15,000 homes under threat

15,000 ex-pats face losing homes

European Parliament urged to save their properties

Article by the cbfriday.com

MORE than 15,000 Costa Blanca homeowners have pleaded with the European Parliament to save their homes under threat from the controversial LRAU land-grab law.

Michael Cashman MEP, has challenged Sr Blasco, the Spanish minister in Valencia, over recent allegations that the European Parliament was exaggerating the number of petitions it had received from desperate citizens asking for help.

Mr Cashman has been leading the fight
for justice for EU citizens against alleged land grabs in and around Valencia.

Mr Cashman said: "Señor Blasco claims the EP is exaggerating as to the severity of the problem concerning the LRAU law in Spain.

"We have been petitioned by more than 15,000 EU citizens affected by the abusive implementation of this law in Valencia and we are acting on their behalf in order to ensure justice is done.

"I’d like to tell citizens affected by this law, as well as Señor Blasco and his colleagues in the ministry in Valencia, that the EP will not rest until this issue is resolved. If that means going to the European Court of Justice, so be it."

His vow comes as a Teulada couple are living a nightmare not knowing whether they will lose their property because of the land-grab laws.

Expatriate pensioners Tessa and Len Deacon said they cannot afford to pay the high infrastructure costs being demanded by the developers of the adjacent land ito their home.

They bought their home in 1993 but now a developer wants to build next door.

The couple would lose 700 square metres of land as well as having to pay 53,247 euros to the developer.

The Deacons said: We are UK pensioners and this is our only home which we bought in 1993 for our retirement.

"The LRAU has had a devastating affect on our lives and we would not wish the stress we have suffered for the past three years to be suffered by other people.

"We have been forced to spend money we had accumulated for our retirement on expensive lawyers and court fees just to try to retain what is legally ours."

• The association Ciudadanos Europeos has awarded its Golden Ensign to Abusos Urbanísticos No leaders Charles and Lisa Svoboda in a ceremony in Altea. The award was made in recognition of the Svobodas’ success in defending the rights of small property owners.

From this article - the cbfriday.com - we would like to remind persons looking to buy a property in Spain that not only is it advisible to use a well established Real Estate company that you can trust but you MUST use a solicitor in Spain - be it an independent solicitor or company solicitor to make sure that the property that you are going to buy is legal and there is not any complications with the purchase.

This can save alot of heartache and stress of buying in Spain - don´t get caught out...