Hi jools,
Save me one,just in case I miss the rush

One old Salian to another.......

Hi Helen,
I think everyone knew that eventually this would happen.
I had some Dutch friends making enquiries with the Ajuntament in Gandesa about reforming a very large masia, not a donkey shed! At first, the Mayor of Gandesa thought they were English, but they explained that they came from Holland. His reaction was, oh that's good, because we have just about had a belly full of the "Brits" around this area, building what they want without any permissions. He then said that the Generalitat of Catalunya had earmarked 3 villages where there are large numbers of "large" illegal builds, Gandesa being one of them. Apparently they have chosen the 4 largest to make examples of, and they will be issued with a 36000 euros fine, or the Ajuntament will take the house down, and the fines will be proportionate for the smaller builds.

Around the Mora area, i have heard stories of large groups of English families on adjoining fincas, now demanding from the Mayor that they want mains water, electricity, sewage system and beat this one "school buses"........is it any wonder they want to stop everything?????????????

As usual, whenever groups of Brits go abroad for any reason, be it football matches, on holidays or building what the hell they want, where they want, the minority spoil it for everyone, so we all get tarred with the same brush.

Would you EVER buy a piece of land in the UK, and just build what you wanted, without permissions, without Architects, without proper septic tank systems etc. etc. etc.???????

If the answer is NO...............then why do it in Spain???????

This is an EU country exactly the same as the United Kingdom.

THIS IS NOT GUATEMALA, OR PERU OR PARAGUAY, OR MEXICO.

THIS IS SPAIN................................so give some respect to the authorities, as you would at home.

Then maybe.........just maybe, they will respect us.

Enough said, i think!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jools

" Would you EVER buy a piece of land in the UK, and just build what you wanted, without permissions, without Architects, without proper septic tank systems etc. etc. etc.??????? "

No we wouldn't or couldn't in Britian but we do have plenty of other nationalaties coming to Britian and doing exactly that so it happens the world over!

Debbie   

You're lucky if you don't have any travellers in Oxfordshire setting up sites illegally and then trampling roughshod all over the local planning laws because of their rights.  One of the reasons why we have moved out here.  Mind you I have now heard from one of the local estate agents that the Spaniards would get planning permission where the English wouldn't.  Racial discrimination ?

mmm...plenty here about "English" planning laws but not much mention of "Catalunyan"ones....and although it is good to have the correct bit of paper, it is still seen very much as "going over the head" of the local mayor, to whom you would  traditionally go first. Perhaps everything in its correct order is the thing....unless we want it to become a " Costa del Milton Keynes"...because although it is correct to say Spain is an EU country, the whole point of coming is that it is NOT like the uk. Speaking of which....(since only what is the norm in England is good here)...how many people would you advise to move to England without speaking a word of English...and yet we expect....

"You're lucky if you don't have any travellers in Oxfordshire setting up sites illegally and then trampling roughshod all over the local planning laws because of their rights."

Tony, that is exactly the trouble we are suffering in our part of the country, I have lived in this area for all my life and I couldn't get planning permission for a shed let alone a field fill of caravans! 

I think the moral is to have respect for the local laws etc where ever you are in the world.

Interesting article Nigel and I'm sorry that these poor people have had such a negative experience.  I really hope that their court case brings them a satisfactory conclusion.

On a positive note I would like to say that the staff that we have dealt with for our purchase have been just the opposite of whatever 'pushy' is.

They have given us excellent advice and actually curbed our enthusiasm.  Because we are buying a listed building all the permissions are taking ages (still in Tortosa we think!) but it is (becoming increasingly) obviously better to be patient now  than experience the bulldozers of  bureaucracy!

Are local people becoming anti-British?  Or are the authorities just trying to stop illegal building?