Expats sue spanish councillor over property dispute

Josefina Cruz, councillor for public works and housing, referred to British expats as 'a group of people who are not of this country, who have settled here illegally in our territory...who are now demanding us to solve a problem that they have been responsible for creating'. She made the comments during a parliamentary debate last month.

12 Britons who own illegally built homes in the Valley and who belong to the organisation Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora No (AUAN), campaigning for the legalisation of property in the region, are now collectively suing the councillor for alleged discrimination under Article 510.2 of the Spanish criminal code.

Maura Hillen, president of AUAN, said: “The members of our association who have made this complaint are victims of the chaotic planning system in Andalucia, which has clearly failed and continues to fail.

"They were assured that everything was alright when they bought their homes and now find themselves immersed in legal proceedings that could result in the demolition of their house."

Source: Telegraph Online