Owners of illegal homes in Almeria to pay for regularisation

Owners of illegal properties in Almeria will be expected to contribute towards the cost of their legalisation. Residents have been told that local authorities and developers will not be able to meet the full cost of transforming isolated developments into proper neighbourhoods.

The announcement was made by Almeria 's chief planning inspector, José Antonio Ortíz, at a conference last month, reports Costa News.

Despite the initial costs of legalising the properties, Ortíz insisted the homeowners would make a profit when it came to selling their homes.

However, local residents' groups are opposing the move.

David Dunthorn, from AUAN - an association fighting to safeguard illegal homes - said: "The scary thing is the cost; a lot of expats don't have that sort of money. But they need to consider that we've already paid for the infrastructure, we were assured by the developers that we had."

Justifying the decision, Ortíz said: "Those who bought a house in the town centre not only bought the square metres of that home, but part of a school, a park and a health centre. The people who bought an illegal property in the countryside are also enjoying those privileges."

Ortíz also maintained that Spain 's legal system worked well, despite the reported backlog of court cases relating to illegal homes.

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