Petition for an Anti-Occupation (Squatters) Law against harm to owners and neighbors
Legendary helpful member
Dear all,
Many of you may have seen recent threads on the forum about the issue of squatting in Spain and how the law is unfairly weighted in favour of the "okupas" (squatters), over the rights of the property owner. This is an issue that has the potential to affect every property owner in Spain, residents and non-residents alike. A petition is currently circulating on Change.Org, to which I think it would be helpful if we could all add our signatures.
Please see below an English translation, along with the link to where you can sign:
"Kim, I feel helpless in this situation: they have occupied what was my father's house, I have not been able to enter it for a year. Please help me by signing and sharing to ask for a Law that avoids these situations."
"President of the Government Pedro Sanchez
"For an Anti-Occupation Law: against harm to owners and neighbors.
"When my father passed away last year and I inherited the house he lived in, I naturally inherited his mortgage as well. In that house my father lived with his sentimental partner with whom they had not married. After trying to negotiate with her, a lock change caused me to lose all my rights to that floor. Since then I have to continue paying for water, electricity, the community of a house that I do not use and if I stop doing so, the law says that I am "coercing" the person who lives there. It's my flat, and it's occupied.
"Although most of the cases are reported of occupations have to do with apartments owned by banks or investment funds, there are also cases of families whose main residence or second residence is occupied. Many of us are affected by the crimes of trespassing and usurpation contained in articles 202 and 245 of the Penal Code and in article 27.2 of the Civil Code. However, the consequences of these crimes fall on the victims and not on the criminals, who seem to have all the rights and zero obligations.
"In the judicial administrative journey that a person suffers when their home is occupied, they are, for example, having to pay for lawyers and attorneys in long judicial processes in order not always to be able to recover the property. Also, as we say, the humiliation of having to pay for the utilities that someone else is using.
"There are also many indirect victims who, although they have not occupied their homes, do have to live surrounded by squatters: with people who do not respect the rules of coexistence, who charge the indirect victims with community expenses or hooks into supplies, destruction, threats, etc.
"Given all this, we believe that it is essential that the Government create an anti-occupation law to remedy the distress suffered by the victims.
"This law must include, for example, that the legal costs do not fall on us as victims, that while these properties are not at our disposal, the payment of taxes or utilities are exempted and that the owner be compensated for damages and theft."
Sign this petition now to ask the Government to process an anti-occupation law as soon as possible:
https://www.change.org/p/por-una-ley-antiocupaciones-contra-el-agravio-a-propietarios-y-vecinos
I'd also be grateful if members who are on social media, e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., could cascade this petition as far as possible.
Kind regards,
Kim