EXCLUSIVE: Bank in Spain refuses payout to fix British expat pensioner’s gate as ’wind was not strong enough’

AN expat pensioner has been forced to fork out for new gates despite having insurance for over 17 years.

Sylvia Rush, based in Alhaurin el Grande, had part of her gates destroyed by the strong winds in March, but Banco Sabadell says the gusts were too slow for her to justify a claim.

The damage occured during Storm Emma, on March 1 and 2, where winds in Malaga province measured up 94 km/hr according to figures obtained by the Olive Press from weather agency AEMET.

But Rush, in her 80s, was told by Spain’s fifth largest bank, that no payment would be given as readings from Torremolinos measured wind speeds of 65km/hr, 10 less than the claim cut off of 75 km/hr.

“How can they expect us to accept a reading from so far away? We are much higher than Torremolinos,” Rush said.

“The wind was so strong it blew us off our feet when we went out to investigate.”

While a closer automatic weather station in Coin exists, the same type as Torremolinos, AEMET could not provide these figures when asked by the Olive Press.

However they did supply the nearest available, Fuengirola, which had a reading of 74 Km/hr and Marbella’s Cabopino, which had a whopping reading of 94 km/hr.

In addition Benahavis, Fuente de Piedra and Gaucín all registered over 80km/hr.

Rush said: “We are in our 80s and they are taking advantage of people who have put in a claim for storm damage,

“It’s the injustice, when you pay so much money and then find out when you need to be paid out they will find any excuse to avoid paying.”

Sabadell failed to comment in time for press.