Len and Helen Prior, both 68, in 2008 became the first British home owners in Spain to have their property demolished over so called “planning irregularities”.
Despite having the correct planning permission for their luxury villa from the town hall in Vera on Spain’s southern Costa Almeria, the regional government of Andalusia revoked the licence and sent in the bulldozers.
A year after the demolition, Spain’s Constitutional Court ruled that it had been carried out illegally, a victory for the Priors that turned out to be symbolic only.
Instead there is one other option still open to them. They have been advised to sue Spain’s Judiciary itself, as it was a judge who signed the demolition order, a decision that the Constitutional Court ruled broke Spanish law as an appeal was pending and because those who it would affect – the Priors – had not been informed of the case against their property.
Earlier this month they travelled to Madrid to file a case against the Judiciary and are now awaiting a court date.