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The tables are turned on squatters in Spain
Spain's squatting conundrum is still a legal maze for homeowners
In recent years, Spain has seen a growing trend of squatting, with individuals unlawfully occupying properties, often taking advantage of complex legal systems and inefficiencies that can make evicting them a lengthy and challenging process.
This phenomenon has left many property owners feeling frustrated and vulnerable, believing that the law comes down all to often on the side of the ‘okupas’. It may seem incredible to foreigners, but in Spain, a person’s rights are protected even if they are illegally occupying a house or apartment, and the rightful owner has to take them to court to evict them.
Again, judicial intervention can take years and cost a fortune, while those in the wrong are living rent-free without paying any bills.
Needless to say, squatting can be an enticing option for people unwilling or unable to pay their own way, but it seems the tables have been turned with a new trend: squatters squatting from other squatters.
It’s a bit of a mouthful, but it essentially refers to several cases where original illegal occupiers have found themselves displaced by new okupas, creating a bizarre dynamic where one non-paying person is pitted against another. This highlights the intricate legal challenges and the delicate balance between protecting individuals’ rights and upholding property ownership.
A recent incident in Palma which illustrates this complex situation has left local residents in a state of shock at the injustice for the homeowner.
A woman living as a squatter in a house in Mallorca left for work, only to return and find that a couple had moved into the same house. The new squatting couple claimed they had paid 1,000 euros to an individual who assured them the house was empty.
But here’s where it enters the realms of the unbelievable. The original okupa, acting well within her legal rights, called in the Local Police to complain that her squat had been squatted by someone else.
True to form, the officers turfed out the interlopers and the woman, fraudulently residing there herself, was given back possession of the property.
The intruder couple were able to provide the name of the individual they had paid, and it appears as though he will be followed up for fraud, the only charges being filed in this bonkers case.
Interestingly, this individual is reportedly acting as a ‘squatter’s landlord’, occupying the entire building and facilitating these complex squatting arrangements.
The legal system in Spain has long been criticised for its handling of squatting cases. While it is technically illegal to occupy someone else’s property without their consent, the eviction process is cumbersome and time-consuming at the very least, leaving homeowners stressed, out of pocket and feeling justifiably hard-done-by.
Image: Unsplash
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