- This topic has 17 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 17 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
Here is an email from a lady at the BBC, it is fairly self explanatory,
we are making a programme called The Truth about Property for Current Affairs on BBC 2 and it will go out in March. I am at present looking for particular case studies who have been/or find themselves in situations which can illustrate some of the problems British people are facing in southern Spain.
Specifically I am looking for:
-Individuals that have unknowingly brought properties on rustic land and are now in the situation where their houses face being demolished or have been demolished.
-Individuals that have brought property now deemed illegal- and now have to live off a generator in their garden and no use of public services eg water, sewage etc
At this stage it would be brilliant to talk to as many people as possible and to hopefully find some case studies who would be happy to have a small interview with our presenter and have a chance to tell their story – we are looking to come out and film in just 2 weeks so things are a bit rushed this end!
-
-
-
The-Frank-Tavern wrote:surely that bit alone makes you realise that it wont be the truth but focus on all the negative aspects and forget all those people who are satisfied with their purchases
If the Spanish authorities continue with their present policy of making property buyers pay to legalise their property and basically leave untouched the big fish in the corruption pool, then one case of a demolition or someone paying to legalise their property when they had the correct paperwork issued, or so they were told, is one case too many. FUTURE BUYERS MUST BE WARNED OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED. The Spanish community still cannot understand why foreigners are no longer buying, they seem oblivious to demolitions,illegal builds etc. making buyers rather nervous.
I know that probably 80% of property purchases have gone through without a problem and that the owner is quite happy, this still does not excuse the 20% that have been ripped off, conned,or are living under the threat of the Sword of Damocles not knowing if they will have to pay a fortune to “legalise” their property or if it will be pulled down. Then there is the famous LRAU and LUV laws, where one can lose part of one´s plot and pay fortune for the priviledge.
-
-
The problem in advising would be buyers of the pitfalls of buying in Spain, is that the people who haven’t been scammed; have their head in the sand over the legality of their properties or those who have started businesses, do not want any type of bad press for their adopted area.
Instead they round on the people who are trying to warn others of scams saying that the negative press will kill or is killing the local economy. Businesses closing, house prices going down etc.
It would appear that they would much rather more Brits move to the area, run the risk of getting duped, but….that’s Ok, the local economy is still thriving as it’s taking the money still. I’m alright Jack – and these are Brits. How fair is that? Not very!!
They also fail to recognise that there are other financial pressures for the failure of businesses and it is not just a local problem.We have an illegal house, but I would not want anyone else to go through this kind of hell. Not knowing if we will be demolished by the Junta of Andalucia this month, in six months or a year. This is despite having bought in good faith and still having to pay the mortgage on said property.
Could I in all conscience keep quiet about the type of corrupt practices that have gone on and undoubtedly still do (if any of these threads are to be believed)? Absolutely not.
-
Fran, I find that people can get very bristly, they do want to brush it under the carpet. My house is completely legal but I do know many people who have problems, hence my interest. (looking back I just think we were lucky!) I also think it is in the interests of any owner of spanish property to try to change what is happening. There are a lot of people who are not on the internet who are oblivious to the problems. You certainly don’t get informed by reading the spanish newspapers very little is mentioned here!
-
fran
i agree with you. Okay, there might well be many satisfied customers, but there are also many like you and me, who have been treated in an appalling way. Until the thousands who have been wronged can start to see real change, then i think it’s downright selfish of anyone to deny us any airtime that shows the rot as it really is for many of us. This ”i’m alright jack, and i don’t want any more bad press because it might rock my boat” attitude by a few on this forum, leaves me in dismay about how mean some people can be.
I think more prog’s showing the positive side of buying in Spain will be great when the time is right, but for the sake of all those who have been wronged, first lets concentrate on sorting out what is for many people a horrendous situation to be in, with little sign of justice.
-
@135yearswaiting wrote:
If the Spanish authorities continue with their present policy of making property buyers pay to legalise their property and basically leave untouched the big fish in the corruption pool, then one case of a demolition or someone paying to legalise their property when they had the correct paperwork issued, or so they were told, is one case too many. FUTURE BUYERS MUST BE WARNED OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED. The Spanish community still cannot understand why foreigners are no longer buying, they seem oblivious to demolitions,illegal builds etc. making buyers rather nervous.
I know that probably 80% of property purchases have gone through without a problem and that the owner is quite happy, this still does not excuse the 20% that have been ripped off, conned,or are living under the threat of the Sword of Damocles not knowing if they will have to pay a fortune to “legalise” their property or if it will be pulled down. Then there is the famous LRAU and LUV laws, where one can lose part of one´s plot and pay fortune for the priviledge.
i agree with your sentiments but these programmes just become vvvvvv one sided and completely unbalanaced, they make out that if its 80% problem purchases, which is just plain wrong. I have no problem with highlighting the problems, BUT take a balanced approach. the prob they sometimes have too is that they choose examples where the purchasers have just been plain stupid so don’t really get their point across either in relation to the problems hence many people when they buy don’t consider the issues as important as they should be, they just smply think that it wont happen to me i’m not that daft, but some of the probs are much more difficult to be aware of.
-
Name and shame, on open forum goodstitch44, these “vile” people who have this expressed ” I’m all right jack……” attitude you refer to.
It has been suggested, something I have agreed with, that sometimes people must take a least some responsibility for their actions.
However duped by professional bodies, in particular lawyers, is something we more fortunate (there but for the Grace of God go I ) purchasers have expressed we have every empathy for and am sure many are trying to assist in highlighting the problem.The only posting with such a disgraceful attitude I have read was on a forum fran is alluding to . Quite rightly no-one agreed.
Unfortunately the media, because of the financial imput of advertising they need, edit the reporting of corruption in such a way as to leave the viewer/reader believing the purchaser was niave.
Spain, sans corruption, is a great place to live and will be even better when people like Suzanne can make the Powers that Be take notice and appropriate action.
-
Hi
Think that this one posting says alot about those that post on the forums .I think more prog’s showing the positive side of buying in Spain will be great when the time is right, but for the sake of all those who have been wronged, first lets concentrate on sorting out what is for many people a horrendous situation to be in, with little sign of justice.
Why on earth should we only concentrate on putting the wronged first without posting those that are fine and very happy.
So is the forum going to remain like this until everyone with the slightest problem gets resolved then and only then can the majority be allowed a say.
Is that when the time is RIGHT ?Is that when its great to post. 😡
Dont people looking in at this forum want to see the full story.?My Opinion only
Frank 8)
-
Unfortunately the media, because of the financial imput of advertising they need, edit the reporting of corruption in such a way as to leave the viewer/reader believing the purchaser was niave.
****************************************
I have been banging on about this for ages, the media has a vested interest in making out that Spain is Utopia. I have lived in Spain for many years , it is a country of contrasts,unfortunately corruption is a way of life.
Contrary to the impression my postings may give, I enjoy my life here and it is certainly better than the UK, I just hate to see this corruption, the total disregard by the authorities to the rights of property owners, the low standard of advice from estate agents and lawyers, the god money being more important than doing a good job. My heart bleeds for people involved in the wrong end of a property deal.There is a local radio station which has over the years recommended some shocking companies, developers, estate agents the word “demolitions, land grab,corrupt mayors, lawyers,notaries ” seem to be banned from its airwaves.
Now they are bringing people on in adverts saying how wonderful it is to live in Marbella and environs and the MD has said he is banning pessimism and everyone should realise that they live in paradise. I think this attitude is wrong, many people have to be protected from themselves, it used to be said people left their brains if they ever had one in Gatwick or one of the other British airports. This was unfortunately true, they still deserve protection from the vultures , thank God for Mark and his crusade. I am sure he is ruffling a lot of feathers and good luck to him , I in my small way will help to expose scams,land grabs. I wrote to a member of the Shadow Cabinet in the UK a week ago by e mail needless to say no reply received, but I will keep on battling away.
These people , the buyers of the last few years who believed everything they were told, saw the big adverts in the newspapers and the future buyers who will unfortunately forget about the problems and steam into the next bull market need to be protected and made aware that there are lots of sharks,living on the coasts and that they need to be very very careful.
For most people who have invested in Spain, the experience has paid off this I am afraid does not help the Priors, those under threat from land grab, those under threat of demolitions or a costly fight to “legalise” their property. Optimism is OK but it should be tempered with the problems as well.
There is a local paper on the Costa Blanca which lives obviously by advertising , in over 30 years I can never remember them panning a restaurante , there are some very good restaurantes on the CB but I would say only about 10% deserve that tag. 70% perhaps are OK
20% are downright awful surely this newspaper´s critics, have hit one in 30 years. I used to warn friends about one local paper and advised them to believe only the date and treat everything else contained in it with suspicion, a few weeks later the paper even got the date wrong!!! -
Hi 135andwaiting
And doing a grand job in bringing as much information to as many regarding the horror stories we know about and experienced ourselves as if just one can be saved from the misery then thats great.
We have to thank the editors of the forums so we can help anyone and everyone.
The more that are aware of the many pitfalls may one day get through to those that can do something about it. 😕
Starting with a fall in prices and much more bad press,but lets hope that one day Spain may be a better place for it.
As you say you are happy living there and so are the majority thats something thats not evident when people are trying to get a balanced view from the forums.Frank 8)
-
135 years wrote
”Unfortunately the media, because of the financial input of advertising they need, edit the reporting of corruption in such a way as to leave the viewer/reader believing the purchaser was naive. ”
……..i think that’s true, and sadly that very lack of information on corruption meant many people thought buying in Spain thought it would be as safe as buying in the UK, and that was also the line of the dodgy agents in the UK.
Perhaps the so called ‘one sided programs’ showing the worst aspects of buying in Spain, are the true balance to years of edited reporting? In any case, the facts are slowly being bought out in to the open, thats got to be better than the alternative!
-
Goodstitch, a good point, not only newspapers were publishing articles/reports every week on how easy it was to buy off-plan and make a big profit, or a new development where some celeb had bought two. There was also all the Place in the Sun type programmes giving the same info’.
Interesting to watch some of those old programmes now, especially the rental income they were forecasting, sounds as if they had an estate agent writing the script.
-
Read this
http://www.lavozdealbox.com.Seems to confirm my comment of
“Unfortunately the media, because of the financial imput of advertising they need, edit the reporting of corruption in such a way as to leave the viewer/reader believing the purchaser was niave”. -
-
The problem with this on the LVDA website is that the committee appears to have arranged interviews with the Mayor etc without getting the agreement or filming schedule from the BBC first (there is no date on the email to the BBC). The BBC by their own admission is in Spain only for 2 days apparently and wanting to concentrate on the plight of people in Turre who are having a rail link through their homes. This emphasis seems to have changed from the original request for information about anyone who has an illegal house under threat of demolition or been demolished (see Tasony’s original post).
Apparently, the piece is only going to 10 mins long – hardly enough time to give the complexity of the illegal building situation in Albox and the surrounding area the attention it deserves.
Emily Stein of the BBC has responded to other peoples concerns (on another forum local to Albox) relating to potential bias or lack of balance in its reporting of any Spanish property stories.
The LVDA committee were quite happy to invite the BBC to meet with them and then, when rejected on this occasion, has said that there is no point dealing with the British media. Would they have said this if the BBC had agreed to meet up and had had more time to do so?
I have concerns about LaVozdeAlbox and their motivations. 😕
-
- The forum ‘Spanish Real Estate Chatter’ is closed to new topics and replies.
