Imogen Calderwood
EVICTED expat families were left watching helplessly yesterday as their homes were taken to pieces, following the unhappy conclusion of a two-and-a-half-year legal battle.
The wooden lodges in Atlantic Forest Park, in Zahara de los Atunes, have now been removed, leaving the foundations sitting empty across the park.
Despite the scenes of destruction, the families are celebrating a small victory, after managing to sell their homes on for scrap wood – although for a fraction of the real value.
“We beat the landowner’s intent to cash in on our misfortune and sell our homes on for his profit,” said lodge owner Tony Pearson, 58, from Kent in the UK.
“He also has a sizeable fine to pay to the Andalucian Junta, which serves him right.”
Landowner, Paco Verduga Durante, now faces a considerable task and expense in returning the land to its former condition as a finca.
“It was painful when my former neighbour presented me with the name plaque from my house, which is all we have left from out holiday home investment,” said publican Mr Pearson.
“But we have all gained satisfaction in ensuring that no one profitted in any way from our loss. So in one way, you can strike up a victory for us!”
The group are now suing Alex Joll, the owner of the company that leased them the land in 2008, for fraud.
The project envisaged the creation of a mobile home park with space for 84 mobile homes and 15 lodges built.
However, a combination of planning problems emerged, which led to the project being ruled as illegal.
A friend of Mr Joll said he had failed to get the correct permission from Barbate town hall and had been unable to buy the land off the original owner.
“He was unable to turn things around despite selling the project to a venture capital group in 2010,” said the source.
“By 2011 the venture capital company stopped funding the project and the park ‘collapsed’.
“An attempt to buy the land from the owner in 2012 failed when he refused to sell.”
However he added: “Once they are out the owner can start the process again and seek a new permit to build homes.”
Well done Spain, great publicity.
It really is scraping the bottom of the barrel when the only thing to hang onto is selling off the scrap wood for a fraction of the original cost. How low can you go? This may be one incident of this nature where the Junta de Andalucia are not solely to blame but nonetheless, they it handled it badly and to only one end. Yet more demolitions, yet more bad publicity for Spain (Andalucia in particular) and yet again more people losing their homes through no fault of their own.
A complete car crash.
Not sure if I can see this as a victory in any shape or form.I must say some of the Spanish people have no morals do they, be they officials or otherwise. They should see the grief they cause by robbing people of their life savings and often their only property, the stress can often put people in their graves early.
As this Joll character could’nt get the legal owner of the land to sell it how come the owner did’nt immediately call in the police when construction began – the smell of rotten fish is overwhelming.
You can’t help but admire their brave faces but I see no ‘victory’ here…The merry go round will continue with a fresh planning application (and no doubt a brown envelope).
All the taxpayers money that was spent on the “buy a home in Spain” roadshow last year was a complete and utter waste (well we all knew that anyway)…It beggars belief that no-one in local, regional or central government seems to have the wit to understand that issues like this serves only to perpetuate the comatose state of the real estate sector, in spite of the usual hype from estate agents.
Well I suppose it will all come out in wash in the end. Took Rome 300 years or so to bring some form of order to early Britain. What are we talking about now, 20 years or so.
Please don’t think i’m being insensitive but how does that song go that Frank Sinatra once sang. “That’s life”
Cac. Do you intend to adopt the last two lines? You would be so missed.
Cacca,
you whitter on about Spain but it’s good for a laugh.Now you make an even bigger fool of yourself who knows absolutely nothing about history as your comment shows.
Up till 200AD virtually the whole of western Europe was Celtic apart from those nasty little Latins and Rome was sacked by the Celts in 300BC, the mistake we made was in not exterminating them then.
Celtic society was well ordered with a fully functioning beaurocracy, artistically far superior to the Steppe Aryans that were unfortunately soon to pollute western Europe.
You are also obviously ignorant to the fact that the Romans invented and created nothing new it all came from Mesopotania via Greece.
You are an insensitive and obnoxious little man – what a shame those who lost their homes don’t know where you live, I wonder how they would deal with you.
Brian,
Have you seen the latest report on the sale of flats and villa’s, mostly by the Brits are still the biggest of buyer’s.
Report’s are not from estate agencies but government figures.
Stew,
Do me a favor. Rome occupied Britain for approximately 300 years.
What have you personally done to help or assist these people in need except to keep on moaning about it. I speak the true, it will eventually sort itself out whether it is good or bad, but will be part of the past like anything else. You kind of people moan and complain but do nothing. Have you ever been to any of their meetings. Had you ever been with them parading in front of the town halls. Do me a favor, change your tune.
Stew,
Your write-up:-
“As this Joll character could’nt get the legal owner of the land to sell it how come the owner did’nt immediately call in the police when construction began – the smell of rotten fish is overwhelming”.
Tell me, why should the legal owner call the police. It also happens in the U.K
Why did they not “dismantle” the houses and sell them, or move them as units to somewhere else. Standing around and watching them being reduced to matchwood is just stupid.
Stew or Stuart
Sorry my mistake. It was 400 years not 300 years as I had stated. What was it that said the Roman’s did not bring to Britain.
WIKIPEDIA
The Roman era in Britain lasted for 400 years. It began around 55 BC. During this time, The Romans were able to bring about order and unity in the country as it had never been seen before.
The Romans occupied Britain from between 41 AD to about 410 AD. Emperor Claudius decided to invade Britain because Britons had previously helped the Gauls to fight the Romans, secondly to gain fame back at home and lastly he had heard rumors that Britain had great treasure. They introduced new ideas in urbanization, agriculture, architecture and industry.
Have you ever visited the Roman Palace at Fishbourne or the Roman Bath’s at Bath. I have. Perhaps you will learn something.
As stated previously, you talk a lot of crap. Da.
Stew or Stuart,
I think you should study history before you make such stupid comments on a subject you know nothing about.
Early Brits were still living in round wooden mud huts when the Romans came, didn’t even know what roads were, used muddy tracks.
Have you ever been to Italy, and careful how you reply, don’t enhance your stupidity further regarding the history of the Roman Empire, even the British law is based on Roman law.
The Romans had already cultivated Spain before they marched onto heathen Britain and brought law and order.
Perhaps you should also read up on the history of Spain (don’t even know if you live here as you knock it so much) before you try and continue to enlighten us of your history knowledge.
Did you even know that a Spaniard had been a Roman Emperor.
Remember people, don’t feed a troll.
Fred,
You are as bad as the other’s that come out with a load of crap. Say something positive in future about Spain or take the advice you have given to other’s.
“jst get over it or move back to the UK, simples”.
To all,
The last line in my previous reply to Fred such as:-
“jst get over it or move back to the UK, simples”. are his recommendation NOT mine. Da.
Caccia, were you born an obnoxious human being or are you suffering from some form of dementia perhaps? I know you are desperate for attention on here, but my advice to you would be to seek some anger management help. You are one bitter individual and are the most hated person on this forum.
Simon,
Another joker and a person that does not like to read the truth. I only reply to crap write-ups. So be aware in what you say.
If you say that living in Spain is good for some people, in-fact I would say a lot, then it would be something that we both would agree on and would not warrant a negative reply from me, simple really.
Are you happy in reading the crap from Stew and Fred and if you are I feel sorry for you. Until they change their tune and state the good benefits of life in Spain then I shall continue to view things differently to what they say. Surely I have the same rights as others and why hated purely because I don’t agree with crap writ-ups and negative thinking’s, it’s called democracy.
Grow up.
Simon,
Funny enough I said almost the same about poor ol’ Stew. You must stop coping write-ups, use you own grey matter, that’s if you have some. Hehe