This might be of interest

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/expatproperty/8205681/British-government-intervenes-to-help-expats-caught-in-Spanish-property-scams.html

So how come no-one who is owed money nor the UK Government can do anything to retrieve monies owed by these robbers in Spain, yet Spanish banks can make claims on peoples houses in the UK if they default payment???? So much for the european Union!!!

Ouch,

what is the point of all the analysis if Spain really is a third world land of its own

I don't have the time or inclination to waste further money chasing this pipe dream

"Some expats are naive enough to believe that things should work here as they do in the UK or northern Europe, when that is a pipe dream.

"And finally, the courts are slow and there are very few other recourses or ways to put things right here."

why do you say things have changed???????

it is nothing but a no-go area

why all the pretence from ex-pats

admit the truth

Norman

Thank you Guy for posting the link it  IS of interest, very much so.

The more publicity the whole dirty business receives then   the more chance that some of the defrauded victims have of getting their money back.

Personally I would like to see the financing banks involved in the scams put through the wringer .They were involved at every point in these scams and were ultimately responsible for the safe keeping of deposits placed with them by the developers.

As in the UK, the banks have got and are getting away with murder. They have become far too big and powerful and it is time that some of them were broken up.

Thanks for the link, but as they say in the article, the British government cannot intervene in Spanish affairs.  So the British government's interest in this is likely to lead to nothing.

Justin

EOS

yes, that's always the standard reply we get from local or national government offices.  It doesn't seem to cut both ways though?. We are supposed to abide by EU regulations, so surely abuse of human rights in the EU should likewise be treated as an EU issue and dealt with accordingly?

Hi Goodstich.

In the UK we have no human rights.  We have a Human rights Act, which ensures that corrupt foreigners can stay and committ crimes with impunity and no possibility of deportation.  The rest of us (including all those hard working foreign nationals who do not break the rules) have no recourse to justice and no right to the family life so freely handed out to foreign miscreants.

The EU are not interested because they are a cabal of unelected spongers who's only interest is in lining their own pockets. You and I are nothing to them. In the UK we accept every diktat without protest, but places like Spain simply take the money with one hand and ignore  laws which don't suit them.

I know you and many others (I include myself in this) are unhappy about the way we are ignored by Spanish laws, but we represent about 1% of the 4.6million Spanish population and they have bigger financial problems to worry about at present, so don't expect a resolution anytime soon.  As far as Spain is concerned human rights are for the Spainish and I for one don't blame them, if only the UK followed the same concept.

Hello Xetog,

so why are they demolishing their own people's houses at gunpoint?

Norman

Yes, I think that there are a few unwary Spanish that get caught in the traps set for foreigners, but my point was that we should not hold our breath waiting for justice from a system that has no interest in our problems. 

xetog

I am indeed unhappy about the way we are ignored by the Spanish laws, and also by the EU, but that won't help anything. The only way forward is if we shout loud enough with a big voice, and until large numbers in Spain feel they have had enough and feel like backing those wronged by protesting, then we shall probably continue to be ignored?. Or at least ignored by those bastards who can make the changes if they had the decency or the balls to recognise their failures and act accordingly.?

Yes there are many spaniards caught up in the scams that have blighted spain but the main one that the spaniards fall foul of is the 'ley de la costas' introducedin 1989 but only recently being implemented.  This means anything that is within 100m of the high tide line is subject to demolition , regardless of the fact that it might have been built 100+ years ago . Anything between 100 & 200m is subject to extremely tight rules & may be demolished & up to 500m you've still got problems. The law is badly drafted &  would make more sense if it just said anything built  after 1989. Whole villages , in some cases , are being demolished & the costs of demolition given to the owners !

What would concentrate the minds & bring the problem to the forefront of both Spanish & Eu politics & make a solution much quicker to be found, is if the people who are in no way to blame due to these laws & subject to demolition or the loss of there life savings resorted to the same measures as the people who thought them up. Gun law, shoot them down like the dogs they are. 10 or 12 cases like that with bodies strewn around would soon make them realise that the people are not prepared to stand for being ridden roughshod over . I certainly wouldn't allow anyone to take from me , something I'd purchased legally & with good faith whether it be the ley de la costas, land grab act or politicians local or regional deciding that they'll revoke the licences !

There is actually a whole town ( all spanish ), some 15000+ in the Cadiz region that is totally illegal but they stand completely united & have resisted all efforts by the authorities to demolish the place due to the fact that they will go to any lengths to protect the place. The only way they could demolish it would be to start a war using the army & they aren't going to do that are they ?

Oh Dear,

how can any decent human being not be totally disgusted with Spain?

JOIN THE BOYCOTT STOP THE DEMOLITIONS

Norman