Local Euro MP welcomes protection for Region's Costa home owners

4.05.24pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th Jul 2004

'East of England Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff has welcomed the ringing endorsement by the European Parliament's Petitions Committee (July 27th) of a report demanding an end to abuses of the fundamental rights of thousands of Costa Blanca home-owners in the Valencia region of Spain, among them many owners from the East of England.

They have suffered from the application of a law designed to fund infrastructure improvements. Property developers were supposed to make payments based on values of new properties on completion of the property. Unfortunately property developers sometimes acting in collusion with often corrupt local Mayors have left property buyers facing compulsory purchase of their property or large payments as a consequence of property developers failing to make the contribution at time of sale. The new property owners were subsequently faced with large demands for payment at a later date.

Andrew Duff said: "This law has become a charter for unscrupulous developers often acting in collusion, sadly, with corrupt local mayors. The lives of decent people who brought a home in good faith for retirement or holidays have been utterly ruined by loss of their land or house or by exorbitant financial demands."

"I am satisfied that MEPs, in demanding a repeal of this law and for compensation of those affected whilst it has been in existence, have demonstrated that they are determined to defend the basic human rights of all EU Citizens."

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