Having heard about the timely departure of a group of squatters from the Jardin del Mar urbanisation in Torrevieja, a departure overseen with the cooperation of the Guardia Civil in the town, the Councillor for International Residents, Gitte Lund Thomsen, responded by attending a hastily organised impromptu meeting, in order to offer help and advice, as well as reassurance, to those residents concerned about the growing problem.
Gitte first advised about the importance of ensuring accurate ownership information is up to date in all legal records, from the property registers to the town hall, and all utilities, as the latter are amongst the easiest to change. Moreover, for those not based in Spain, a Power of Attorney is crucial for someone to hold who is in the country, as acting remotely, especially following Brexit, can be a huge problem.
The same applies to wills, that they too must be present and updated in Spain, through the correct legal channels, as inherited properties with disputed or problematic ownership can be amongst the easiest to take over.
Moreover, despite the problems with the law surrounding the eviction of squatters, that does not exclude them being reported for other offences, breaking in is of course a criminal offence, and so 112, the emergency number should be called immediately if witnessed, and so is excess noise, rubbish, antisocial behaviour, and many other offences that the police can deal with.
The community sentiment and commitment was also emphasised, and that, as neighbours, we should be looking out for each other, and we should call the police if we see anything suspicious. Even if the report is considered a low priority at the time, it will still be recorded, and that alone can lead to an increase in regular police patrols.
Following the feedback from the residents, and their general opinion of being left somewhat abandoned by the town hall, Gitte has vowed to make contact with the respective Administrators of the urbanisation to arrange regular meetings and updates so share information with the residents, and back to the relevant town hall departments.
The resident´s meeting was also attended by Carol Grey, from Ibex Insurance, who answered questions about the legal protection insurance available which can cover the legal costs of eviction, and with an extremely low price of around 50 euro for the year, a must-have for anyone concerned about the court and lawyer fees.
