SPANISH GOVERNMENT PROPERTY ROAD SHOW 2011

Keith please know that although we couldn't make it given such short notice that we are behind you every step of the way.

Hopefully if we are given sufficient notice of the roadshows we can all make our presence felt.

Let's see what transpires.

In the meantime our sincere thanks for all your remarkable endeavours.

"We have just been ejected from the Spanish Embassy in London"

You have probably been thrown out of better places Keith but it's a story for the grandkids.

Sorry that I could not be there but well done to you for getting the message out, I hope that I (and many others) can get to the June Roadshow

                                             "You must go through the courts"

What a laugh! Spend more money only to see the judges decision  overturned at appeal or totally ignored. 

                                             They are living in cloud cuckoo land.

Hi Keith,

Congratulations and well done to you both for being there. 

After standing outside the Spanish Embassy for almost 6 hours since being ejected early this morning and ringing the intercom and phoning them we were finally invited inside for a meeting at around 2:45pm.

The meeting was with an Embassy official and 2 representatives from the Government delegation (not Sr. Blanco or Sra. Corredor).

They listened to our views, took notes, took paperwork from us and said they were keen to work on solving the issues in the Spanish Property Sector.

We will keep in close contact with them and push them for a way forward over the next few weeks.

From previous experience we know words come easy - let us see if this time they are prepared to take action.

After today they are certainly aware of the level of feeling against the Spanish Property Market.  They know that they can only move forward if they begin to tackle the problems of the past.

So after feeling very negative for most of the day we do now feel just a little tiny bit positive!

Let's see what transpires over the next few weeks - only time will tell.

Keith

 Great Keith! Congratulations! You must be exhausted and filled in with new ideas for another chapter of your book!

Keep calling to the Embassy ( I know you are great at that. persistency is one of your best virtues) so ANSWERS; REAL ANSWERS come for things to improve in the future.

Again, CONGRATULATIONS

Extremely well done Keith.  I think you have achieved more in a day than anyone could have expected.  It certainly looks like this is the approach we need to take.

Keith,

A huge thank you from me too. As Maria says,'You must be exhausted'.

Keeping you waiting outside for six hours whilst they presumably sat down to lunch , they are really trying to grind you and those you represent down. I wish I could have been there if only to ensure you had a drink etc.,

However you and Marta must congratulate yourselves on the amount of publicity you have generated.It was a first class effort.

Again,Thank you.

Thank you Keith, you are an inspiration and as Maria observed a fine example of persistency.

Fantastic work Keith - I really dont know how you do it !

Lets really hope your efforts are rewarded with some progress.

Fantastically serious chutzpah, Keith.  I was willing you on all day.

Good on yer!

ruth

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.

I have learnt over the past 5 years that to get anything done in Spain you have to be persistent!!

The work with the Spanish Government has just begun!!  There is much to do but we have surely made a small start today.  They acknowlege us and know we exist and that we won't just go away.

I was accompanied today by Reg - a member of the Finca Parcs Action Group.

We gave some newspaper and radio interviews in the morning to both the UK and Spanish Press.  We distributed our Press Releases in English & Spanish (thanks to María de Castro for the translations).

Around midday we were joined by 5 other 'protestors' who were a great support.  One of them was Mike who posts here on EOS.

The Government delegation would only meet two of us - so myself and Mike were put forward to represent the small group.

We understand the BBC did an interview with Sra. Corredor inside the Embassy.  The BBC then came outside and while myself and Mike were in the meeting they interviewed the other 'protestors' outside the Embassy.

I am sure Mike will add something to this thread following our meeting with the Government officials.  I think Mike may have also spoken to the BBC after our meeting.

Kind regards

Keith

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/expatproperty/8492815/Spanish-minister-claims-property-is-safe-to-buy.html

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_30346.shtml

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/expat/annanicholas/10142990/buying-in-spain-is-not-as-safe-as-houses/

 

Keith

Don't  really know what to add

But I feel that I wan't to add somthing to the thread.

 I wish there was more of you to share the task, the lyrics of the song by Billy Ocean spring to mind.

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going

Well done

Looking forward to seeing something on the BBC

Steve

Yes, Steve - we certainly have to be tough!

I will try to get info on when the BBC 'Corredor' interview is due for broadcast.

In the meantime - you have all read my Press Release in response to the Road Shows - now you can have the pleasure of reading the Spanish Government's Press Release issued today for the Road Show.  I will leave you all to digest the contents and make some comments!

They make it sound like such a safe place to buy.  Surely nothing can ever go wrong when you buy in Spain - can it??!!??

"Legal Security - One of Spain's Main Strengths"

"Spain’s legal framework regarding urban planning guarantees that any citizen can buy property in Spain with total security"

"Spain’s solid legal framework guarantees that it is safe to buy a home in Spain"

Notice that there is absolutely no mention of off-plan developments and Bank Guarantees.  As you can imagine this topic of Bank Guarantees was a main part of our meeting with the Government officials today!  We will be giving them a very hard time on this subject between now and the proposed second phase of the Road Shows currently planned for June (but still not confirmed).

They may wish for all the contents of their press release to be true, but just a little premature to be saying all these things now I think!


PRESS RELEASE ISSUED ON 4 MAY 2011 BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN:


Spain: an attractive destination for real estate investment

• Prices have fallen in real terms by more than 20% on average; even more in large coastal towns where prices have fallen by up to 40%.

• The Government’s economic structural reforms are contributing to the recovery of the Spanish market.

• Spain’s legal framework regarding urban planning guarantees that any citizen can buy property in Spain with total security.

London, 4 May 2011. The Spanish Government presented the evolution of the Spanish real estate market to potential investors in London today. José Blanco, the Minister for Development, and Beatriz Corredor, Secretary of State for Housing, highlighted the recent price adjustment, available housing, and the legislative reforms that have been set in motion alongside the legal guarantees for buyers as the sector’s main attractions for British investors.

This event forms part of an international information tour which the Ministry is carrying out in collaboration with the state company “Invest in Spain”, the purpose of which is to report on the current situation of the Spanish real estate market. As well as the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Development will be visiting France, Germany, Holland, Sweden and Russia in the coming weeks.

The latest data for 2010 indicates that the majority of foreign purchasers of housing in Spain are citizens and investors from the United Kingdom and that Spain continues to be the number one tourist destination for the British.

According to José Blanco, the Minister of Development: “this is an ideal time to invest in Spanish real estate. The figures show that there has been an important drop in prices whilst all the competitive advantages we offer remain: safety, proximity, good weather, quality of life, our first class public services, and the infrastructure which connects our principal tourist destinations and which receives ongoing investment – we have completely renovated our entire transport network. In addition, our secure legal framework, which we are strengthening even more”.

The Spanish economy is beginning to show its first signs of recovery: in the fourth quarter of 2010 Spanish GDP increased 0.6% year-on-year and the forecast for the coming months confirms this trend. The different measures put in place by the Spanish Government to alleviate the economic crisis have contributed to this, and that includes the restructuring of the banking system, the increased flexibility of the labour market and reforms to the pension system.

This situation is reflected in the housing market, which has already gone through a large part of its adjustment and is now close to achieving a balance between supply and demand. The Spanish real estate sector is beginning to see a reduction in residential housing stock and a consequent price alignment.

Beatriz Corredor, Secretary of State for Housing asserted that: “the trend in the evolution of this stock is changing and that confirms that the market is recovering. It is dropping more specifically in the big cities such as Barcelona or Madrid and in tourist areas such as Andalusia and the Canary Islands”. She added: “Our country now has a wide range of real estate at more accessible prices than a few years ago. The prices of free-market housing have fallen by 15.4% on average since the first quarter of 2008, more than 20% in real terms and as much as 24% in certain provinces where there are more holiday homes. Nonetheless, the market is diversified and it varies depending on the area and the type of property. In fact, in some towns such as Torrevieja, Ibiza or Marbella prices have fallen by between 30 and 40%”.

Legal security: one of Spain’s main strengths

Spain’s solid legal framework guarantees that it is safe to buy a home in Spain. In recent years, the Spanish Government has adopted new measures to reinforce this field.

Transparency has been increased by a measure whereby any processes which may render a house illegal shall be publicly flagged in the Property Register. This register can be accessed by everyone who means that any purchaser can access this register prior to acquiring a property to check that there is no risk involved in the purchase.

Furthermore, the mechanisms employed in the fight against corruption in urban planning have been further strengthened. For example, the figure of Public Prosecutor coordinating Environmental and Town Planning matters has been created, and police resources have been reinforced by the creation of specific groups within the police and the civil guard to combat town planning crime. These aspects have been added to the penal code which was reformed on 23 December 2010 and which increased the punishment for this type of crime.

A Land Law is also in force which includes specific clauses aimed at combating town planning corruption; and local regulatory reforms have been introduced which make it obligatory for government members to publicise their assets and interests, and which tighten up the rules governing incompatibilities.

Well said Keith.

And for those ALREADY compromised where is the mention of compensation, accountability, reform of the justice system?

A solid legal framework is worthless without the components in place to ensure consistent judgements are enacted in a timely fashion.

In the Telegraph article Blanco makes it out to be a small problem because it's only 1% of 850,000.  That means 8,500 people are affected! That's a big problem, not a small one.

CardiffIan

That statement by Blanco is typical of a politician manipulating statistics/the truth ,i.e.,  1% of 850,000 sounds far more insignificant than 8,500.  The arrogant man thinks we are all too dim to work out the true figure.

Now if I'd made that statement I would have said, " 1% ofthose affected".

I have just found the following comment on the website below:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/03/spanish-holiday-home-roadshow

villaviciosa

5 May 2011 8:52AM

What hope for reform!!!!!

Further to Keith's earlier posting, I also attended the meeting which they finally allowed us with a couple from Spanish Government Housing dept, and an interpreter.  The atmosphere was relaxed and open.  They took some of our documents which hopefully they will study and respond to.  Keith and I explained fully the situations that we are both in and explained how ours were typical of those of many others.

They appeared to be particularly interested in the role that the bank have played, and the fact that future buyers will need complete confidence in banks in order to know that their investments are safely underwritten.  We explained how the banks had in many cases accepted deposits and failed to issue guarantees, and in other cases had issued guarantees but refused to honour them when required.  We have proposed that there should be a fast track procedure whereby banks are forced to honour their obligations and compensate where due. This would greatly reduce the backlog of unnecessary court cases and would be a first step to demonstrating that the government are  listening and acting for us.

There has always been a larger focus in the media on the subject of land grab and non-compliance with coastal laws etc,The banks have always escaped the worst of the press, however and I think there is still a major misconception about their integrity and a belief that a bank guarantee safeguards your money.  Most of the interviews conducted yesterday pointed the finger at the banks as being equally illegal and corrupt.  Hopefully this will now filter thro the media and put pressure on banks to change their ways. I believe these guys were quite surprised when they learned just how much of a problem the banks have caused and how dismissive they have all been when approached, and how dismissive the Governor of the Bank of Soain has also been.

Keith and I have offered to support these guys and to feed any info req'd. 

We will now wait for them to digest and process the info we have provided and will then be looking to meet with them again to propose and agree some ways forward for all existing victims of Spanish property abuses. (we won't wait too long!)

It seems a little odd to me that Sr. Blanco can so confidently state that 'only' 1% of  850,000 homes purchased have problems when, if one reads the Bloomberg article, the government departments approached for statistical information were unable to provide data on how many houses were deemed to be illegal or how many houses were involved in court proceedings..... Mmmmm

Anyway.... congratulations again to the merry band of brave souls who went to the embassy yesterday.

Regards,

Maura