Who would buy a place in Spain now???

I don't think that we would now even although we have family here .   We have a fabulous apartment .  We love Spain and their people , their way of life, their food etc but the judiciary system is just unbelievable - how people get by without a knowledge of the Spanish language I do not know .  We have just been advised that we have about 450 Euros outstsanding on our apartment that should have been paid by the developer but as we are now the occupier of the property we are eligible.  Why didn't our lawyer find out about this when she did her search?   Last year we had another bill to repair the road that the developers were supposed to fix when they developments were  finished ( they never will be ,at least not in the near future) .  Our developer owes in excess of 10,000 Euros on his community charge because he knows that we cannot force him to pay so it will be years before we get him in court.  He refused to paint the property for its 3 year service - again for the same reasons.  We love our apartment but I would never advise anyone to buy in Spain - rent if you want to move and let someone else have the hastle.   Every time we go on holiday it seems that we have some outstanding bill waiting for us that we never anticipated for.

I really have been disappointed . We had such high hopes .  We will be  in Spain for the long term but I am getting so bitter about the Spanish legal system that penalises the 'small' folk and allows the developers to get away with it.  I hate to see our develoment gradually disintegrate under our noses while our deveoper swans around in his  Bentley .

 Well said Tamsin !  I would certainly not buy now and would advise anyone planning to do so to think very carefully.

I agree with your comments about the legal system and get very frustrated with the banks too.

The builder of our development 'disappeared' but still owns most of the properties. Strangely, the lawyers can not track him down so he can not repair faults in the houses ( damp and flooding ) and is not paying community fees so we poor residents have to pay a huge amount to keep the place going and in reasonable repair. You need deep pockets to have a place in Spain !

Like you , I feel disappointed and sad that what should have been a positive experience has been so negative due to the wrong practices and lack of moral responsibility of others.

Hi Guys,

This thread is most enlightening.

Great of you to share your personal experiences - which will much better prepare "novices" like myself.

Also, terribly sorry to hear what you have been through.

Jon

Thank you for your honesty and so sorry to hear of your first hand experiences.

This is exactly why we need those who are witnessing this scenario to come on board with the campaign groups who are striving for reform of the Justce System. All citizens require consumer protection from within the Spanish system of law and at present your experience appears to be a growing concern that requires exposure. Only when you find yourself at the mercy of the Spanish Justice system do you realise how lacking it is with regard to effective law enforcement and how vulnerable you are without this level of protection. The effective enforcement of law is a basic requirement to any civilised society.