Eloise Horsfield
By Eloise Horsfield
A BRITISH couple is celebrating after finally winning a six-year battle to save their bungalow.
John and Christine Bull sold their home in West Sussex and ploughed their life savings into a €200,000 dream home in Vera, Almeria.
Despite making sure all the paperwork for their property was legal, in 2006 questions were raised about its validity and the couple has since been living in worry.
But yesterday Granada’s Superior Justice Tribunal ruled the property’s original planning permission, granted by Vera Town Hall in Almeria, be upheld.
Bull, while happy, has pointed out that the ordeal has not come without cost.
“The appeal took place in February. They took a long time to make up their minds. Now we have a stonking great bill to pay.”
Bull’s health has also suffered throughout the process.
congratulations!! You should never have gone through this
ordeal.
Well all credit to the court, but why oh why did it take so long to resolve – and having won their case they should have had costs awarded in their favour.
I know of others in a not dissimilar position in Malaga Province who are now into the third year of their fight to have their homes legalised, after falling victims to a series of corrupt / illegal actions – The case goes on.
Spanish central government should wake up to what’s happening to expats (not just British) when they purchase homes in Spain – they are happy to take our money when we purchase and happy to take the proceeds from our ongoing spending – but they DO NOT act quickly to help when things start going wrong – Spanish Justice System needs a radical overhaul to get cases through the courts faster – to have to wait multiple years, living without essential services is nothing short of scandalous
Great news for these people, but I do wonder how the Priors are feeling, their house was also in Vera and built with all the necessary paperwork – yet a completely illegal house that is approx 400 square metres built on an 80 sq metre footprint is still standing…
our villa is on the registro de propiedad, the Junta say illegally, the registro say no, everything is legal, the Junta told the local Town Hall to open a file on us, they did and sent a set letter telling us to stop building, we have in 2005! then they said the land is protected, it is not, as the law was never published. Now the Junta is trying to change the 4 year rule re ‘if the house is 4 yrs old and has never been fined or told to stop building it can be made legal’ Seems to me the Junta want it their own way and are prepared to break their own rules?! While we have a file against us, we had 15days to reply the council has a year, where’s the justice in that? Our retirement dream has turned into a nightmare. What next we ask?