A group of 24 British families say they have lost their life savings after unknowingly buying homes in what they later discovered was an illegal housing development in Murcia.
The buyers purchased properties in 2003 in a newly built urbanisation in Gea y Truyols, around 30 minutes from Murcia city, believing all the necessary permits were in place.
However, they later discovered the development had not been legally authorised, despite receiving assurances from the estate agent and developer that everything was above board.
According to the Daily Mail, many of the owners have since been forced out of their homes after spending years battling through the Spanish courts and paying thousands of euros in legal fees and repair costs.
Some have exhausted their savings and returned to the UK to live with relatives.
Among those affected is Anne, who moved to Spain from Ashington, Northumberland, with her husband David after recovering from breast cancer.
‘My husband and I accepted redundancy packages and sold our home to start a new life in Spain,’ she told the newspaper.
‘We carried out extensive checks on the company, took copies of their passports and everything appeared to be in order.’
For months, the couple believed construction was progressing normally. But when they travelled to Spain to inspect their future home, they found the site deserted.
‘After making our first payment, we went to see how the building work was progressing, but found the entire site sealed off and all the workers had disappeared,’ Anne said.
Residents claim they gradually realised the development had been built illegally and that essential infrastructure, including running water, electricity and proper plot boundaries, had never been completed despite many buyers having paid almost the full purchase price.
Another couple, John and Alice, allege the original developer forged documents claiming ownership of the land and even produced a fake English translation to reassure foreign buyers.
Rather than completing the project, they say the developer repeatedly demanded additional payments.
Anne said she asked for her money back but was warned by the estate agency that she would lose everything she had already invested.
‘We couldn’t afford to lose the money, so foolishly we made the next two payments,’ she said.
As construction remained unfinished, many owners found themselves paying mortgages, rent and storage costs while waiting for homes that never became fully legal.
Several families eventually paid thousands of euros out of their own pockets to install water tanks, septic systems and electricity connections simply so they could use the properties during holidays.
The situation deteriorated further more than a decade later when the original developer reportedly sold the project to another businessman.
Residents allege the new owner launched an intimidation campaign to force them from their homes, including changing locks, erecting walls and installing security gates to block access.
Some homeowners also claim a private eviction company visited occupied properties in an attempt to pressure them into leaving.
More than 20 years after buying what they believed would be their dream homes in Spain, many say they have been left with nothing.
Some have since died, while others have returned to Britain after spending their savings on legal battles that ultimately failed.
‘We are absolutely devastated,’ John and Alice said after years of unsuccessful attempts to recover their property through the Spanish courts.
