A testament to real estate folly

By Richard Torné

The ruined ACC development has become an embarrassing testament to the gold rush-like hysteria of the building boom that swept through Almería province barely seven years ago.

As trees, shrubs and even sheep begin to reclaim this eerie monument to real estate folly, the only human presence is in the form of marauding gangs of thieves, who can occasionally be seen raiding the complex at night to steal kitchen fittings, cables and anything else they can lay their hands on.

In a further twist, hundreds of copies of discarded sales contracts, all containing the personal details of expat buyers, have been left scattered in the deserted offices of Parador inside the ACC complex – a disturbing reminder that staff had left in a hurry.

Passport details, including home addresses and phone numbers are contained within each contract, showing that every buyer paid at least a 3,081-euro deposit on signing the deal. 

COUNTRY CLUB BLOWS WIDE OPEN

• Top businessmen charged with planning offences

• Expat homebuyers unaware of criminal proceedings may lose out on compensation

• Hundreds of sales contracts discarded at abandoned real estate offices

By Richard Torné

THE president of Almería football club and three top business executives are facing criminal charges related to the illegal construction of the ill-fated Almanzora Country Club (ACC) residential complex.

Among those facing charges of building 300 properties illegally on rustic land are Alfonso García Gabarrón, the owner and current president of Almería football club; Antonio Subiela Hernández, the administrator of construction firm Huma; Carlos Parras Martínez, a representative of construction giant Ferrovial; and Juan José Parrilla Cánovas, a former minister in Murcia’s regional government and ex-president of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura public body.

If found guilty, each of the accused could face up to one year in prison as well as being fined and barred from holding office. The unfinished complex would also be demolished, with the cost being met by the defendants and their companies.

The trial was set for September but was postponed on appeal, although the details emerged only last week. It is understood criminal proceedings started in 2008.

The demise of the huge ACC project, which at one stage envisaged building 1,795 villas ranging from 99,000 to 245,000 euros, aimed mostly at British expat buyers, came when construction work was stopped on the orders of a judge at Vera’s main court in October 2005.