Homeowners object to more ‘legalization’ costs

HOMEOWNERS who should benefit from a decree planned by the Junta de Andalucia to legalize homes in the Axarquia area are objecting to paying for the privilege.

In March, the Junta de Andalucia announced plans for a decree which would legalize many of the 11,000 ‘irregular’ homes in the Axarquia alone. The Councillor for Public Works and Housing, Josefina Cruz, said this would have no cost for the administrations and would be paid by the homeowners.

A draft of this document has been provided to those affected who believe that it is unfair that treatment will be the same for everyone, regardless of their independent situations or whether or not they have paid money already. The President of the Provincial Association of Illegally Built Homes, Maria del Mar Vazquez, said she couldn’t understand why in the Axarquia, where owners have licenses and have already had to pay taxes and reports “people are being asked for further investment”.

Philip Smalley of pressure group ‘Save Our Homes Axarquia’ complains that the Junta has given no idea of how much legalizing their homes will cost them.

Residents in Viñuela or Alcaucin point out that they have already paid to build their homes when they still thought their licenses to be legal, and then had to pay to appeal the proceedings initiated against them by the Junta de Andalucia. The group believes that each town hall should decide whether the legalization of homes goes ahead and what the conditions for the owners will be.

A meeting to discuss this with all affected groups in the province will take place this month.