The long running Spanish property/British expat issue has yet to be resolved in a manner that both parties approve of, however it appears that the British government is finally stepping in to lend its citizens a much needed helping hand.
Currently, thousands of British expats are in a state of limbo after having the properties they thought they purchased legally deemed illegal and marked for destruction by the Spanish government. Unfortunately, the root of the problem lies with unscrupulous developers and corrupt officials, for these are the people who sold the ill-fated properties. In the eyes of the Spanish government the properties must be destroyed, however the expats who won them see differently.
Having bought the homes in good will these people are outraged at the prospect of seeing, in many cases, their life savings crumble at the force of the demolition ball, and so of course they have been campaigning, demonstrating, petitioning and haranguing to see what they feel is an apt resolution to the matter.
Since the row is a local property matter in Spain, the British government can do little on behalf of its affected expats, however they are making a strong effort to support these expats as much as possible.
Last year, the UK government dispatched a specialist adviser to Madrid to get a clear handle on Spanish property laws, and now a special section offering advice has been added to the UK Gov website.
Along with this, the British Ambassador in Spain has met with a number of esteemed figures within the Spanish government in an attempt to give the plight of the expats a greater audience.
Although a solution is hardly in view, it is hoped that continued efforts by the British Government will eventually see a positive outcome.