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COSTA CALIDA EDITION
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roundtownnews.com
Issue 25
19 - 25 APRIL 2013
Valle de Sol continue their fight THE GLOVES are off when it comes to residents of Valle del Sol fighting for their rights against local developers and town councils. by Keith Nicol THE MATTER has now gone to the European Parliament, as many municipalities in Spain continue to give themselves a bad name around the EU. The Town Hall say that the properties were built illegally by the developer, before permission to build was granted. The developer issued the paperwork to the Town Hall in the names of the buyers. This was accepted by the Town Hall, along with payment. Now, because the properties are in the name of the owners, the Town Hall say that the fines they are issuing have to go to owners. They cannot fine the developers or promoters, even though the developer illegally sold the properties as being legal! Lee Monks, the President of the Valle del Sol Residents Association, said that the “EU has now agreed that our ‘Right to Petition’ documentation has been declared admissible in accordance with the rules of Procedure of the European Parliament in Brussels. I am being allowed to submit the Petition and at the present time and the Petitions Committee are requesting clarification from the regional authorities in Murcia regarding our situation here in the Valle del Sol, over the past nine years!” The major thrust of the need to go to Brussels is that “there is the threat of some of the houses being put to auction if fines/embargoes are not paid!” Last year RTN was invited to meet the Murcia Councillor for Districts, Manuel Duran, to discuss the situation that the homeowners find themselves in. back in August 2012, he said that the Town Hall was prepared to negotiate the
Many affected properties have also had embargoes placed on them
fines that have been imposed, but that homeowners must come forward to do the negotiations themselves. Many affected properties have also had embargoes placed on them and although the auction of these properties would be the “very last resort”, according to the Councillor, this could not be ruled out. He said: “There are properties in the Valle del Sol that have fines and embargoes placed on them and even now some of the homeowners are unaware, so we ask them to get in touch with the Town Hall in Murcia to find out exactly what their position is.” Lee Monks, who has an embargo on her property, told RTN: “The majority of the affected residents are pensioners on a low income. How can we afford to pay
these fines? Where will we go if they auction our homes?” The Town Hall admits that it seems that the residents were conned by the promoters, further blotting the copybook of corrupt developers on the coast. Duran added “they (the Town Hall) had to follow the law in this matter and the mechanisms of the law state that fines and embargoes must be imposed if a property has been built illegally!” and thus “the Town Hall had no choice but to impose the fines on them!” Lee added “Concejalia Duran ‘goes missing’ for three months at a time and does not respond to emails, letters or communication of any kind! Thus we have had no option that to go to Brussels.”