18 Apr 2015 10:21 AM:

We purchased our house in 2007 and 2010 the builder went into bankruptcy. ;We kept 70.000 euros back from the builder as there was no building insurance placed on the house. ;We have large cracks appearing around the outside walls and also n the house. ;The floors are coming up and the tiles are breaking due to them only been laid on gravel. We had to have the swimming pool rebuilt as it was full of cracks,  Our solicitor negotiated with the administrator we use 17,000 euros to do the pool and the damp on all the inside walls and the roof which was leaking due to a large hole under the tiles . ;We have had a full report from an independent architect who says this house still need 112.000 euros to put right. Our solicitor phoned us in December to say the administrator was collecting all outstanding monies owed and they could no longer allow us the 17,000 euros as they had a shortfall in monies!! We are now in Spain and went to see the solicitor yesterday who now tells us that he is suing the architect who designed the house but it could take a few years. He now also tells us that you cannot neogotiate a reduced price with the administrators?? we are both coming up to 70 years old and we don't have years to wait for the house to be put right. On our arrival here we had to have the hall floor dug up as we couldn't open the door to get in. ;Cost 600 euros. ;The floors alone will cost between 8-10 thousand which need doing as soon as possible.I don't suppose anyone else has had this problem. ;Any advice would be appreciated. Something I forgot to mention, 2 years ago it cost us €3216.000 to have an illegal mortgage lifted from our house which the builder had taken out and forged our signature.  I wrote to the British Consulate iN Alicante but they don't want to be involved.  The cost of the house new was €236,000.  Plus IVA of course.

This message was last edited by daisymil on 18/04/2015.

This message was last edited by daisymil on 18/04/2015.
Thread: Bankruptcy - and administrators

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24 Aug 2013 9:52 AM:

We bought our dream home in 2004 in the Murcia Region go Spain. The house was finished in 2007 one of the last ones on the urbanisation.
We were delighted with the two bath, three bed house with a pool in a 750 metre square plot. Then the problems started, cracks began to appear in the surrounding walls round the house, then into the house itself. Damp started to come up in all the rooms, plaster fell off all interior walls. The pool started to leak and tiles began falling off the pool, it cost over 3000€ to have the pool re done. We had an architect to look at the house and he did a report to say it would cost 48.000€ to put the house right. After we had the report all the floor tiles have started to crack and raise due to damp coming under the floor another 20.000€ to have damp proof and new floor tiles! The builder went into liquidation, did not pay the architect so we have no builders insurance. Now we have a leak in one of the bedrooms ceilings, tried to claim on our house insurance which we purchased through La Caixa Bank but they won't pay up as they said the roof had not been maintained! Had a quote for 1000€. On top of all that we had illegal mortgages on the house from the builder which have just been lifted, we estimate our solicitors bill for that between 7 and 8000€. Back in 2004 these houses cost 236.000€, now they are selling for 135.000€ so basically ours is worth about 50.000€ as it stands. As we are pensioners we do not have the cash for all the work that needs doing. To top it all, the three builders live on here, the famous 3 who took deposits from all those poor people and never built the houses. It is estimated the have got away with approx 90 million euros!!! Cowboy builders is to good of a name for these people, if they had done that in England they would have been locked up ages ago, It makes you wonder why they are still out and about, the whole thing stinks! While I am now having a rant we have Spanish squatters moved into a house stealing water and Electricity. We have called the Police twice in the last few weeks and nothing has been done. The president has contacted the owner who has send an e mail to say she wants them out and has not given anyone permission to move in to show the Police. The strange thing is they have keys to this house??? The builder did not give many people their spare keys as the has been mislaid. I will let you all draw your own conclusion to this. Rant over ....for now

Thread: Have you been affected by a Cowboy Builder?

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17 May 2010 4:57 PM:

First of all the kennels on the ferry were lovely and clean, the Pont Aven is the best .  You can visit you dogs at any time and there is seating areas so you can walk them out and sit with them as long as you want to.  No you cannot take them out of the dogs area but mine were fine and they never go into kennels, one is eleven and the other one is ten, then we have a young spanish dog found near our urbanization two years ago, she was half dead, starved and full of ticks and fleas.  Our friends out here looked after her until she could go to England and last November we took her back with us and our other two, bought them all back in March.

Regarding the question of the tom tom, we just keyed in San Javier airport but of course once we hit Murcia, we turned it off.  It is difficult with some street names, I just put the nearest land mark in, I even use it when I go to Primark and IKEA!! in Murcia as in the past I have ended up in the wrong lane getting back!!  I have no sense of directions so coming from Santander to San Javier is quite an achievement.

Good luck to all of you who are thinking of driving.

Thread: Santander to San javier

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17 May 2010 9:20 AM:

I think it cost us around £750 for the ferry, but don't  forget we had to pay for each dog so that was over £100 and we upgraded the cabin.  That was of course return coming out on the 14th March returning on the 8th November.  With the ferry people you can change the date of travel i.e. if we want to go home earlier/later then it does not cost anything.

In between times we fly home and one of us has to stay here with the dogs!!

The ferry is like a mini cruise with on board entertainment, lovely bars and restaurants and a swimming pool (Brittany Ferries)  We came from Plymouth and I think the sailing was about 4.30 arriving in Santandar at 1.00 p.m the next day.  Last  year we did not come until August and the sailing was quicker arriving at Santandar at `11.30 so we managed to do most of the driving in the light.

Last year was our first time and I am petrified of sailing (don't mind flying) but it was so nice I had no hesitation of coming again this year.

If you have not already booked I would do it as soon as possible as they book up very quickly, it was full when we came in March so the summer months will be really busy.

The only extra you will have to pay is your petrol and if you plan your route carefully then you will not see any tolls.

Best wishes

Pam Platt

Thread: Santander to San javier

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16 May 2010 10:12 PM:

We have just arrived via Santander to San Javier, it is the second time we have done it.  I love the journey and the ferry was wonderful too. 

We invested in a Tom Tom and it was well worth it.  We did not see one toll road and it took us round the outskirts of Madrid.  Might be worth considering, we found it money well spent.

We took it in turns driving and it took us around nine hours, that was stopping a few times as we had the dogs.  We are only down the road from you so it will be the same route.

Good luck and enjoy the journey, the scenery is magnificient.

Thread: Santander to San javier

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