee
met with representatives of the Cantoria Resident's Association to discuss the
startling discovery that the latest maps were very much changed from
previous ones shown by the town hall.
The main focus of concern
was the addition onto the Cantoria plan of a large area of protected land, an
even larger area of land that is designated as forest land, and a sweep of land
following the course of the rambla where the building of homes is
forbidden.
As this new plan for Cantoria has been published
just a short time before the August holiday period commenced (July 24th), with a
closing date for objections of 24 August, the residents were concerned that they
had little time to study this lengthy document, and raise their
objections.
Many homeowners were shocked to find that their homes
were now in these new protected areas.
In the light of this,
the AUAN, has presented an 'allegation' (planning objection) to the
Cantoria town hall. This allegation is a complex document but amongst the
objections it cites: the presentation of the Norma during the holiday month when
people are away and unable to view it; and that protected areas have been added
without proper consultation. We shall keep our members informed how the
situation develops.
Commission will
take Spain to court over 'land grab' laws
Herald
Tribune, Kevin Brass, 26th August 2008
The case against so-called “land grab” laws in Spain took a significant
step forward this week when the European commission formally moved to take the
complaint to the European Court of Justice.
More.....
Vera: Priors' Appeal Accepted
Focus
Magazine, August 2008
The British couple whose house was demolished in
Vera earlier this year have had their appeal against the demolition order
accepted by the Constitutional Tribunal. The appeal was lodged in
2006.
The lawyer for the family, Victor Martinez, has stated that only 5%
of appeals to this court are accepted and this could lead to legal action
against the Junta de Andalucia and the Almeria judge, Jesus Rivera, who enforced
the demolition order.
Expat in Spain:
Dreams that crumbled in the Sun
The Telegraph, 5th
August 2008, Neil Tweedie
....For Spain's notoriously corrupt and capricious planning regime,
which gave birth to the developments now disfiguring virtually all the country's
Mediterranean coastline, the chickens are coming home to roost....
Telegraph
Article in full
Albox: Viewing the latest urban plan for
Albox
AUAN, 10th
August
AUAN
members and some of their friends and neighbours visited La Aljambra Church on
Friday 8th of August to view and discuss the latest plan for
Albox. Committee members were on hand to explain our planners'
commentary.
An online version of the plan has
been published by the town council and is available for
review.
The closure date for filing objections
to the plan has been extended to the 16th of August.
Cantoria: More Demolitions threatened
AUAN, 4th August
The AUAN has recently been notified of
more expat homes in danger of demolition in the Almanzora Valley. Four houses
are threatened with demolition in Arroyo Albanchez, a small village that falls
within the boundaries of Cantoria.
Frank and Janet Doel, the owners of
one of the threatened houses, have been in and out of courts for a number of
years, fighting to save their home. In June they received a letter, dated 02 Jun
2008, from 'El Director General De Inspección De Ordenación Del Territorio,
Urbanismo Y Vivienda' which gave them just two months to demolish their home
themselves, or the Junta would do it for them!
Mr & Mrs Doel
continue their legal fight as the 2 month window expires. No offer of
compensation has been made to them as yet, from any source.
Cantoria: Indictment of mayor requested in the illegal houses
case
The owners of homes in the El Fas area request criminal
penalties against those who approved the construction of the houses and latterly
those who sold them
El Almeria, Ricardo Alba /
Cantoria, cantoria | Actualizado 28.07.2008 - 11:32
The associations
Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora NO and the Cantoria residents association have
united to support the owners of houses built in the El Fas area.
Both
associations agree that most owners "entangled in the trap of illegal houses in
the Almanzora Valley are victims of a complete failure on behalf of the
administration to regulate planning in recent years".
For their part, the
owners of the affected houses in El Fas, whose promoters, Karim Smit Piñero and
Julio Pedrosa, are charged as alleged perpetrators
of planning abuses , have executed their right to pursue criminal
actions and have asked for possible crimes of embezzlement, bribery and
influence trafficking to be investigated.
They have requested
charges against Llamas Pedro Garcia, mayor of Cantoria alleged to be
aware of and consenting to the construction , in addition to signing
permits to companies providing water (GALAS) and electricity (and
Sevillana-Endesa SL). They also request that Daniel Poetsema, husband
of the accused Karim Smit, who has acted in sales in the company also be
subject to investigation.
Read
full article in Spanish in el Almeria
Cantoria: Owners of illegal houses appeal to the European
Parliament
El Almeria, Ricardo Alba / Cantoria,
cantoria | Actualizado 30.07.2008 - 05:01
Cantoria residents appeal to the European
Parliament and have not ruled out peacful demonstrations.
Read
full article in Spanish in el Almeria
Planning Amnesty
proposed for 50,000 illegal homes in Andalucia's Malaga
province
Spanispropertyinsight.com, August 1st
2008
After years of relentless growth in the number of illegally built homes
in rural parts of Andalucia, a regional branch of the right-of-centre Popular
Party, one of Spain’s two main political parties, has proposed a planning
amnesty for an estimated 50,000 illegal properties in Andalucia’s Malaga
province.
Read Full article in
Spanish Property Insight