Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem

Post by victorbjorklund » Thu, Jun 06, 2024, 4:32 PM UTC

southerntofu wrote: post #226

victorbjorklund wrote: post #150

I have seen some apartment being severely reduced because they are under occupation (makes sense since the buyer buys an apartment they cant even go into without a multi-year legal process). I wonder if it ever happens that people occupy an apartment only to get the owner to sell for cheap and then they (or their friend) buys the apartment for cheap?

I've never heard of something like this. It's not exactly like squatters are millionaires trying to save on rent to buy more champagne... I'm not saying this has never existed, there's probably an outlier somewhere. What does exist for sure and is publicly advertised is companies like the original article trying to make owners desperate about squatters so they will sell their property for cheap. For example here in F…

Post by victorbjorklund » Thu, Jun 06, 2024, 4:33 PM UTC

juststartguide wrote: post #200

victorbjorklund wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A middle class family that leaves their home for 2 weeks to go on vacation only to come back to find their apartment occupied? Are those the evil investors who should be punished? Now they are homeless instead

A common misconception that people don't seem to get (and that most news outlets conveniently forget to report), it's that if someone enters your primary or even second residence, that isn't considered Okupacion, it's considered "Allanamiento de morada" (breaking and entering). Even if you were on vacation for a month. If that happens you call the police and they'll kick them out in 24 hours max.

Post by piuantiderp » Thu, Jun 06, 2024, 4:34 PM UTC

bluecalm wrote: post #432

I was considering buying a house in Spain to spend half a year in. Okupas was one of the reason I am not doing it. Instead I will be paying professional landlords to rent a house to live in for half a year. A real win for squatters' "ideology". If it continues the only people who own property will be professionals with private armies and organized security systems.

Post by diggan » Thu, Jun 06, 2024, 4:35 PM UTC

piuantiderp wrote: post #440

diggan wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's anecdotal though... How many of the current okupas happen in other's primary residence? Would be considered trespassing in those cases and a lot easier to get rid of them, compared to the other cases.

Lmao, that's wishful thinking. That's why in decent countries you can get them curb-stomped and their teeth kicked-in for invading a property.

Post by solids » Thu, Jun 06, 2024, 4:37 PM UTC

kaskakokos wrote: post #419

Aurornis wrote: post #358

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There's clearly a gap between imaginary noble okupas addressing housing crisis via occupation of unused bank property and reality of weed smoking anarchists and their collaborating deoccupying mafia harassing mostly not-so-rich middle class, who can't afford the security measures the rich can. I had a friend who bought a house that needed a lot of work. Before he could get started on the remodel, someone broke in t…

Living in Spain, I have friends from both ends of the spectrum: those speculating with houses and those who cannot afford to buy one. We can blame the okupas, calling them lazy if that suits you. But we are missing half the story if we don't consider the other end of the spectrum: people buying property purely for speculative investment. For example, consider the housing crisis in Majorca [1]. Since we have enough mo…