British couple’s holiday horror as Menorca pad overrun by squatters | World | News
A British couple were stunned to return to their beloved Spanish holiday home to find it had been taken over by slum dwellers. The city couple returned to their property on the Balearic island of Menorca in June after being away for three months.
But when they arrived at the beautiful whitewashed house, they were stunned to find that a new alarm system had been installed and their furniture and rugs had been removed. The shocked homeowners clearly realized that someone was living in their home, and Spanish media reported that a local father and son, aged 55 and 25, later appeared saying they were living there.
Following the argument, the police were called and both parties accused each other of assault.
According to the Majorca Daily BulletinSpanish police initially oddly sided with the slum dwellers after the two men produced invoices showing they had purchased the alarm and ordered supermarket delivery.
The British couple had to stay in the hotel until the next day, until their lawyer produced Land Registry documents and evidence confirmed that they were the legal owners and that the two men inside the house were fraudsters.
The couple and their legal team, who hailed from the UK, filed a complaint about alleged illegal occupation and theft by father and son, and police subsequently arrested the couple.
The relieved owners of the villa have reportedly moved back into their property while court proceedings are ongoing.
The urban couple may have been lucky to have the police make an arrest in this case, because although squatting is illegal in Spain, the legal process can be a nightmare for homeowners if the people living in their property refuse to move out.
Under the expedited procedure, squatters can be removed immediately if it can be proven that they have moved out in the last 48 hours, but if this cannot be proven, thieving home squatters can prolong the process as the court often requires notice to be given to them for their removal.
Last year, 61-year-old British woman Joanne Venet was forced to pay £4,000 to the eviction agency to remove a Spanish tenant who refused to pay her rent.
