Following my return from Spain, I thought I would bring you up to date with my account of my trip.
I went out to have a look at the Oasis C C – Well where do I start with this one, after searching for it for over 1 hour, I gave Carmen a call who arranged to meet me in Tabernas town. I followed her for 10 mins and then she took me down some unmade dust track across a field to a little site hut with the usual water fountain out front.
She got out the car and with her was the thieving B#####D who I signed my contract with at the ACC. She pointed out that it was a little windy today on site – well to say I had to get hold of my son and daughters hands to stop them blowing away.
She tried to apologise for ACC and that in any case the OCC was a better site !! They should had called this site MIRAGE because that is all it was. She offered me a Tarifa for the same price I paid 3 years ago. I asked when the whole site would be finished and she confidently answered 18 months as they had started on site ! My son pointed out that there was ONE jcb on site digging holes to which the wind was blowing everything back in the hole again !!
OCC is not an option. I tried to speak to the man from HUMA who apparently did not speak a word of English but I tried to teach him a few more English words and sayings !!!
Went to Aldea solicitors in Vera to ask them to cancel my contract with HUMA and cash in my bank guarantee. (GUESS WHAT PARADORS OFFICE NEXT DOOR TO THE SOLICITORS HAS CLOSED DOWN UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST !!)
A man called Javier took my wife and I into a side room and to say he spoke as much English as I did Spanish is about right. He told me it would take between 6-8 months to get my money back and that we should go and see the notary in a couple of days. He asked me to bring 100 euros with me for the notary and I would need to pay Aldea 750 euros to start proceedings.
I immediately walked out and went to a recommended solicitor around the corner, an English speaking Spanish solicitor came out and met me and listened to what I had to say, he needed my file from Aldea so he could act. The solicitor filled me with confidence and assured me that he has been very successful in getting bank guarantees back and not to worry it should take him 6-8 WEEKS AT THE MOST.
He made an appointment for me to go back and see him in two days and also made me an appointment with the notary. I asked him how much he would charge to get me money back and he told me 1200 euros but not to give him a penny until he got my money back. 1200 euros seemed a lot but to get my money back quickly so I could move on with my life it did not seem that bad (with the euro at an all time high and changing it back into sterling means I should still be quids in considering I got 1.50 euro to the pound 3 years ago)
I went straight back to Aldea to ask for my file, Javier came straight out and he had already had a call from my new solicitors advising him they were taking over, swift work I thought. Javier asked me to give him 3 days to get my file together and an additional 450 euros to release my file to me !!! So that is 680 euros when I instructed them and now 450 euros to come away from them = 1130 euros for 4 letters and one meeting (maybe I should become a solicitor in Spain !)
Javier did not blame me for changing solicitors as he had an interview with my new firm and did not get them job as he was not good enough, his words – not mine. I told him that he would get my file together in 2 days and I would be back to collect it.
Collected my file from Aldea some 20 pages thick (NOT 2 DAYS WORTH OF WORK TO OUT THAT TOGETHER), missing my NIE number apparently Parador forgot to get mine but got my wifes !!
Signed all paperwork with the new solicitor and signed forms at the notary, now finally the ball is rolling, will update you with how things are going.
Finally contacted Parador on my return to ask for the £475 I paid them for the Owners Club, to which they are sending me a cheque, I have asked them to give me their legal departments contact details as I intend to pursue them for compensation with regards to loss of money and recommending a solicitor which is obviously in their pocket who has stolen some 1130 euros from me to do nothing.
Sorry for the long e-mail but I thought you all might like to hear my account.