Brit homeowners back property bill amendment

0
BILL BACKED: Legal advisors working with AUAN have long lobbied the Junta de Andalucia for law changes. Photo Credit: AUAN, via Facebook

AN ALMERIA-BASED organisation representing expatriate homeowners living in houses lacking legal status has said it supports an initiative in the Andalucian Parliament to solve the issue.

The Abusos Urbanisticos Almazonzora-NO (AUAN) group said lawmakers should back an amendment from the conservative Partido Popular (PP) to a bill coming up for a vote.

The amendment, tabled in the Parliament’s Environmental Land Management Committee this week, could give legal status to around 150,000 residents living in homes authorities deem irregular.

AUAN said the amendment would provide a short-term solution to the issue which has seen expatriate residents left in a legal limbo over their homes.

“It is neither fair nor humane to have thousands of Andalucian citizens unable to access services for years.

“They are unable to write and pay taxes. We hope this amendment will be approved as a matter of basic wisdom and justice,” the group said in a statement.

British expatriate residents including the Priors and the Paynes have previously been ordered out of their homes by authorities following changes in planning laws which effectively made their homes illegal.

The Priors received compensation after their home was torn down. The Paynes have yet to settle their case with Andalucian authorities.