Small constructors and developers have closed down

Prices are falling in some areas, but because many properties are second or holiday homes, owners are reluctant to drop asking prices, unless they are anxious to sell. It was reported that many small constructors and developers have closed down in the past few months in the Valencia region, about 20% of the 13, 000 plus. Many of these small enterprises are in fact, front companies for the larger ones- they hire the illegal workers, enter into the shady deals, etc. and when things go wrong they simply fold their tents, declare bankruptcy and disappear. While the number of employees in major enterprises has recently shown a small increase, these numbers do not account for the thousands of contract , temporary or illegal workers who have been let go in recent months. To avoid paying for the August vacation or being forced to hire on a permanent basis, many thousands of construction workers were dropped at the beginning of the summer holiday period. There appears to be no way of knowing how many have been hired again, but the downturn in construction suggests that very few have work-and most have no social security net to fall back upon.

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Posted in: Costa del Sol

The price of second homes in the Mediterranean could fall

The price of second homes in the Mediterranean could fall as a result of the credit crisis, a leading property expert has warned.
Michael Ball, a professor of property at Reading ¬University, England, and an adviser to the UK government, said holiday homes in many parts of Europe were exposed to a correction.
Not only had prices risen fast amid speculative interest and the easy availability of credit, but the supply of new flats had been increasing at a prolific rate.
Prof Ball pinpointed the Mediterranean and central and eastern Europe as being particularly “vulnerable” to falling prices.
“There are a variety of reasons in that in both of those areas, credit has been used and people have been very optimistic about long term values,” he told an audience of property professionals on Thursday night.
“There has been a boom, the market has been driven by foreign investors and now that is beginning to turn.”
The professor cited, as an example, Estonia, where house prices had dropped by an estimated 10 per cent in the past 12 months. “That will probably trickle through to other countries,” he said.
Savills, the estate agency, says the value of British-owned homes overseas have risen from £7bn in 1994 to £52bn ($106bn, €75bn) today through new purchases and rising prices.
The most common motive of buyers is to make a profit – rather than to have somewhere to go on holiday – according to a survey by the company. This speculation might have made some markets even more precarious. Some buyers might have overestimated the potential rental returns that they can get through letting these properties.
Prof Ball said many such markets were “risky” because there was no history of what fundamental values should be.
Ian Marcus, head of European real estate at Credit Suisse, said he believed there was “a large over-supply” of holiday homes in many European resorts.
The warnings come amid widespread price falls in the second home markets of Florida with some resorts seeing double-digit drops in the past year. The number of home sales in Florida dropped 43 per cent between the first and second quarter.
In Spain, demand for second homes on the Mediterranean coast has been softening for two years, according to estate agents. Many have reported a virtual standstill since May after a series of corruption scandals and a collapse in property¬related shares.
At least one mid-sized developer – Llanera – faces bankruptcy. One central bank official in Madrid said: “There is growing evidence that smaller real estate companies and house-builders who launched projects late in the cycle may have problems.”

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18,000 dwellings were built illegally during the administration of Jesus Gil

18,000 dwellings were built illegally during the administration of Jesus Gil and his local party, GIL. The Junta de Andalucia (socialist) and the new town council of the town (PP) are discussing how to resolve the situation. The Junta presented a General Plan in which it foresees “a revision and regularisation” of the illegal construction, plus construction of 50,000 new dwellings over 10 years and a declaration of 3.8 million m2 as green zones. However, part of the new green zones is declared as “urbanizable” in the previous general plan (meaning earmarked for construction). If the land is expropriated, the private owners may get only 30 to 35 Euro per m2 against the 800 which they paid
The solution may be to demand contributions from the promoters/owners of the illegally constructed dwellings. Since many of the promoting companies from the Gil Era have disappeared, this will mean private owners of the illegal dwellings will be presented with the bill. The new mayor, Angela Muñoz, recommended the people affected should present official complaints. The lawyers are looking forward to year long process.

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Posted in: Marbella

The Andalucian Ombudsman, Jose Chamizo has supported the demolition of 334 homes in a total of seven developments in Marbella.

Antonio Banderas luxury home La Gaviota built practically on the beach.
will be bulldozed.

The Andalucian Ombudsman, Jose Chamizo has supported the demolition of 334 homes in a total of seven developments in Marbella.
Marbella and in El Palmar, Cadiz, hundreds of houses are expected to get bulldozed this year.In Malaga, the Prasa hotel on Estepona’s beachfront is expected to be knocked down imminently, with the coastal authorities having agreed to stump up the 1.2million euro bill.Marbella town hall is also likely to soon announce the demolition of dozens of buildings, including the infamous Banana Beach development built on green land.
In Obeja, Cordoba, over 30 policemen were on hand to keep the angry residents away from their properties as the bulldozers moved in.
Grown men wept dusty tears, as their country retreats on the Pedrique urbanisation, in the heart of the Sierra Morena, were levelled to the ground.
An ambulance had to be called when one owner collapsed after suffering a panic attack.
It took two bulldozers only half a day to demolish the group of houses that number five of over 100 illegally built at Pedrique.
The residents belongings stood poignantly on their carefully clipped lawns as the diggers moved in.
One owner Antonio Moreno had moved here permanently after suffering depression following retirement.
“This situation has only made it considerably worse,” explained his wife Maria Moreno.
The case began when three years ago a promoter Francisco Otero sold the shells of the buildings to the five individuals.
What the buyers didn’t know was that Otero had never attempted to get planning permission “because he knew he would not get it”.
The case ended in court with Otero found guilty of both planning crimes and disobedience. In 2006 he was sentenced to a 20 months in prison and fined 2,500 euros.
He was also ordered to demolish the buildings at his own cost.
This week, the furious owners – who have begun proceedings against Otero - demanded to know why the town hall or local police had not advised them of the illegality of their homes.
“When he sold us the terrain he said the town hall was legalising the whole urbanisation, said Fernando Lora. “Why didn’t anyone come and tell us what might happen when we were finishing the houses.
“We are the victims of a completely unfair crime.”
A spokesman for environment group Ecologistas en Accion appauded the decision of the courts to order the demolition.
“They started building these homes in the 1970s in the Sierras above Cordoba. It has ruined the area and we salute the authorities for moving in.”
Around the province of Cordoba various other demolitions have been scheduled.
Apart from the other 100 homes at Pedrique, at Medina Azahara, UNESCO has demanded that 240 illegal houses built on highly protected land are knocked down.
At least one property in the area of Las Monjas in Puente Genil is expected to be demolished, while another at San Cristobal will be axed for “gravely destroying the countryside”.
The situation is similar in Granada where the town hall has just ordered the demolition of eight houses in an area of special protection known as Cantogrande, while another two have been ordered to be knocked down in Bobadilla and Serrallo.
They are some of over 40 houses ordered to be demolished in 2007 and owners have a month to appeal or submit and pay the town hall 600 euros to help fund the demolition.
In Cadiz the mayor of Vejer is hoping to legalise 280 houses that have been built without licences on the beach at El Palmer, but this still leaves over 1,000 illegal houses in the area.
At the same time the town hall has just ordered work to stop on 35 houses in the Padron area, which has never been designated as building land.
Marbella town hall is also likely to soon announce the demolition of dozens of buildings, including the infamous Banana Beach development built on green land and even Antonio Banderas luxury home La Gaviota built practically on the beach.
In total, there are more than 400 developments facing the axe in the town.
The President of the Marbella Management Committee, Diego Martin Reyes, has said he is worried about the situation, but that he was convinced that the firm sentence from the Andalucian Supreme Court ordering demolition should be carried out.

Meanwhile the Andalucian Ombudsman, Jose Chamizo has supported the demolition of 334 homes in a total of seven developments in Marbella.

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Posted in: Marbella

Stewart "Specky" Boyd, Scots Mafia assassination over a bungled drugs deal ?

Stewart "Specky" Boyd, 40, died with his daughter Nicola, her friend and a three-year-old girl when the Audi coupe he was driving veered across a motorway on Spain's Costa del Sol and hit a BMW, killing two occupants.
Earlier investigations had suggested the former Glasgow enforcer's death could have been a professional hit over a pounds 2.5 million cocaine deal.
But Spain's chief traffic officer said there was no evidence to support claims that a timed bomb had been placed underneath the vehicle.
The cause of the accident is still being investigated by police in Spain. Scottish police have been helping with the inquiry.
Scottish Police arrested three men in connection with the assassination attempt on the brother of gangland enforcer Stewart ‘Specky’ Boyd.
Squads of officers, wearing bullet proof vests, targeted a number of houses almost five months after an armed gang tried to gun down 48-year-old Hugh Boyd in a drive-by shooting near Barrhead’s busy town centre.
The raids, all simultaneous and carried out with military precision, happened during daylight and miles apart in different housing schemes.
One source said two of the men were held at one of the house swoops. A third was detained in the wake of another raid.
The source added: “The men cops were after didn’t stand a chance – I don’t think they knew what had hit them. A squad of cops were at the door of homes one moment and inside the next.Horrified Boyd was hit as five shots rang out while he sat behind the wheel of a red Vauxhall Vectra at the junction of Southpark Avenue and Glen Street, close to Barrhead Library, at around 9.30am on August 29 last year
At the time, sources said he survived because he ducked and the bullets shot by him. He was later taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Armed response officers, carrying automatics weapons, were among the first at the scene. Shocked residents said children would have been in the street if the hit had happened 45 minutes earlier. Police cordoned off the usually quiet area as forensic searched for clues.
Officers were also comparing notes on a series of other shootings in Pollok and Nitshill. And police in Paisley were checking out possible links with the Stock Street drive-by shooting last August when teenager Andrew Devlin was blasted to death. A pal with him, 26-year Gerald O’Doherty is still seriously ill in hospital.
Spanish national police probing the death of a Scottish gangster whose sports car burst into flames ruled out claims it was a Scottish Mafia assassination over a bungled drugs deal, but the full report as to the cause of the accident and the mystery surrounding the fire still remain.

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Posted in: Costa del Sol,Scotland

Alexander Colin Dalgleish, Gordon Stewart,Paul Turner ,Joshua Karney, Kamil Krawiec

Alexander Colin Dalgleish, aged 30-35, Gordon Stewart, 25-30, Paul Turner (also known as Paul Francis or Geddes), 50-55, Joshua Karney, 25-30, who also goes by five other names, and Kamil Krawiec, 25-30. missing of the sex offenders list in the U.K.
British pedophiles and rapists are settling on the Costa del Sol.Interpol has alerted the Guardia Civil in the past few months about a dozen sexual predators believed to be based along the Mediterranean Coast.
The British murderer Tony Alexander King, sentenced to 55 years in prison, for killing two Spanish girls in Malaga was living in Spain with the Spanish Police having no idea of the long list of sexual offences he had committed in the UK. Since then, British and Spanish security forces have been working much more closely together.
The British colonies along the coast are the ideal place for these criminals to blend in and go almost unnoticed. Michael Dugdale, a 60 year-old expat, wanted for the last 30 years for over 30 cases of sexual aggression and child abuse, was discovered last year living very comfortably in Mazarron.
Many of those settling here have served prison sentences in the UK and so the police cannot keep a close watch on them. Many may have learnt their lesson and come here to make a fresh start.

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Posted in: Costa del Sol

Seven people who were being held hostage in Lepe

A group of seven people who were being held hostage in Lepe and Cartaya, Huelva province, were freed this weekend, in a Civil Guard operation which took the seven kidnappers into custody. EFE says two of the kidnappers lived in Cartaya, itself, three others from elsewhere in Huelva province, another in Madrid and the seventh in Holland. Two of them have Moroccan nationality.
Four of the hostages were found under guard in two vehicles parked near the Marina Ocio shopping centre in Lepe following a report to Lepe local police from the son of one of those who were being held. He said his parent was being held by kidnappers in the area after being missing from home for two days.
The kidnappers were nearby and were arrested as they tried to escape.
The remaining three hostages were found near a chalet in Cartaya, four kilometres outside Lepe, after managing to escape when the kidnappers left. All seven were previously held captive in the property.
There was no indication in the report if the kidnappers had made any demands for a ransom.

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Posted in: Huelva,Lepe

Marcos J.R.C Kidnapper

A temporary construction worker has been arrested in Telde in connection with the attempted kidnap of the ten year old child, Sandra Domínguez, in the La Garita area of the town on January 4.
The 37 year old suspect who has been named only as Marcos J.R.C., is said to have a police record and was seen in a white van in the area. The victim has recognised him in a photo.
Marcos now goes before the Instruction judge 2 in Telde, Óscar Rey, accused of attempted kidnapping. Police say they are now searching for a possible accomplice in the case.

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Posted in: Canary Islands

Dean Fitzpatrick brother of Amy Fitzpatrick interviewed

Dean Fitzpatrick, the brother of 15 year old Amy who has been missing from her home in Mijas since the evening of New Year’s Day, was called to the local Civil Guard barracks on Monday, where he was interviewed for around an hour for any information which could help detectives locate his sister. It’s now been two weeks since she was last seen.

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Posted in: Mijas

Local Police demonstrate to reinstate Francisco Javier Martín

Local Police demonstrate to reinstate Inspector Francisco Javier Martín, who is accused of hiding and then removing three statement complaints from the police station on the same day that the premises were searched, March 30 2006, as part of the Malaya case. Since the time of the alleged offence, the policeman has been promoted to control traffic, plain-clothed officers and the police training school.

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Posted in: Marbella

Paco Mato head of Conil's Local Police force allegedly caught selling stolen cars

Francisco Luis González Fernández, the head of Conil's Local Police force, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with alleged fraud involving vehicles in the municipal car pound. Investigators believe that he may be involved in various crimes, such as fraud, falsification of documents, omitting to follow up offences, and robbery with the use of vehicles. The police chief, who is nicknamed Paco Mato, has been a Local Police officer for more than twenty years and has been in charge of the Conil force for the past three. He was off sick at the time of his arrest. The mayor and councillors have expressed their surprise at his detention, and have said they will cooperate fully with the investigation but stressed the importance of remembering that people are innocent until proven guilty.

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Posted in: Conil

Deaths of seven immigrants

At least 22 people have died trying to cross the precarious Atlantic waters to the Canary Islands. At least 14 bodies of attempted immigrants have been washed up on the shores of Nuakchott in the north african state of Mauritania. At the same time the security forces said that they intercepted 179 individuals of unstated ages without papers.

The bodies were washed up close to the Capital of Mauritanis without papers after their small boat became wrecked.
There has been no precise figure on the number of deaths caused by the trip of 200km to the canaries. It is thought that the figure is probably in the thousands.
Spain has repeated asked for help from the North African countries and the EU in controlling the immigration into Spain via this route. At least 17000 have entered the Canaries illegally since the beginning of this year.
It is thought that many more africans enter the EU illegally through the costas of Spain.
The Almerian coast has been quoted many times by the guardia by being used by human traffickers.
The Guardia Civil is investigating the deaths of seven immigrants whose bodies were found on local beaches recently. The first was discovered on Wednesday 2nd on the beach at Zahora, and it is possible that he crossed the Strait of Gibraltar in the same small boat as ten others who landed on that beach on New Year's Eve and were arrested hours later. However, the appearance of five more bodies on Marisucia beach, near Trafalgar, in the days between the 2nd and 6th of January could indicate that another boat had also made the crossing and that its occupants had been forced out by the crew before it reached the shore. The body of the seventh victim, a woman, was discovered among rocks at the Playa del Estrecho in Los Caños de Meca on Wednesday. None appeared to be more than 25 years old, and it is not known whether their families in North Africa have reported their disappearance.

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Gibraltar Banks snitch to U.K.government

Britons who have a house or apartment in Spain and rent it out are advised to tell the UK tax authorities. This applies even if the amount earned just covers their maintenance costs.Gibraltar banks have been forced to disclose all the details of their accounts to U.K.government who have set up a special investigation department to prosecute all account holders who have not declared property or business holdings in Spain.
Owners are advised they should declare any extra income of this sort. If you haven't made a declaration before and hence it relates to a return outside the current tax period, then you will need to make a separate disclosure and explain the circumstances.
As with all dealing with the tax agency experts say that if you make a
voluntary disclosure this will be in your favour. They say: "Tell the tax man everything and in this way you should avoid a full-scale tax inquiry into your affairs."
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs will advise you about the additional tax you will have to pay, including interest on any late payment, which is about 7.5 per cent a year. You are also advised to seek professional advice from an accountant before contacting the HMRC so as to avoid a penalty for negligence.

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Posted in: Gibraltar

M.E.V., who is 35 and is from Romford in Essex.

The Civil Guad have taken a foreign resident of Benalmádena into custody after an operation by the Organised Crime and Drugs Squad in Málaga over the Christmas period.
Officers seized more than one and a half tons of cannabis resin. The two suspects are named in a Civil Guard press release as M.E.V., who is 35 and is from Romford in Essex.
They have both been remanded to custody.
The drugs were found on a lorry intercepted by the Civil Guard, and were hidden amongst pallets of crockery. The cargo was bound for the UK.

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Posted in: Benalmádena

International drug trafficking and arms dealing

Dutch man wanted by police in his home country was arrested by police in Sabinillas Named as P.J.J.D.J he is wanted for money laundering and arms trafficking in the Netherlands It is thought he fled to Spain when other members of the criminal organisation he led were taken into custody Officers from a specialised squad of National Police from La Línea de la Concepción took the man into custody in Sabinillas National Police told the news agency that the suspect’s organisation was involved in international drug trafficking and arms dealing and used companies set up in fiscal paradises to launder money. The man had been tracked to Spain with investigations into properties in Cádiz and Málaga provinces, together with companies linked to his organisation and bank accounts held by known associates. Reports in Europa Press said a number of property searches and embargoes have taken place, and that more than a million € in embargoes on properties and bank accounts.

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Posted in: Sabinillas

Inspector Francisco Javier Martín

Inspector Francisco Javier Martín, who is accused of hiding and then removing three statement complaints from the police station on the same day that the premises were searched, March 30 2006, as part of the Malaya case. Since the time of the alleged offence, the policeman has been promoted to control traffic, plain-clothed officers and the police training school.Instruction judge four in Marbella is investigating a top local policeman in the town,The ex local police chief, Rafael del Pozo, has been called to declare to the court in the case on Monday.One of the statements removed related to a traffic offence allegedly carried out by Diego Arrabal, a well known paparazzi in the town, and another was a drunk driving charge against Borja Fraile, son of a Madrid businessman and a friend of the late Jesús Gil, according to a report in El País.

.

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Posted in: Marbella

Hotel Cano in Torrevieja unexploded bomb found

The dynamite-packed explosive were found at the Hotel Cano in Torrevieja .This unexploded bomb had been planted 17 years ago in a resort popular with British tourists has been uncovered
Workmen refurbishing a bathroom after a fire found the device inside a tube left in a false ceiling.
The area was evacuated and disposal experts removed the device.
Designed to target holidaymakers, the bomb was one of three planted in Costa Blanca in 1991 by Basque separatist group ETA.
Two exploded in a restaurant and hotel but the third failed to detonate.
A Spanish government spokeswoman said yesterday: "It was well hidden and badly deteriorated."

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Posted in: Torrevieja

local police chief sells stolen cars

local police chief in Conil, who was arrested on Wednesday for charges including fraud and falsifying documents. The paper says it relates to the sale of stolen cars, which were allegedly sold on after they were recovered by police, instead of being returned to their owners.
Also under investigation by the court in Chiclana is a territorial planning crime. La Voz says they have been unable to confirm if that relates to a property built by the police chief, who they name as Francisco Luis González Fernández, on land classified as unsuitable for development, and if the money from the alleged car sales was used to fund it. They mention the possibility of more arrests in the case.
The local Mayor, Antonio Roldán, noted that González is in the position as acting chief as none of the applicants for the job last year met the requirements for the vacant position. His predecessor was suspended from the job in 2004.

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Posted in: Conil

Alicante Car Surfers

The Alicante newspaper, Información, reports on the case of two men who were arrested in Alicante city centre this Tuesday night, with one of them at the wheel of the car, speeding and zig zagging along the street, and the owner of the vehicle on the roof. He was standing up, pretending to surf.
Both had been drinking.
The driver is charged with reckless driving and causing a danger to others, and could face at least five years in prison. The proceedings at the speedy trial held on Wednesday – where the duty prosecutor asked for two years or a fine - were called off, with the length of the possible sentence meaning the case must now be heard by a higher court.

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Posted in: Alicante

Amy Fitzpatrick :Search Party

Terra España quoted information from the EFE news agency that the Civil Guard have organised a search party with the help of volunteers and emergency services, which meets at the Cala de Mijas football ground at 9am on Wednesday. They continue to investigate if there is any truth in a number of phone calls they have received about the case which are understood to have come from many different areas.
They are also investigating known British paedophiles who live in the area.

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Posted in: Costa del Sol