Good and bad news for property owners

SAFE as houses is not always true in Almeria.
Demolitions and pending demolition orders have ruined lives, dreams and bank balances but a recent Almeria criminal court decision has been welcomed by AUAN and SOHA.
The mayor of Taberno was found guilty of perverting the course of justice by granting planning permission to build a house on rural land that he knew was not zoned for development.
Luis Columna, Almeria’s most senior judge, ruled that the property cannot be demolished until the owner has been fully compensated with the amount fixed by the courts.
This ruling is in line with modifications to Spain’s Penal Code, yet to come into effect officially, put forward by support groups for owners of threatened properties like AUAN and SOHA.
That was the good news
Less good was the Senate Justice Commission’s rejection of proposals to protect third-party purchasers who buy in good faith and rely on information in Spain’s Land Registry.
The governing Partido Popular voted against all proposed amendments and is sure do so during the upcoming Senate vote.
Unless there is a last-minute change of heart, an opportunity will be lost to give more certainly to the Spanish property market, AUAN warned.