(Poniente) A crisis means different things to different people; for some it’s cutting back on certain luxuries whilst for others it’s living under a bridge. Bank advertising campaigns would have you believe that they are your best friends, practically family. The caring face of finance smiling out at one and all from every high street… but just how much do they really care and to what lengths will they go to retrieve their money. The following article is just one instance of your caring local bank.

It never crossed the mind of small businessman, Antonio Ruiz, that something like this could happen to him; but  it has.  One moment he was on top of the world, and the next he had been stripped of all he possessed – the bank took the lot: his business (Cuadros San Sebastian) his work shop, his house… and even the houses of his two offspring… they even took his grandchildren’s bicycles!

Like many of his generation, he left school upon reaching 14, and began to learn the profession of carpenter, something that he has done for the last 25 years. With a lot of sweat, worry and time, he built his small  but prosperous business. When things were going well, he had eight employees and six small lorries, doing business all over the country.

The first problems began to emerge in 2006: a bad investment judgement forced him to take out loans. After that with the crisis upon him, he had to refinance existing loans and then one day the embargoes came.

“They cheated me,” he explained bitterly, “they said that handing over 4,500 euros it could all be sorted out and not to worry.” A neighbour lent him that sum and he went round to his local branch of his bank. He said that he had not trouble walking in with the money, but when he tried to return, a security guard wouldn’t let him in. ”

His wife has undergone three operations in the meantime and he is convinced that all the worry and stress has had much to do with this.

“They really treated me badly,” he lamented, adding, “they went through my house like a bull in  a china shop. The Guardia Civil turned up, together with bank and court officials, as well as a two locksmiths. They even kicked in doors,” he claimed.

One minute he had a house and a business and the next he had neither. But whereas he has nothing but scorn for the bank, he is deeply gratefully for how his fellow townsfolk have reacted, helping him to cope. One of them has leant him a small workshop and he is trying to rebuild his business. There is a daily trickle of locals bringing him trade.

But he has more than just helpful neighbours; the local commerce association for Illora (CEAMI) were not impressed in the least about how this bank entity had treated Antonio – there could be consequences.

(News: Illora, Granada, Andalucia)