Release from AUAN:
Authorities acting on behalf of the regional government of Andalusia in Spain have set the date of 18th November at noon to demolish the two remaining British owned properties in the hamlet of Las Terreras in the small town of Cantoria, Almeria. This information has been confirmed to our association by one of the affected home owners.
These demolitions are a continuation of the demolitions carried out in October 2013 and widely reported at the time.
The lawyer acting on behalf of the home owners, Alejandro Navarro, has stated that he plans an appeal on humanitarian grounds because the victims have been left homeless and in more than one case have lost everything. According to Spanish press reports he states that they are currently living with family or renting having returned to the UK.
AUAN and like minded associations of home owners in Spain are campaigning for a change in the Criminal Code to guarantee compensation PRIOR to demolition for purchasers in good faith. The Criminal code is the responsibility of the Spanish state rather than the regional government and we are calling on all political parties in Spain to support this change.
As the Criminal Code currently stands in Spain, the person who receives the greatest punishment for a planning crime is the victim who purchased the property in good faith. They can see their home demolished, be left homeless and penniless and with no prospect of compensation whilst the promoter responsible for the crime can usually be found to be insolvent and only fined a few thousand euros. This is fundamentally unjust.
Affected owners and concerned parties are urged to contact AUAN on www.almanzora-au.org or Maura Hillen 00 34 661329919
Disgusting. The only people who have committed a crime are the Junta de Andalucia. They sat back, did nothing, watched these properties being built over a period of 10 years, happily took the money that was generated in taxes and then decided to pounce and declare these properties “illegal”. It was a premeditated act of fraud. These people have lost everything and are now homeless. The Junta de Andalucia do not have a shred of humanity, I hope they swing.