Priors Demolition in Vera

[AUANUtube]

On the 9th of January 2008, the Junta de Andalucia demolished the home of Helen and Len Prior in Vera as a result of a planning dispute between Vera town council and the regional government.

Four years later Helen and Len are still fighting for compensation for the loss of their home.

[fortunaimperator1]

I don’t have nothing against you.

I don’t care too much about that place (Vera) in the middle of nowhere.

I don’t care about the environment damages or the Council fraud is being committed.

I just hate lies .... They made a bet (waiting 5 years without a complain) and they lost.

[fortunaimperator1]

How nice was to pretend to don’t know nothing, and don’t pay any taxes for Urban land. I know a British couple who live in an illegal cheap house in Valencia. They think they are very CLEVER to avoid to pay taxes to the Council.

Britiain situacion: Government policy requires one in eight new homes to be build on ‘brownfield’ sites or land. The most common problem to afflict these homes is flooding, but there are also cases of toxic contamination, poor drainage and sewage overflows

[fortunaimperator1]

How convenient that they had someone there to film the "heart attack" and how odd that his wife didn't accompany him to the hospital......

They don´t know the laws, .... don´t speak the LINGO, .... They just don´t Know ...... How good must be to live without any restriction to any law .... Congratulations.

Looks like ignorance of law give rigths in Britain. .....

[karataonah]

pobre gente. Es una verguenza.

[miguelramirezsoriano]

Como ingeniero, topografo, exconcejal y ESPAÑOL , afirmo que es un abuso xenófogo contra los extranjeros que han invertido sus ahorros en España. NO se hace lo mismo con BARRIADAS enteras que entran en la linea de costas, que YO MISMO he replanteado. Casos: Radazul (Ayuntamiento socialista del Rosario en la isla de Tenerife), Bocacangrejo (donde juegan sus partidas de dominó los Socialistas y miembros de UGT que hicieron alli sus casas)

[taconisimo]

ellos construlleron con permiso del ayto de vera,es cierto;pero es una entidad local hay otras normas de caracter nacional,permisos etc,que estos señores no cumplieron.

la casa estaba ilegal,aunque fuera de ingleses.

[shelyl]

I disagree with several comments, because they treat people different depending on their nationality. También es verdad que una gran mayoría de los residentes extranjeros hacen poco o ningún esfuerzo para aprender el español. On the other hand, I think the information es incomplete, because it is impossible to obtain a permission, publicated in the "boletin oficial de la provincia" and having it retracted 5 years later. Apuesto lo que sea a que no se ha publicado el permiso en al B.O.P.

[barba991976]

The logic that "law in Spain must be respected" is flawed. One could argue it was lawful under Franco to kill and torture political dissidents.

I also find it laughable when the Spanish and their goverment go screaming to international forums when some South American dictator siezes Spanish personal and business assets,

BTW, I have heard rumors and rumblings that European governments urged their IOC members to vote against Madrid 2016 bid as a result of Spanish mistreatment of expats.

[Katencantada]

How convenient that they had someone there to film the "heart attack" and how odd that his wife didn't accompany him to the hospital.

I notice they hadn't bothered to learhn to speak Spanish in all the time they were there.

Serve them right, quite frankly. Let's hope it puts off others of their sort.

[taconisimo]

esto que dices es una tonteria.

[EtherealVortex]

@Katencantada racist.

[Katencantada]

It has nothing to do with nationality or race. It's because of their attitrude and behaviour and I'd say the same if they had built in a similar area and behaved in a similar way in their "own" country.

[notengonickcojones]

three houndred thousand to build? joder que poco

[chuson69]

the should sue whoever cheated them but that's not the Government's fault. The house is illegal and the Gov. has every right to demolish it.

sad story but you can't just go buy cheap agricultural land and build on it! What would happed if everybody would be allowed to do that?? Pay the price for a plot where you can build and then build.

[Kaileo1]

you don't understand. the government GAVE them permission, and then took it away! THIS couple did it the right way, and so the government IS at fault!

[tracala]

malditos gitanos, hay que llamar a la Nato para que paren esa limpieza ètnica en curso!!

[ramsesdover]

If your are building in a ilegal place that things happens. The law must to be repected and in Spain the unkown of a law isn't a be a justification.

Asi que no lo siento ajo y agua.

[notengonickcojones]

ellos construyeron con el permiso del ayuntamiento, ese es el problema. en españa hay la misma justicia que inteligencia, y su carencia es sobretodo patente en el sur.

[BakedTuber]

@ramsesdover

They had the permission as everybody plainly knows. The local government withdrew it retrospectively. It's not an isolated incident but an example of house built by corrupt developers and officials a reality that thousands of ex patriate british have to live with, not knowing if their life savings will be smashed to the ground at some point in the future. This doesn't happen in Britain, it's why so many trusting British fall foul of the corrupt and incompetent Spanish authorities

[fortunaimperator1]

@BakedTuber

@fortunaimperator1

Nop my dear. We all know the TRUE is quite diffrent:

1º - 1 of 10 new buildings in UK have hidden risks which could make these properties uninsurable and unsaleable. (Telegraph news).

2º - We all know that is RURAL LAND (as in the papers said) but the secret is that you know that if there is not any complain about the illigal building for 5 years then .... the goberment can not demolish it.

Why so many lies?

[fortunaimperator1]

@BakedTuber

Nop my dear. We all know the TRUE is quite diffrent:

1º - 1 of 10 new buildings in UK have hidden risks which could make these properties uninsurable and unsaleable. (Telegraph news).

2º - We all know that is RURAL LAND (as in the papers said) but the secret is that you know that if there is not any complain about the illigal building for 5 years then .... the goberment can not demolish it.

Why so many lies?

[BakedTuber]

@fortunaimperator1

I can't think of single incident in britain whether the house was built with planning permission only to have it retrospectively withdrawn later and then the house demolished at a later point. And even if which if he did fake the heart attack which is such a cynical thought then good luck to him. They were knocking down his house.

As someone who is close to this community around vera I can tell you there are many homeowners who have been duped into buying illegal property.

[prfcavan]

Why do not you try to put your house, for example, in Gibraltar? It is the same weather and you are inside UK, but in spanish floor (so, it is Andalucia and itis the same good weather). And, also, you can use your own british hospitals, because if you are diying in the door of a spanish hospital they will not ask you, even, "how are you?". Zapatero finished with that "privilege" and a "medical" tourism. And you are retired people.

Live in Gibraltar proteced by the British Army.

[reingu]

I am sorry for the couple. Truly. But I am sure that speaking Spanish would have greatly reduced their changes of being misinformed and ultimately scammed and ruined.

[norinco77b]

In Andalucia to be more specific Mr. Manuel Chavez (the president) allows these houses to be built in rustic land when it is for his friends. Mr Chavez is a heavily corrupted bastard who should resign his position. 4) Do not please blame the Spanish housing boom because big part of the problem was caused by the huge demand created by British and Germans moving to Spain. 5) Having said that this is an extremely complex problem. Again, sorry for this couple. I hope everything is solved finally.

[norinco77b]

I am very sorry for this couple. I do have however a number of comments. 1) This couple was scammed. I do not understand how could they not know that the house was being built over rustic land ! Who was responsible for this ? 2) If they'd have spoken some Spanish perhaps they would have known that was illegal. Bad point for them. I try to speak the native language when I move abroad. 3) Regardless of these mistakes they house building in Spain is totally out of control.

[EllyTele]

Sad story. The Spanish authorities are very bad.