British couple win legal case over demolished villa
British couple win legal case over demolished villa
A British couple who had their villa in Spain demolished have won a significant legal battle. The Spanish Supreme Court ruled that correct procedures were not followed when authorities ordered Len and Helen Prior's home to be knocked down.
Government officials ordered the demolition of the
villa in Spain, saying it had been built illegally. However, the Priors have now won a significant legal battle in their fight for compensation, reports
Spanish Property Insight.
The court ruled that the demolition order itself was illegal, as correct procedures were not followed and, as a result, the Priors were denied their right to appeal against the original ruling. The £570,000 villa, in
Almeria, was demolished in January 2008 and the Priors have been living in their garage ever since.
The couple obtained planning consent from the town hall to build their villa in the town
Vera. However, regional planning authorities later claimed that the permission granted was invalid.
The Priors are fighting for 600,000 euros in damages from the town hall. It is thought that there are tens of thousands of illegally built properties in Andalucia.
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