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Great post Guillespie. Points noted.
For anyone that can make it, there is a demonstration in Vera on Sunday outside the town hall organised by the Ciudadanos Europeos de Mojácar.
I'm really going to try to get there and show my support.
I've managed to get the phone numbers of all concerned now so will be making calls tomorrow to find out all the facts of the case and see how we can use this as the first step of a big campaign.
Will keep you informed.
Justin
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Schools in Spain Guide | The Expat Files | Learn Spanish | Earn a living in Spain
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Hi - yes I agree it's abominable and all our worst nightmares. We are about the take the plunge, and are buying an apartment inland in Cox nr Orihuela on a small urbanisation. Our solicitor has assured us that this type of problem cannot happen with the latest laws and regulations in place - but do you know different?!!
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Spanish-togs
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Hi All
Has anybody actually had permission from the Junta ! What does it look like ? How do you go on if your development is in a National Park like ours is ??
If we were buying in England we know what searches are required and what they look like . We have translations of all our documents but one is still at the mercy and of another countries legal system and government .
Its nice to see that so many people feel so strongly about this and how much support there is for the Priors . We would be happy to contribute 10 euros to the fund . Has it been started yet ? I`ve lost track along this thread !!.
Tanboy and Tangirl.
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This is very very sad cant believe that this can happen those poor people as fly says it wouldnt happen in the uk 
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hello first time here we are planning to move to la mirada 2 very ...
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Hello Tan Boy, surprised to see you here after having a browse around outside our own thread. I think we are in a far better position than the poor people mentioned on this thread. The project we are both on is in an advanced stage of construction with the top building company in Spain building the houses, we have a copy of licence for our property and a bank guarantee, and just one point, it is not in a natural park, it is in a natural area, two different things I believe, but as you know it is a fantastic area and I cant honestly say that I have found another area that comes close to it, Im sure you would agree on that. This is not a commercial post, just a very happy purchaser for a change, we seem to be a rare breed at the moment !! Biddy
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How can you tell if your property will fall foul of this legislation to demolish properties. My husband & I are signing for our new appartment in Punta Prima at the end of February, how do we know or find out if the complex is technically legal or not.
Linda
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Ask to see a copy of the building licence, our developer gave us a copy as soon as it was issued by the town hall. Biddy
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Hi Biddy
Thanks for that . We have never seen a licence that I am aware of .
The point is though is it not that the Prior`s had licences permissions etc etc and what good did it do them ??
The Town Hall can be overuled by the Junta can they not ??
Sorry to keep being a worry wart but we are not talking peanuts at the end of the day ,
Tan Girl
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Hi Tan Girl, nice to hear from the other half. Maybe you need to speak with the girls in the office, they are always very helpful, one thing we need to remember is our project is a different situation from what i can make out. We are on a project where the land has been reclassified as building land and has all of the necessary paperwork, Im not sure but I would suspect a lot of the problems are with properties built on rustic land, which I know for a fact in the coasta blanca area should be no less than 10,000,00 square mt, I think this is where a lot of people come unstuck. I feel positive that we are in a far better position. Biddy
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Hi Tan Girl, nice to hear from the other half. Maybe you need to speak with the girls in the office, they are always very helpful, one thing we need to remember is our project is a different situation from what i can make out. We are on a project where the land has been reclassified as building land and has all of the necessary paperwork, Im not sure but I would suspect a lot of the problems are with properties built on rustic land, which I know for a fact in the coasta blanca area should be no less than 10,000,00 square mt, I think this is where a lot of people come unstuck. I feel positive that we are in a far better position. Biddy
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Thanks for that biddy. Points of which have been understood!
Have e-mailed the lawyers today and should get an answer in due course hopefully.
I am sure you will understand we need to hear it from the lawyers and not the office as this would not placate us at present.
When I get the answer I will post the upshot of the advice.
Might help a few here?
Tanboy
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Good idea, mine gave me peace of mind nearly a year ago, your lawyer should have seen the relevant papers as well, I would have thought , thats if they are doing the job they are paid to do !! Have sent your other half a private mail. I think we maybe heading for a telling off, and told to clear off to our own Forum. Hope all goes well for you, Im sure it will. Biddy
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Just one of the more "positive" replies I have had from one of our MEP's:
"Thank you for your email on the subject of Spanish property rights.
I am reasonably well informed on the subject and have been very much involved in the cases of a number of British residents living in Spain. Very often land has been bought and houses built in good faith and with the full permittion of the local authority...only to find some years later that the superior authority has (or claims to have) the right to rescind the permit.I do have enormous sympathy for those people unfortunate enough to be affected by this very questionable behaviour by the authorities in a number of Spanish regions and I agree with you that the situation is not acceptable.
Unfortunately the fact is that the EU does not have the power to overrule the regional local authorities in a member state. So the parliament can not interfere in the administration of regional or district affairs. What we can do, and are currently doing, is to raise the issue in committee (petitions committee) and, by voting a resolution through the committee, oblige the Commission to bring pressure to bear upon the Spanish government in order to force their district councils to conform to 'normal' internationally accepted planning procedures.
I recognise that, in the short term, this is not the answer that you would like to read, or that I would like to write.However, I must assure you that there are a number of MEPs, not just British, who are as angry as I am and who are working to get a satisfactory outcome.
Yours sincerely
Richard Ashworth"
In other words, much as we expected, the EU is a hugely expensive, largely unelected institution which we in the UK support to the tune of £billions, much of which over the recent past has been given to Spain and when we need them, they can do nothing except vote round in circles. Perhaps some of the so called Europhiles would like to explain what good it does it do citizens of the UK to be citizens of the EU? Still, it's not finished yet!
Mike
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Mike, well done on your continued pressure on these MPs and MEPs.
It's a rather frustrating response really but not unexpected. The problem is that the European parliament takes forever to vote on anything, even what coffee they should drink at their meetings.
I'm going to talk to the Priors tomorrow and their lawyers and see what's happening and how we can all take this forward and get some proper action going.
Will report back.
Justin
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Schools in Spain Guide | The Expat Files | Learn Spanish | Earn a living in Spain
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 That is Brilliant Justin lets hope something can come out of this and we can help them. Good Luck Pat
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Good on you Justin - at the very end of the day its people power that will win.
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Quite frankly m'dear, I don't give a damn!
www.herbalmarbella.com
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This is truly a heart-breaking tale - and surely a disgrace on the Spanish government. I understood that this whole situation was put in front of the European Court of Human Rights; has there been a conclusion?
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Please count with our help.
Maria and the Costaluzlawyers team
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Maria L. de Castro, JD, MA
Lawyer
Director www.costaluzlawyers.es
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=510165&in_page_id=1811
For those who don't like to click on links I'm taking the liberty of posting the report here as well.
Hollywood's Antonio Banderas is victim of Spain's holiday home demolition policy
Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas has become the latest victim of Spain's new clean-up on illegal homes.
The Legend Of Zorro star is reeling after being ordered to demolish part of his beloved £5million beachfront home.
Banderas has been told corrupt former town hall chiefs should never have given him permission for a massive extension eight years ago.
A court in Malaga has ordered him to knock down the 300sq ft wing of the mansion near Marbella - around a fifth of the property - within eight weeks.
The decision follows the demolition of British expats' Les and Helen Prior's home in the coastal town of Vera, south-east Spain.
A bulldozer tore down their £200,000 property after the regional government revoked the building licence issued by the town hall.
The move has sent shockwaves through expat British and Irish communities in resorts on the popular Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol.
Spanish-born Banderas used his Marbella home - nicknamed La Gaviota or The Seagull - to rehearse his part in hit film The Mask Of Zorro.
He and wife Melanie Griffith bought the six-bedroom house 12 years ago as their summer holiday home after renting it for nearly a year.
Neighbours have long argued Banderas is the victim of corrupt town hall officials who allowed the property to be built on land used for community benefit after illegally reclassifying it in return for backhanders.
Lawyers for the star are expected to appeal the court ruling.
Spain's socialist government recently announced plans to push for the demolition of thousands of Costa homes.
Beachfront properties along nearly 500 miles of the country's coastline will be targeted.
Environment ministers behind the plan have said they intend negotiating compensation packages as part of a "carrot and stick" approach.
But they have given no guarantee bulldozers will not move in if talks with regional governments and town halls come to nothing.
Critics say the move is fuelled partly by political rivalry.
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