The Spanish Supreme Court (TS) has ordered squatters who have occupied a house near Granada for almost 10 years to move out.
The Supreme court rejected the appeal lodged by the squatters’ lawyer that his clients are in a vulnerable situation and that their right to housing had been infringed.
The squatter had moved into the dwelling in 2013, which was almost in a ruinous state, without permission, accompanied by his children (minors) as a consequence of the previous economic crisis which began in 2008.
The court findings state that the legitimate owners of the property, the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation (CHG) had acted correctly as well as demonstrating considerable patience, almost ten years after the house was illegally occupied and six years after the first court sentence ordered an eviction. The TS also took into account that the squatter actually used to live there once.
The tribunal judges recognised that the confederation (Water Board) could have acted more expediently to evict the family but had chosen not to, preferring to use fines as a ‘nudge,’ starting in 2016, to get them to leave the dwelling (it is next to one of the city’s reservoirs). the first fine amounted to 1,468 euros, repeating the fines three more times for the same amount.
When, the judges made their findings, they also “invited” the occupant to sue the regional or municipal Social Services, if he considers that they have failed to provide him with alternative living accommodation, seeing as there are minors involved.
(News: City & Metropolitan Area, Granada, Andalucia – Photo: Freepik)