Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
EXCLUSIVE by Wendy Williams
TRENCHES have been dug in a vicious hate campaign between two groups of expatriates at a mobile home park in inland Andalucia.
On one side; a large group who have been cut off from electricity and water. On the other those who haven’t.
Now, it has emerged that the vicious rivalry between the neighbours at Villa Alta Holiday Park in Alfarnatejo has led to intimidation and assault claims.
“We have had plants cut, pots smashed, messages written on cars, wheel nuts loosened. People have even been assaulted,” said Terry Crawford, 52, one of the residents paying the bills.
“It is absolutely horrendous. And my wife and I feel unsafe living here.”
Last year, the Olive Press reported how dozens of expatriates had been left in turmoil after their landlord cut off their electricity and water supplies.
They told the paper they had been subjected to ‘bully boy tactics’ after refusing to pay a 250 per cent increase in their monthly bills.
Now it has transpired that this was only half of the story, as dozens of other British residents were, in fact, happy to pay their bills.
The paying group claims that they have been subjected to a ‘hate campaign’ for trying – in their words – to make the place a ‘happier, cleaner environment’.
They insist the non-payers have made the place ‘lawless’ and unpleasantly noisy and smelly with a series of generators they have installed.
Camp owner Daniel Pertica, 50, told the Olive Press the police were frequently on the site and insisted he was in the process of trying to get the non-payers evicted.
He said: “It is very stressful. There is a group that has radicalized themselves and they are very antagonistic to the rest of the residents and my personnel.
“Some people have even been beaten up.“
“The police are here every other week and I have had to go through the lawyers as they won’t talk to me directly.”
He added: “I am now in the process of going through the courts to have them evicted as at the moment they are squatters, paying absolutely nothing.”
However, resident Anthony Donnelly, who has now been living without electricity for 18 months, was dismissive of the accusations.
He said: “What they are saying is incredulous; it is all a pack of lies.
“We do still need electricity and we are waiting patiently for our own case to go through the courts.
“There has certainly been no aggression or threats on our part.
“We just don’t talk to them, it’s as simple as that.”
I do not live on the site or have any financial connection.
But a relative has an interest. But I am aware that Pertica hires illegal immigrants to intimidate residents. (Court case pending) And I know that he has illegaly cut off residents water and electric (court case pending) That he took amounts as high as £30,000 for residents to buy the land, so that they did not have to pay any rent month-by-month. And despite that he held an illegal meeting (Court case pending) and imposed a monthly rent in excess of 200 euros (Court case pending) I would also think that he was responsible for trying to kill the Mayor. (No evidence, but it fits the facts).
Go back and take a look at the facts, and the court listings for Dan Pertica. You do these abused residents of this site a grave dis-service. Some in their 80’s having had no water or heating for about 2 years.
Where is the mention of the trench that Pertica had dug, to trap all of the residents cars on the site. Of the Police reports of harrassment against residents. Of taking money for a mobile home and not supplying it.
A total disgrace.
Mr McLean,
I do live on the site and as such have a financial interest, and see day by day what happens first hand, not something reported second or perhaps third hand.
I would suggest you are on very thin ice with the accusations you make, because even if any these allegations prove to be true, and I know for sure some of the allegations you make are not correct, they are still as yet, allegations and are not as yet, proven facts, unlike the FACT that several of the “abused residents”/friends of residents on two separate occasions, have been charged with offences of violence against members of staff here on Villa Alta and found GUILTY, with various fines and compensation orders issued. There is also another case waiting to go before the courts. The trench you mention was dug at the rear of the site to prevent people coming over agricultural land belonging to a neighbouring farmer, no one to my knowledge has been prevented from leaving the site with their vehicle, but they have been prevented from bringing vehicles back on to site.
There has always been a charge for maintenance, never a charge for rent; yes the maintenance charges did increase substantially, from approximately 54 euros per month plus electricity and water charges, plus IVA, to approximately 202 euros per month INCLUSIVE of utilities and IVA, and this was the only increase since the site opened some six years ago. Never the less this increase was not welcomed by ANY of the residents, me included.
As for the “abused residents”, and police reports of harassment, many of the people here who chose to pay the increased maintenance have suffered abuse, vandalism, harassment and intimidation from a faction of the “abused residents” for doing nothing more then paying their dues, and in my opinion, even the “abused residents” not directly involved with these actions are just as guilty by sitting back and doing nothing. All these people chose not to pay the increase, against their solicitors advice I believe, but that is their choice, and I respect them for it. I personally need electricity through the night foe medical reasons, but even if that was not the case, I would not have made the same choice as they have.
Whilst Dan Pertica may not be a saintly figure, it is the non paying “Squatters” who are the disgrace, they have acted in the most uncivilised, aggressive and childish manor to other human beings who simply have a different opinion and pay their dues.
oh Terry,
You forgot to mention you are a very special friend of Mr Pertica!!!!!
Gemma,
I know Mr Pertica because I’m a resident here on Villa Alta, I have no financial interest/dealings with him other than that, although if I see him in a bar etc I will take a drink with him as many of the residents from both sides of this dispute have done in the past..
You are obviously connected in some way to Villa Alta, either by friendship or family, so why don’t you, and/or whoever put you up to the snide comment just stick to facts, and if able, repudiate any/all of my previous post, is it perhaps because all I have said is true and your only option is to stoop to casting aspersions on my character??
I stand by all I said in my previous post, not because I have a “special friendship” as you so childishly put it, but because they are the facts. All I and several others here have done is have the audacity to have an opinion, and pay our dues, and for that crime we have our lives made a misery by people here who obviously think only their opinion is valid, and it would seem, quite prepared to commit crimes to further that opinion.
Reading this article Terry really does contradict alot of accusations. How can someone be a squatter when they have paid thousands for a plot of land and home? And why would anyone live without electric and water for a second year without cause. And please stop trying to justify a man whos’s wrong doings are abundant.
I’m far from childish, far be it. A family member of mine is a so called squatter. A young family with two children who brought their plot with their hard earned savings on a freehold basis with a maintenance charge of 50 euros a month. Suddenly the goal posts were changed and they were surprised to see a monthly bill for 298.00 euros not 202.00 like you suggest. When making a simple email enquiry to Mr Pertica why, to this day they were never given an answer. Before this they had a very good relationship with this man.
So their decision was made to take action for this wrong doing, to save what they have worked hard to have.
Don’t keep spouting on about your misery, because you chose the easy option for this wrong doing. As anyone can see you will win whatever the outcome.
Yes Gemma you’re right I do contradict many of the allegations made by you and the squatters here on Villa Alta, because they are at best half truths and in some cases outright lies.
People here should read the documents they signed, I have, and nowhere does it say freehold, I would have loved to have been the owner of my own little plot, but that is not what the documents say, and as such, anyone occupying land without the landowner’s permission is squatting.
As for living without electricity and water without cause, I have never suggested that anyone was doing anything without cause, and if you bothered to read my last post, I said I respect their decision. I don’t believe I have tried to justify any of Mr Pertica’s actions, and the aim of the article was to highlight the deplorable actions of many of the people living here on Villa Alta to a smaller faction simply because they don’t agree with their aims.
Yes you’re correct about there been an outrageous increase in the monthly maintenance fees to almost 300 euros, but after much deliberation, I and some of the other residents here decided that outright non payment was not a viable option, and approached the owner to explain that whilst we appreciated that there hadn’t been an increase since the park opened, we thought the increase was excessive and beyond what we could reasonably afford, we then negotiated and compromised, two words that many people here don’t know the meaning of. We finally came up with a figure of a little over 200 euros to include utilities etc which is what we currently pay.
I apologise for commenting on my and my fellow fee paying resident’s ill treatment at the hands of a bunch of non paying thugs, but as we have come to find out, democracy and free speech aren’t words in many residents vocabulary.
I nearly bought a place here about 3 years ago. Now I read stories like this and it makes me glad I bought in France instead.
We did look into coming here when the site Club House was up for sale and we wanted to bring my Tuk Tuk to operate out there aswell as the Mini Bus idea that was up for grabs at the same time. I feel very fortunate that I didn’t go through with this now. We have two teenage boys and was advised by some on the expats forum that this was NOT the place to move my kids to. I feel we have had a lucky escape!.
I avidly read the Forum that was started by the first people that moved in several years ago, until it disappeared off the internet. I was interested to see how a ‘freehold’ site, which was how it was advertised, could possibly work as this didn’t add up to me as when all or most of the plots were sold monies would be required for upkeeping the site, lighting etc, the costs of which of course would increase the more people moved in. No Park Home sites are freehold, what a shame that the residents are falling out with each other. They should be sticking together, whether paying the extra fees or not, as there is only one guilty person here – the owner of the site.
I feel very sorry for all caught up in this and hope something can be resolved for all of you.