Monday, September 27, 2004
Freya (a member of the AUN) has written a letter to the Dutch Ambassador. It was sent together with a copy of a Dutch radio programme (on CD) on the subject of the LRAU.
In the letter, Freya gives some general information and asks to be informed should he wish to know more. She asks him to put pressure on the Dutch delegates and their president.
-------
Freya L. Holtrop
Alicante, 14 september 2004
De Nederlandse Ambassade
Avenida Comandante Franco, 32
28016 MADRID
Geachte dames/heren,
Zoals u hopelijk weet, hebben vele buitenlanders, waaronder ook vele Nederlanders, en vele Spanjaarden in de Provincie Valencia te lijden onder de toepassing van de wet LRAU. Velen hebben hun huis moeten opgeven, zonder er enige vergoeding voor te krijgen. Anderen hebben veel geld moeten betalen voor infrastructuur waar zij niet om gevraagd hebben en die zij ook helemaal niet willen, onder de dwang van projectontwikkelaars die huizenparken aanleggen om hun eigen zak te spekken en niet voor het “nut” of “algemeen belang”.
De vereniging die hier door een gepensioneerde Canadese diplomaat, de heer Charles Svoboda, is opgezet, heet Abusos Urbanisticos No. Zij hebben alle buitenlanders gevraagd hun ambassades op de hoogte te stellen van wat er hier gaande is. Ik heb zelf De Telegraaf vorig jaar zomer opgebeld en het artikel van Gerrit Jan Hoek, die hier twee weken van Noord naar Zuid vele mensen heeft geïnterviewd heeft toen, samen met acties van Abusos No de Europarlementariërs gealarmeerd. Ongetwijfeld weet u van het bezoek in Mei van drie Europarlementariërs af.
Bijgaand stuur ik u een CD van de journalist Peter van den Assem, die hier ook onderzoek heeft verricht. Op deze CD staan twee uitzendingen van Radio Wereld Omroep Nederland, die door Peter zijn verzorgd, over de toepassing van de wet LRAU.
Enige tijd geleden heb ik u via e-mail stukken opgestuurd over wat er hier gebeurt, maar ik kreeg van Postmasters het bericht dat het niet afgeleverd kon worden. Kunt u mij misschien uw juiste e-mail adres doorgeven? Mijn adres is Freya_holtrop@hotmail.com. Mocht u meer informatie willen hebben, dan stuur ik u dat graag toe, in de hoop dat in deze periode dat Nederland het tijdelijke voorzitterschap heeft, er iets (snel) aan kan doen. U hebt ongetwijfeld meer mogelijkheden dan ik om eventueel druk uit te oefenen in Brussel.
Bij voorbaat dank namens alle Nederlandse en andere gedupeerden.
Vriendelijke groeten,
Freya L. Holtrop
Bijl. CD.
In the letter, Freya gives some general information and asks to be informed should he wish to know more. She asks him to put pressure on the Dutch delegates and their president.
-------
Freya L. Holtrop
Alicante, 14 september 2004
De Nederlandse Ambassade
Avenida Comandante Franco, 32
28016 MADRID
Geachte dames/heren,
Zoals u hopelijk weet, hebben vele buitenlanders, waaronder ook vele Nederlanders, en vele Spanjaarden in de Provincie Valencia te lijden onder de toepassing van de wet LRAU. Velen hebben hun huis moeten opgeven, zonder er enige vergoeding voor te krijgen. Anderen hebben veel geld moeten betalen voor infrastructuur waar zij niet om gevraagd hebben en die zij ook helemaal niet willen, onder de dwang van projectontwikkelaars die huizenparken aanleggen om hun eigen zak te spekken en niet voor het “nut” of “algemeen belang”.
De vereniging die hier door een gepensioneerde Canadese diplomaat, de heer Charles Svoboda, is opgezet, heet Abusos Urbanisticos No. Zij hebben alle buitenlanders gevraagd hun ambassades op de hoogte te stellen van wat er hier gaande is. Ik heb zelf De Telegraaf vorig jaar zomer opgebeld en het artikel van Gerrit Jan Hoek, die hier twee weken van Noord naar Zuid vele mensen heeft geïnterviewd heeft toen, samen met acties van Abusos No de Europarlementariërs gealarmeerd. Ongetwijfeld weet u van het bezoek in Mei van drie Europarlementariërs af.
Bijgaand stuur ik u een CD van de journalist Peter van den Assem, die hier ook onderzoek heeft verricht. Op deze CD staan twee uitzendingen van Radio Wereld Omroep Nederland, die door Peter zijn verzorgd, over de toepassing van de wet LRAU.
Enige tijd geleden heb ik u via e-mail stukken opgestuurd over wat er hier gebeurt, maar ik kreeg van Postmasters het bericht dat het niet afgeleverd kon worden. Kunt u mij misschien uw juiste e-mail adres doorgeven? Mijn adres is Freya_holtrop@hotmail.com. Mocht u meer informatie willen hebben, dan stuur ik u dat graag toe, in de hoop dat in deze periode dat Nederland het tijdelijke voorzitterschap heeft, er iets (snel) aan kan doen. U hebt ongetwijfeld meer mogelijkheden dan ik om eventueel druk uit te oefenen in Brussel.
Bij voorbaat dank namens alle Nederlandse en andere gedupeerden.
Vriendelijke groeten,
Freya L. Holtrop
Bijl. CD.
A very important notice.
The email address for the AbusosUrbanisticosNo (AUN) has been changed.
It is now aun@abusos-no.org
We can still access the old address, but do not know for how long - so please change your records for future contacts.
The email address for the AbusosUrbanisticosNo (AUN) has been changed.
It is now aun@abusos-no.org
We can still access the old address, but do not know for how long - so please change your records for future contacts.
Friday, September 10, 2004
An article from today´s Valencia Life.
LRAU: THE DAMAGE CONTINUES
It would appear that the conflict between Javea Town Hall and an urbanizing company called Santacreu on the one hand and the owners of property in the Pinomar A area of the town are still involved in a struggle, with Santacreu demanding excessive amounts from the property owners, who for the most part are pensioners and whose life savings have been invested in what they thought was a dream home, only to see it turn into a disaster. Many fear that their homes, that they have so lovingly worked to achieve, may well be embargoed to pay for the costs, which in some cases are as high as 42,000 Euros. The protesters feel that with some considerable justification, the continuance of the local Town Hall and the urbanizer to pursue their excessive costs is somewhat illegal, especially in the light of the findings of the recent Committee from the European Parliament that visited the Valencian Community on a fact-finding mission, and called for a moratorium on projects of this sort.
LRAU: THE DAMAGE CONTINUES
It would appear that the conflict between Javea Town Hall and an urbanizing company called Santacreu on the one hand and the owners of property in the Pinomar A area of the town are still involved in a struggle, with Santacreu demanding excessive amounts from the property owners, who for the most part are pensioners and whose life savings have been invested in what they thought was a dream home, only to see it turn into a disaster. Many fear that their homes, that they have so lovingly worked to achieve, may well be embargoed to pay for the costs, which in some cases are as high as 42,000 Euros. The protesters feel that with some considerable justification, the continuance of the local Town Hall and the urbanizer to pursue their excessive costs is somewhat illegal, especially in the light of the findings of the recent Committee from the European Parliament that visited the Valencian Community on a fact-finding mission, and called for a moratorium on projects of this sort.
A MESSAGE FROM JANICE BATTERBEE
Dear all
The King of Spain visited the OAMI yesterday for the Office's 10th anniversary celebrations. Several people gave speeches at the ceremony, including Camps who said how wonderful the Valencian Comunidad is and that he is sure that the officials of the OAMI feel so much at home in this beautiful region that they will never want to leave!
After the ceremony, the King circulated amongst the staff. I put myself in a prominent position, and he came up to shake my hand. So I asked if I could say a few words, and said I should like to draw his attention to the abusive land law in the Valencian Comunidad that allows developers to steal the land and houses from legitimate owners. At that stage, he grabbed Camps who was standing just behind him. I then said to Mr Camps, "you know all about the effects of the LRAU". He just looked at me with a fixed smile on his face. I had prepared a file with a letter (see text below), the EP Parliament report, some recent press cuttings (El País, Levante, The Times, Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail) and the AUN website address and e-mail contact. I gave the file to the King who passed it on to Camps.
(English translation follows)
Su Majestad D. Juan Carlos I Rey de España
Alicante, 9 de septiembre de 2004
Majestad:
Decenas de miles de residentes y contribuyentes en la Comunidad Valenciana, españoles y extranjeros, nos consideramos víctimas de abusos urbanísticos cometidos al amparo de la Ley 6/1994, Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanística en la Comunidad Valenciana (LRAU), y nos permitimos dirigirnos a su Majestad para denunciar una seria quiebra del Estado de Derecho, que está convirtiendo la vida de muchos pequeños propietarios en una autentica pesadilla.
Después de la visita a la región de su delegación oficial, la Comisión de Peticiones del Parlamento Europeo avaló las denuncias sobre abusos urbanísticos en la Comunidad Valenciana. Le adjuntamos un ejemplar del Informe de 6 de julio de 2004, así como de algunos de los muchos artículos publicados en la prensa nacional e internacional sobre este tema.
Además, los informes televisivos que se han emitido por canales tales como CNN, BBC, ITV, ARD, ZDF y muchos más, no contribuyen a una buena imagen de España.
El informe del Parlamento Europeo constata que "ninguna de las victimas ha logrado obtener satisfacción alguna a través de los tribunales", por lo que rogamos a Su Majestad tenga a bien intervenir en defensa de los derechos que la Constitución Española garantiza a los pequeños propietarios, que en la Comunidad Valenciana se ven lamentablemente conculcados al amparo de la LRAU.
Translation of letter handed to the King:
Your Majesty,
We are victims of the urban development abuse perpetrated in the Valencian region under cover of the "Ley Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanistica" 6/1994 (LRAU). There are tens of thousands of us, Spaniards and other nationalities, and we wish to take this opportunity to inform your Majesty of a serious breach of the rule of law which is making the lives of many modest property owners a real nightmare.
Following the visit to the region by its official fact-finding delegation, the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament adopted their report and condemned the abuses in the Valencian region. We enclose a copy of the European Parliament report (6 July 2004), together with some examples of the many articles published in the national and international press.
Moreover, the TV reports broadcast by channels such as CNN, BBC, ITV, ARD, ZDF and many more, do not do anything to improve Spain's image abroad.
The European Parliament report states that "none of the victims has succeeded in obtaining satisfaction through the Courts …". We therefore respectfully request your Majesty to intervene in defence of property owners' rights guaranteed by the Spanish Constitution and which are unfortunately trampled under foot in this region under cover of the LRAU.
Dear all
The King of Spain visited the OAMI yesterday for the Office's 10th anniversary celebrations. Several people gave speeches at the ceremony, including Camps who said how wonderful the Valencian Comunidad is and that he is sure that the officials of the OAMI feel so much at home in this beautiful region that they will never want to leave!
After the ceremony, the King circulated amongst the staff. I put myself in a prominent position, and he came up to shake my hand. So I asked if I could say a few words, and said I should like to draw his attention to the abusive land law in the Valencian Comunidad that allows developers to steal the land and houses from legitimate owners. At that stage, he grabbed Camps who was standing just behind him. I then said to Mr Camps, "you know all about the effects of the LRAU". He just looked at me with a fixed smile on his face. I had prepared a file with a letter (see text below), the EP Parliament report, some recent press cuttings (El País, Levante, The Times, Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail) and the AUN website address and e-mail contact. I gave the file to the King who passed it on to Camps.
(English translation follows)
Su Majestad D. Juan Carlos I Rey de España
Alicante, 9 de septiembre de 2004
Majestad:
Decenas de miles de residentes y contribuyentes en la Comunidad Valenciana, españoles y extranjeros, nos consideramos víctimas de abusos urbanísticos cometidos al amparo de la Ley 6/1994, Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanística en la Comunidad Valenciana (LRAU), y nos permitimos dirigirnos a su Majestad para denunciar una seria quiebra del Estado de Derecho, que está convirtiendo la vida de muchos pequeños propietarios en una autentica pesadilla.
Después de la visita a la región de su delegación oficial, la Comisión de Peticiones del Parlamento Europeo avaló las denuncias sobre abusos urbanísticos en la Comunidad Valenciana. Le adjuntamos un ejemplar del Informe de 6 de julio de 2004, así como de algunos de los muchos artículos publicados en la prensa nacional e internacional sobre este tema.
Además, los informes televisivos que se han emitido por canales tales como CNN, BBC, ITV, ARD, ZDF y muchos más, no contribuyen a una buena imagen de España.
El informe del Parlamento Europeo constata que "ninguna de las victimas ha logrado obtener satisfacción alguna a través de los tribunales", por lo que rogamos a Su Majestad tenga a bien intervenir en defensa de los derechos que la Constitución Española garantiza a los pequeños propietarios, que en la Comunidad Valenciana se ven lamentablemente conculcados al amparo de la LRAU.
Translation of letter handed to the King:
Your Majesty,
We are victims of the urban development abuse perpetrated in the Valencian region under cover of the "Ley Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanistica" 6/1994 (LRAU). There are tens of thousands of us, Spaniards and other nationalities, and we wish to take this opportunity to inform your Majesty of a serious breach of the rule of law which is making the lives of many modest property owners a real nightmare.
Following the visit to the region by its official fact-finding delegation, the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament adopted their report and condemned the abuses in the Valencian region. We enclose a copy of the European Parliament report (6 July 2004), together with some examples of the many articles published in the national and international press.
Moreover, the TV reports broadcast by channels such as CNN, BBC, ITV, ARD, ZDF and many more, do not do anything to improve Spain's image abroad.
The European Parliament report states that "none of the victims has succeeded in obtaining satisfaction through the Courts …". We therefore respectfully request your Majesty to intervene in defence of property owners' rights guaranteed by the Spanish Constitution and which are unfortunately trampled under foot in this region under cover of the LRAU.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
MORE MEDIA COVERAGE sent to me by an AUN member.
--------------------
THE POST.IE
The Sunday Business Post On-Line
Spanish property warning after 'land-grabs'
29/08/04 00:00
By Susan MitchellHomeowners in Valencia in south-east Spain have warned Irish people to think twice about buying property there, as many overseas buyers have fallen victim to what has been dubbed the biggest land-grab in Europe since the Second World War.
The mass seizure of land by property developers is being carried out in the Valencia region, an area which includes the Costa Blanca and the Mediterranean east coast. The area is home to hundreds of thousands of foreign sun-seekers, including many Irish people.Homeowners in other regions, including Andalucia, have also been affected by the land grabs, which arise from the enforcement of a property law passed ten years ago. The law stops speculators blocking urban development by sitting on land near coastal towns.
To get around the law, local councils have approved urbanisation plans without the consent or knowledge of the affected property owners. The law decrees that if a rural area is rezoned for building, the authorities can demand up to 70 per cent of the land free or, in some cases, pay a small percentage of the market value.The legislation allows property developers owning more than 50 per cent of land in any given area to compel homeowners to sell them the actual land around their flats or houses. The developers can then force those owners to contribute to costs of the ensuing infrastructural development.In the last four years, some developers in conjunction with local councils began taking over privately owned plots at far below the market value.Homeowners have been forced to hand over their land and in some cases pay for the privilege.One British couple who bought a bungalow in the hills overlooking the coastal resort of Moraira, near Alicante, discovered that their neighbour's property had been earmarked for an urbanisation project.Before they could object, bulldozers arrived to cut through their own garden.Since then, developers have lodged new plans to take another 40 per cent of the couple's land.The couple will be charged around €55,000 for the installation of new water and electricity services, roads and other infrastructure.One Irish woman said she was given no warning when local authorities claimed a large piece of her land.``We bought our house close to Marbella in 1974 and had more than 3,000 square yards of land,'' she said. ``I only found out that 1,200 yards had been taken by the local junta when I went to pay my husband's death duties. Developers have been allowed to go wild.''Since the issue came to light,10,000 homeowners have banded together to form an action group, headed by a former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.The European Union issued a report on land law abuses earlier this year, which included detailed case histories exposing alleged bribery, corruption and malpractice.The report said that homeowners ``had their homes and their land expropriated and had to pay for the experience, finding themselves in a surrealistic legal environment without any proper recourse to real justice''.The report is expected to pave the way for legal actions in the European courts next year.
------
If you have any newspaper or web articles which we could put on this blog please e.mail them to AUN.
Jan.
--------------------
THE POST.IE
The Sunday Business Post On-Line
Spanish property warning after 'land-grabs'
29/08/04 00:00
By Susan MitchellHomeowners in Valencia in south-east Spain have warned Irish people to think twice about buying property there, as many overseas buyers have fallen victim to what has been dubbed the biggest land-grab in Europe since the Second World War.
The mass seizure of land by property developers is being carried out in the Valencia region, an area which includes the Costa Blanca and the Mediterranean east coast. The area is home to hundreds of thousands of foreign sun-seekers, including many Irish people.Homeowners in other regions, including Andalucia, have also been affected by the land grabs, which arise from the enforcement of a property law passed ten years ago. The law stops speculators blocking urban development by sitting on land near coastal towns.
To get around the law, local councils have approved urbanisation plans without the consent or knowledge of the affected property owners. The law decrees that if a rural area is rezoned for building, the authorities can demand up to 70 per cent of the land free or, in some cases, pay a small percentage of the market value.The legislation allows property developers owning more than 50 per cent of land in any given area to compel homeowners to sell them the actual land around their flats or houses. The developers can then force those owners to contribute to costs of the ensuing infrastructural development.In the last four years, some developers in conjunction with local councils began taking over privately owned plots at far below the market value.Homeowners have been forced to hand over their land and in some cases pay for the privilege.One British couple who bought a bungalow in the hills overlooking the coastal resort of Moraira, near Alicante, discovered that their neighbour's property had been earmarked for an urbanisation project.Before they could object, bulldozers arrived to cut through their own garden.Since then, developers have lodged new plans to take another 40 per cent of the couple's land.The couple will be charged around €55,000 for the installation of new water and electricity services, roads and other infrastructure.One Irish woman said she was given no warning when local authorities claimed a large piece of her land.``We bought our house close to Marbella in 1974 and had more than 3,000 square yards of land,'' she said. ``I only found out that 1,200 yards had been taken by the local junta when I went to pay my husband's death duties. Developers have been allowed to go wild.''Since the issue came to light,10,000 homeowners have banded together to form an action group, headed by a former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.The European Union issued a report on land law abuses earlier this year, which included detailed case histories exposing alleged bribery, corruption and malpractice.The report said that homeowners ``had their homes and their land expropriated and had to pay for the experience, finding themselves in a surrealistic legal environment without any proper recourse to real justice''.The report is expected to pave the way for legal actions in the European courts next year.
------
If you have any newspaper or web articles which we could put on this blog please e.mail them to AUN.
Jan.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
To AUN members/supporters/friends..... if you like music, if you care about the environment (which of course is linked to our fight), then please see the following regarding a concert in Calpe on 3rd October.
......................
Due to the resounding success last year of his Gala Lirica in aid of ACEC (Associación cultural y ecologista de Calpe), the very talented tenor, José Luis Luri has generously agreed to do a repeat performance.
This year José Luis will be joined in concert by the wonderful baritone, Javier Rubio, accompanied once more by the very experienced pianist Florencio Saéz.
The singers will perform a selection of famous arias and well- known Spanish songs.
The concert will be held on Sunday, 3rd of October at 19.30 hrs.
In the Casa de cultura, Jaime Pastor Fluixa, Calpe. Price 12 euros.
Tickets are available from the ACEC office in Galerias Mar Azul,15, Avenida Gabriel Miró, 9, Calpe. From Monday the 13th September the office will be open every weekday morning for the sale of tickets from 11.00hrs to 13.00hrs. Telephone 96 583 3771 or mobile 639637520
Please take the opportunity of attending this concert. Not only will you be guaranteed a wonderful musical evening but also you will be benefiting an Association fighting to save your environment.
......................
Due to the resounding success last year of his Gala Lirica in aid of ACEC (Associación cultural y ecologista de Calpe), the very talented tenor, José Luis Luri has generously agreed to do a repeat performance.
This year José Luis will be joined in concert by the wonderful baritone, Javier Rubio, accompanied once more by the very experienced pianist Florencio Saéz.
The singers will perform a selection of famous arias and well- known Spanish songs.
The concert will be held on Sunday, 3rd of October at 19.30 hrs.
In the Casa de cultura, Jaime Pastor Fluixa, Calpe. Price 12 euros.
Tickets are available from the ACEC office in Galerias Mar Azul,15, Avenida Gabriel Miró, 9, Calpe. From Monday the 13th September the office will be open every weekday morning for the sale of tickets from 11.00hrs to 13.00hrs. Telephone 96 583 3771 or mobile 639637520
Please take the opportunity of attending this concert. Not only will you be guaranteed a wonderful musical evening but also you will be benefiting an Association fighting to save your environment.
