Legal Loophole May Save Owners of Illegal Homes in Marbella

December 20, 2006

Experts have identified a legal loophole which could save Spanish homeowners from seeing their dream homes reduced to rubble. Experts said courts would have to consider if any owners whose holiday or retirement homes are threatened bought them in good faith or not. Manuel Martín, dean of the College of Registrars for Property in Western Andalusia, said homeowners are protected under Spanish law by the "principle of public faith in the registry". He added: "This ensures that those who purchased homes in the belief that the information supplied to them by officials was correct must be allowed to keep ownership." Only if a court ruled that the owner had not acted in good faith could their properties could then be demolished. For an extensive choice of completely legal property for sale in Spain on the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida, visit the Novocasa website.