Broken building leaves family shattered

AFTER a lengthy legal battle, the owners of a building located on the Maritima Española promenade, by Xabia Port, were finally able to evict a problematic tenant. Unfortunately, the sight that greeted them upon entry to the building has diluted the victory more than a little bit.

The building was being used as a 22-room guest house. It contains a restaurant on the ground floor which in recent times has been used as a pizzeria. However, a few years back the owners were forced to take the tenant, a British ex-pat, to court. He did not pay the rent for years, with the debt eventually exceeding €70,000. The owners were also stuck paying the bills and taxes.

The family originally won the case, but the tenants appealed and their removal from the building was delayed. On November 17, the judge definitively ruled that the tenants had to get out.

However, when the owners opened the door and went inside, they found that the building had been completely ransacked. There were holes in the walls made with hammers, the restaurant was destroyed, and an oven had been ripped out of the wall. The destruction had been so thorough that there was not a single toilet, sink, or light switch that was salvageable. 

The only thing left now is the beautiful view, as this building is right on the first line of the coast, only separated from the sea by the promenade.