[Anonymous]

Five years ago today, the Andalucian regional government demolished the house of a retired English couple, the Priors. Their house was deemed illegal, one of the tens of thousands of illegal houses built in Andalucia with the connivance of corrupt local politicians and everyone else connected with the process, and sold on to innocent buyers like the Priors, usually people from abroad and mostly Brits.

The couple stayed on in their garage, somehow declared legal, and have fought for compensation through the courts for five years now, winning most of the cases because of their obvious innocence; but getting compensation in Spain, because of the convoluted legal system, is almost impossible.

The case has been widely reported throughout Europe and even further afield, and has done untold harm to the Spanish economy, especially the construction sector.

All it needed was for the central government to step in, pay the compensation and say the two words more familiar to expats than the Spanish people themselves – Lo Siento.

[Anonymous]

If you are saying they should say sorry & pay them. You are going totally against the grain. You have lived in Spain & should know by now that Spanish never make a mistake & they are always right !!!!!!!!!!!’

I have been traveling to Spain extensively for decades & have spent time in Salamanca studying the language. During my inter action with the society I had picked up words used on a day to day basis, including some words that Cerventaces would not be proud of using.

The word sorry was not heard by me & I had to look it up in my English/Spanish dictonary. This only gives you the indication of its lack of usage.

[Anonymous]

In my experience it’s usually ‘lo siento pero…….’ ie: Sorry, but…… always a reason/excuse.

[Anonymous]

I’ve never been able to fathom out the reluctance of Spanish politicians and their civil service to apologise, it must have something to do with their recent history, I don’t suppose Franco ever said ‘sorry’.

After doing the rounds of Spanish town halls and other official places in order to obtain the necessary papers to live and work in Spain, and falling down the rabbit hole in the process, I started using a wise Gestor who knew the ropes and did it all for me.

Thinking about it logically, the only way to get those important licences and other stuff is by paying someone; I hesitate calling it a bribe, but it’s not far off the mark.

Which is not the British way and may explain the Prior’s case, would their house have been demolished if they had employed a wise Gestor?

But how were they to know?

[Anonymous]

@rocker, Countries that are laden with paper chase etc always has a go between. In Spain they are called Gestor.

In Marbella they have a famous Gesator family by the name of “Boca Negra”. I was speaking to their senior partners as to when this merry go round will terminate in a so called modern Spain. He told me we will make sure that it is never happens.

They are no more/less smart in getting things done. Their secret is that they know the relevent form etc & who to take the matter to i.e. what floor, department, desk etc . The lazy/brain dead civil servents love them as the gestor had all the work & thinking on their behalf & things gets rubber stamped. Dare I say some remuneration periodically gets passed as well.

I am sure that you had seen the Utube link going around where a girl is being demanded all & sundry & she keeps on providing it.

Prior could not have done more as they had already employed a Lawyer and all was in order. Their ownership etc was challanged by the Junta. We conveniently ignore the role of the Notary in all these cases. It their job to ensure that the transaction is legal & the correct amount of taxes are collected. If their house was illegal it should not been notarised in the first place and guess how many people would not have suffered the losess , heartaches, health etc.

[Author]

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