Around 500 people gathered in Jete on Monday to try to prevent the eviction of six families, but to no avail. When you take into account the entire population of the village doesn’t reach, 800, that’s quite a turn out.

It all started in 1979 when the parents of those affected bought a building still only in the structure form, but the purchase was never registered in deed form, which ended in a ‘misunderstanding’ between parties.

Bear in mind that these families took a bear structure and actually finished the building work, making their flats – not the person who allegedly sold the structure.

In other words, the person that allegedly sold just the concrete floors and supporting columns has ended up with at least five fully finished flats… as well as the money received from the parents who made the purchase in 1979 (according to the evicted families).

In rural Andalucia, by the way, especially in the Rió Verde Valley, you’d be surprised just how many property owners don’t have deeds.

Then began a decade-long legal process that ended in these six families unjustly losing their homes. In 2001, the families managed to freeze the eviction process by providing a bank guarantee of 40,000 euros per family but the owner, according to the Land Registry entry; i.e, who had allegedly sold the property on, would only accept 80,000 for one of the flats – the rest weren’t given the option and subsequently lost their homes.

Around 50 police were standing by during the eviction but despite laments and angry words, there were no disturbances.

(News: Jete, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – Photos: Juan José Novo Martín)