Fifteen and a half years and three days to go!

On Tuesday 20th October 2020 the Judge has scheduled a Final Hearing in our case against Banco Popular. 
In April 2005 we paid our initial deposit to Banco Pastor (who were subsequently taken over by Banco Popular) for an apartment that was promised to be completed by Christmas that year.

In June 2008 after a visit to the local planning department we cancelled the contract and engaged Maria at Costa Luz Lawyers to take up our case for the return of our deposit plus our substantial stage payment..

We were on the verge of selling our home to meet the cost of completing the purchase when, after the  visit to the local planning department, we discovered that all the assurances given by the builders of the imminent  handing over of our property were far from the truth. 

Funds (obtained via a charge on our home) that  we transferred to Spain in readiness for the move were swiftly repatriated and the legal process started for return of our deposit. We had had enough of the delays, excuses and downright lies from both the developer and our crooked lawyers who failed to obtain the promised, and contracted,Bank Guarantee.

It has been a long, stressful  and expensive slog to get to this stage.
Our retirement plans were completely destroyed but we are now hopeful of a  fair and final judgement and most of all closure to the whole debacle.

I hope you manage to get your IVA! Solicitors expect clients to pay their charges to the last cent but do not seem concerned when they fail to obtain everything a client paid as their deposit.

My bank guarantee for La Condesa didn't include the IVA so my conveyancer was negligent. The first solicitor handling my claim said 'it wasn't fair to claim from the bank at that stage' so ended up winning, but not claiming the developers claim. He got 19900 euros out of me (UK bank loan) and took me to court for a further 20k euro.

How can a solicitor claim over 40k euro in total to get 79500 euro back? A few years ago Sol Mijas (who were involved in criminality - but this is never referred to in claims) wanted to negotiate the interest and court costs....but due to the fact I left the original solicitor because i was being treated with contempt I received nothing.

I fully intend to publish my experiences....because it's shameful the way we are treated. The first solicitor kept referring to my 'wealth'...I had downsized in the UK and had never done anything like that before (and won't be doing again!)