Well, the time has finally come for me to sign off from this forum. (I can hear some people cheering now :lol:) I am posting in this section as I feel it is the most appropriate, rather than on the main board.
Having made the decision over two years ago to seek Dacion en Pago from our bank, using an English/Spanish solicitor, the matter of the mortgage on our illegal property in Los Rincones (near Los Guillenes and Aljambra) was finally settled (sort of!) at the beginning of the year.
In the main, we can put our Spanish misadventure behind us, although we are the cost of a home down and emotionally shattered. The debacle of 9 years has left us severely scarred. That may sound dramatic, but what was supposed to be a positive move for the sake of our children's health and well being, turned into a farce on a grand scale within 18 months of arriving in 2005. The downside is, I now trust no one, especially solicitors, banks, local government and any people who purport to be our friends. On the upside, our family unit is still in tact and my children can speak foreign languages with confidence and are doing really well back here in the UK.
As the song goes, "what doesn't kill you, makes your stronger"! (Sorry, if that is now going to be stuck in your head all day!).
Sadly, my opinion remains that such a beautiful country as Spain is a morally corrupt wasteland, with a Junta who wants everything regarding illegal houses to simply disappear into the mountains like a dust devil. This arrogance and recently exposed (continuing) hypocrisy of some officials in the Spanish regional government, means that my viewpoint is unlikely to change for a long time, if ever. Such high profile "do as I say, not do as I do" people means that this mentality is bound to seep into the lower strata of society, as more people "want" indiscriminately at other people's expense.
Equally disappointing, in our experience, is that Spanish lawyers are severely lacking in moral fibre, legal knowledge, the need to provide legal transparency to their clients and above all, honesty. This applies not only to the abogados/as, that we encountered in Albox, but has been reinforced during the mortgage 'extraction' process. How some of them can charge for a professional service, in all good conscience, beggars belief.
On a positive note though, Spain has cured me of my coffee habit! ;D
I, first and foremost, would like to thank the AUAN for their support, helpful advice and extraordinary determination to fight for people, such as ourselves, for some kind of justice. Your efforts are amazing, especially considering the fact that you are all volunteers and retirees. I am sorry that we have not been able to stay the course, but at some point we have had to cut loose in order to safeguard and rebuild our children's financial futures, if not our own.
I would also like to thank those forum members who have understood and supported my posts on illegal houses and the possible pitfalls of buying in the Almanzora Valley. Your open-mindedness to our plight and my ultimate aim to prevent others being scammed out of their savings and peace of mind, have been comforting and heartwarming. Thank you for your kind messages over the years.
Even to my detractors, thank you for the lively discussions over the years. I respect your general viewpoints, even if we have not always agreed.
My thoughts, best wishes and sympathies go out to those families who have paid the ultimate price, resulting from the stress and heartbreak of falling victim to the dark side of the Spanish property purchasing and (lack of) justice systems.
To ALL forum members, I wish you well for your continuing life in Spain. Long may your good fortune and pleasure in living where you wish, continue. For those who now decide it is not for them (and I'm sure there are a few), best wishes for a new and happy future wherever you may end up.
Finally, thank you to Phil and the Mods (past and present) for their hard work in monitoring and policing the forum; it is sometimes a tricky tight rope to walk, I know!
Kind regards and Happy Easter,
Digi
:wave
It's a very sad day for the members of this forum who enjoyed your excellent posts whilst, at the same time, feeling saddened by your story.
I wish you all the best for the future and hope that one day you will be able to put all this heartache behind you. :wave
I have followed your posts of the last nearly five years and hope that now all this is behind you, you can live a long and happy life without the worry. All the best :wave
All the best to you & many years of it.
Such high profile "do as I say, not do as I do" people means that this mentality is bound to seep into the lower strata of society, as more people "want" indiscriminately at other people's expense.
Digifidd, unfortunately I have to agree with you regarding this statement you make.
With regards to you bad experience I am sure that there is a feeling of " there but for the grace of god go I" amongst a lot of those who have bought in Spain, no one was cleverer than you, just luckier.
Good luck Digi,one thing i learnt abought leaving my country and living in somebody elses,is you realy do appreciate the old country once you get back there.
:tiphat:
All the best to you and your family.
I too have followed your posts and am sorry for your heart ache and unhappiness but now pleased that you can move forward positively. Wishing you all the luck in the world
Good luck Diggi, I empathise with all you say, good luck to you and your family. For all of us that are left I just pray that some solutions with appear in time, for some all too late....
Take care,
Colin
Best wishes for your familys future, its nice to think someones extracted themselves from this mess.
I find it so hard to understand how these people can be so backward and self destructive. Its cured any thoughts I had of being part of europe.
I have read your posts, and am sorry that your experience has left you bitter. But I thank you and the countless people before whose experience has meant that research is necessary before embarking on the " move" to another country . Hope everything is all you want back in the UK
Bye Digifidd, :wave you gave some of the best accounts of "How it can turn out in Spain, even if you are careful" I'm sure someone will lose out, just coz you're not here reminding people of "How it is"
Best wishes
W.J. :tiphat:
Best wishes to you and your family for a happier and less stressful future. We are now living permanently in the UK. Contrary to what many people seem to think on this forum, it is a good place to be. At least we know our property here is legal and worth at least as much as we paid for it seven years ago.
The only things we miss about Spain are the warm sunshine and tapas lunches. Good luck. :wave :wave
Digifidd, Heartrendering contribution but so true. Wish you well in your new life.
Almost every form of media in the uk are currently clamouring for stories of expats who have returned. Please submit it to them, it says it all.