CONTROVERSY CONTINUES IN SPAIN
With the continuing political upheaval in Marbella town hall after the Socialist government finished the process of formally dissolving the town council and centralised power for at least the next 13 months, times are set to be tough for some British homeowners on Costa del Sol.
The arrival of administrators is eagerly awaited by 30,000 homeowners - thousands if not tens of thousands of whom are British – whose homes are now in legal limbo due to the alleged planning violations. The regional government of Andalucia has submitted plans to save all but 5,000 of these homes from destruction, though some local experts feel they will be able to save even more than that. Any homes which are destroyed will have to be compensated.
Further details have been emerging of the lavish spending and lifestyle of Juan Antonio Roca, the head of urban planning for the town who was arrested alongside mayor Marisol Yague and Isabel Garcia, a former Socialist councillor. Even in a town with a reputation for tackiness and lavish displays of wealth, Roca seems to have spent phenominal amounts of money on the most outlandish objects while controlling building rights as a cash-generating facility for himself and others in the local government, according to the prosecutor in charge.
The man who just 15 years ago was an unemployed builder is currently reported to worth €2.4 billion (£1.7 billion). His mansion contains 275 works of art, and Roca’s love of stuffed wild animals and hunting big game would have made JR Ewing proud – Roca was even nicknamed ’JR’ after the Dallas character.
With the continuing political upheaval in Marbella town hall after the Socialist government finished the process of formally dissolving the town council and centralised power for at least the next 13 months, times are set to be tough for some British homeowners on Costa del Sol.
The arrival of administrators is eagerly awaited by 30,000 homeowners - thousands if not tens of thousands of whom are British – whose homes are now in legal limbo due to the alleged planning violations. The regional government of Andalucia has submitted plans to save all but 5,000 of these homes from destruction, though some local experts feel they will be able to save even more than that. Any homes which are destroyed will have to be compensated.
Further details have been emerging of the lavish spending and lifestyle of Juan Antonio Roca, the head of urban planning for the town who was arrested alongside mayor Marisol Yague and Isabel Garcia, a former Socialist councillor. Even in a town with a reputation for tackiness and lavish displays of wealth, Roca seems to have spent phenominal amounts of money on the most outlandish objects while controlling building rights as a cash-generating facility for himself and others in the local government, according to the prosecutor in charge.
The man who just 15 years ago was an unemployed builder is currently reported to worth €2.4 billion (£1.7 billion). His mansion contains 275 works of art, and Roca’s love of stuffed wild animals and hunting big game would have made JR Ewing proud – Roca was even nicknamed ’JR’ after the Dallas character.
Local agents are keen to stress that the vast majority of people who buy in the Costa del Sol never experience any legal problems, and the actions of a few are tarnishing the reputation of the whole region. Just two weeks ago, a protest rally of local people against the damage being caused by corruption in the town attracted a phenomenal 10,000 people.
posted by tony at 10:13 AM
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