We have been reporting on evictions all around Spain, but this one is definitely closer to home: Villa Eryka 15 in an urbanización on the P-4.

Maica Ortega had run a real-estate office during the boom years, together with her husband, which was when she took out a mortgage on the said property. The crisis came and the office bit the dust and both found themselves without any income.

At first, they tried renting their property out whilst she went to live with her mother in Motril, taking her two children with her, aged four and eight. The trouble was, the new tenants didn’t pay and wouldn’t budge, either. Meanwhile, she says that she had been around to see the bank but “they laughed at me,” she claims.

After stopping the mortgage repayments because she was unable to meet them, around mid 2008, the present debt stands at 200,000 euros, more or less. Then the 28th of November came, which was to be the eve of her eviction. But it didn’t happen, thanks to neighbours and the Stop Desahucios organisations (Stop Evictions), based in Motril and Granada.

Just after noon, the Judiciary Secretary arrived to carry out the eviction, arguing that in this case there was no ‘social alarm’ as the eviction was putting nobody out on the streets – Maica lives with her mother in Motril. However the J.C. said that if the move was opposed by those gathered then it wouldn’t happen. There were no police present and there was no violence offered… In fact, nobody even raised their voice.

Maica’s intention is to return to her house, bringing her mother with her, and rent out her mothers flat in Motril and with a small income from giving private classes, she hopes to pay off what she can.

The ball is now in the bank’s court.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)