Latest news with #eviction
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Brit woman is forced to sell her dream holiday home in Spain after a squatter moved in and refused to leave
A British woman has been forced to sell her dream Spanish holiday villa after a squatter moved in and refused to leave. Joanne Venet, 61, says her ordeal began when a tenant refused to pay his €1,400 a month rent for the €450,000 three-bedroom luxury villa near Benidorm earlier this year. Joanne was then faced with Spain 's tough tenancy laws which could have seen her spend years and thousands of pounds to evict the tenant, who was a Spanish citizen. In the end the wedding celebrant and actress from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, was forced to pay an eviction agency - or 'de-squatters' - £4,000 to evict the tenant who owed €5,600 (£4,800) for four months unpaid rent and bills. When she finally obtained possession of the property, it was trashed and covered in cocaine and cannabis paraphernalia, and debris. It comes as a number of Brits have decided to sell up and move out of the country due to issues with squatters. Joanne says the whole ordeal has left her exhausted, unable to work and so traumatised that she is selling up her dream villa which she had successfully rented out for years. Joanne said: 'We couldn't get him out - we were advised 'you can't even knock on the door'. We couldn't even go and see him unless we had an appointment with him. 'He wouldn't leave - he decided to blackmail us and said 'I'm not leaving, I'm going to stay in your house'. 'He said 'I can stay in here, I can do what I want, I have my rights'. 'I'm an actress and I'm a wedding celebrant. I'm normally on social media, I'm normally at wedding fairs. 'The mental strain of it stopped me advertising myself, I've not got enough weddings for next year because I didn't work. 'All that happening in Spain, it makes you feel so down that you can't just get on with normal life, knowing that somebody's living in your house.' In November, the couple rented out their three-bed home, located in a small town just a few miles outside Benidorm, to a local resident for €1,400 a month. Joanne says the seaside town has some 'magical parts to it', but what happened next was anything but. After just two months, the tenant stopped paying his rent and even his bills - meaning electricity at the home was cut off. Frustrated, the couple tried to take their home back when they discovered that Spanish laws meant they could only evict the squatter immediately if he had moved in within the last 48 hours. Joanne and her husband, who asked not to be named, missed out on four months of rent and had to pay £4,000 to a specialised eviction agency, to finally get back possession of their Spanish villa last month. But only because the squatter finally signed a voluntary eviction agreement. The eviction company says it involved the local police after discovering that the home had cocaine and cannabis in it. The eviction process took the couple around five weeks The mum-of-three said: 'It would have normally taken two years if it was just left to us. It's only because I had spare money from an inheritance that I could afford to do that.' Joanne and her husband found the process of evicting their squatters even more difficult due to post-Brexit rules limiting the amount of time Brits can stay in Spain. Those travelling on a British passport can only stay in the Schengen area, which includes Spain, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Those who wish to stay longer must apply for a visa or could face a ban from the Schengen area. She said: 'We can't stay there together at the moment. We've got to make sure we've got X amount of days. 'That's why my husband's there, we didn't want to leave the house. We're scared of squatters going in. 'This guy was a tenant, but if we leave it empty we're scared of squatters going in.' Now, Joanne wants to see the Spanish laws changed to provide greater protection for landlords. She added: 'We do want to sell it now, yes. We just can't have this stress.' It comes after the Daily Mail revealed Britons are being kicked out of their holiday homes in Spain after falling prey to 'shameless' squatters who act with impunity thanks to the country's lacklustre laws. Homeowners this week said they have sold up or are planning to do so after spending years trying to remove illegal occupiers with 'no help' from police. The problem has become so pervasive that the profile of the squatters, once mostly limited to Spaniards and Moroccans, now includes British expats themselves - who have cottoned on to how easy it is to take over homes for months or even years at a time. The process to kick squatters out is mired by red tape and courtroom backlogs, placing a 'traumatic' strain on victims, many of them elderly. One 75-year-old Brit has developed severe anxiety and high blood pressure over her ordeal, while another 84-year-old is battling cancer as he tries to get his home back. 'It's getting worse and worse,' claims Liverpudlian estate agent Paul Stuart, 44, of Marbella-based Palm Estates. 'It's a ticking time bomb, there is so much anger that I fear we are going to see a lot more cases ending in violence. 'Since Covid there's been a perfect storm of surging rents, stagnant wages and lack of new housing; it's caused a noticeable increase in squatting.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Ottawa lawyer says eviction plan for Little Italy apartment building sidesteps tenants' rights
Tenants of a Little Italy apartment building received notice that they may be required to vacate, due to widespread mould and a pending court decision.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Veterans face eviction from council housing
A dozen veterans fear they will be made homeless after they were threatened with eviction from their homes. The former military and Navy personnel, who have conditions including PTSD, have been told they will have to leave their one-bedroom flats in Bolton after the council decided to stop paying the landlord. The veterans living in Constellation House said they felt they would be treated better if they were asylum seekers, after they were issued with eviction notices from the supported accommodation earlier this month. The proposed evictions were triggered after Bolton council decided to stop paying housing benefit to Qualitas Housing because it concluded the supported accommodation did not meet requirements. The eviction of the veterans, including former members of the Royal Signals, the tank regiment and the Navy, prompted speculation locally that the accommodation was being cleared to house asylum seekers. While the housing association denied it was moving in migrants, saying it was effectively forced to make evictions because of the council, veterans claimed asylum seekers were prioritised over them. The row comes amid concerns from veterans that Afghans given asylum as a result of the worst data leak in British history could be prioritised for housing at the expense of former soldiers. Scott Berry, 55, who served for six years in the Royal Signals, said: 'You have migrants who we don't have a clue about being given everything they need. We are veterans and they don't give a damn. We could be made homeless, we still don't know.' 'You never know what they plan to do, and the council and Qualitas are passing the buck,' he added. 'Have a bit of grace.' The tenants have now said they fear being made homeless and are not getting answers from either the council or the landlord, which they said previously received up to £350 a week per person. Mr Berry said that the housing provider must be serious about evictions to send out notices. 'They said the reason was because the council have held back the housing benefits payments,' he said. 'But you don't issue letters if you don't mean anything. 'They could have just rang the council and discussed it. It doesn't make sense.' 'Sorry state of affairs' Mr Berry said that although the owner was different, nothing had changed with the accommodation and it was putting unnecessary stress on veterans with PTSD. 'We've got PTSD, we do have problems. We don't need things like this happening. It's a sorry state of affairs when you are giving people letters. It's not very nice.' While claims that the building was going to be used to house asylum seekers are false, he said many people believed asylum seekers being housed in hotels were treated better than veterans. The housing system was already at breaking point, with local authority waiting lists at record levels across the country, before it was revealed that Britain was secretly relocating nearly 24,000 Afghan soldiers and their families to the UK after their identities were published online. Local authority tenants include the disabled, victims of domestic violence, people leaving care and benefits claimants, as well as veterans. Under the Armed Forces Covenant, the Government and local authorities are committed to helping military families, including former personnel, to access housing, healthcare and education. But veterans have voiced fears that an influx of Afghans is making it more difficult for them to secure accommodation. The Government will spend £7bn bringing Afghans affected by the leak to Britain over five years, with 18,500 already flown in. According to court documents, Afghans have been sent to Bracknell in Berkshire, Preston in Lancashire, Aberdeen in Scotland, and Cardiff in Wales. Others were sent to West Sussex and Yorkshire, while plans were afoot for hotels to be opened up to them in the North East, East Anglia and the East Midlands. Some of the Afghans sent to Bracknell under the scheme were housed in a four-star hotel, given free English lessons and received medical treatment from the NHS. The block in Bolton was previously managed by another provider and was taken over by Qualitas in February, triggering new applications for the enhanced support rate of housing benefit. After what it described as 'a lengthy period of due diligence and evidence gathering', the council said it did not meet the required standards. Veterans were then issued with eviction notices by Qualitas earlier this month and have been told they have until mid-September to leave their one-bedroom flats. The housing association and the council have now blamed each other for the row, with Qualitas arguing it had to issue the notices because of the withdrawal of housing benefits, while the local authority insisted the accommodation was not suitable. The veterans are being supported by Trevor Jones, the local Reform Party chairman, who has questioned why the housing association would 'throw them out'. He said: 'They wanted to throw 12 servicemen on the street. I have told them not to go anywhere, they are staying put. 'If we can't protect them, then who can we? That doesn't add up. It looks like a plan to get it empty.' Most of those staying in the property were first referred to Constellation House by charities or other local authorities. Exempt accommodation providers receive housing benefits payments directly in exchange for providing support services to vulnerable tenants. Housing benefits paid to exempt accommodation providers are not subject to the same caps as regular housing benefits and the council decided it did not qualify. It is understood the council has to decide eligibility to pay the enhanced support rate of housing benefits based on national legislation that is audited each year to ensure compliance. Ignoring any evidence that accommodation is not fit for purpose could leave the council liable for paying thousands of pounds a month for substandard accommodation and could leave holes in the housing support budget. Bolton council said the decision to issue eviction notices was taken entirely by Qualitas Housing as an independent housing provider and it became aware of the situation only after notices were issued. A spokesman said: 'We share the concerns that have been raised after Qualitas Housing issued section 21 notices to Armed Forces veterans living at Constellation House in Farnworth. 'We are in discussions with the housing provider to resolve this matter. 'The council is also in the process of contacting the tenants to offer the full support of our housing options and advice team. 'Qualitas Housing have confirmed they have not spoken to Serco and do not have any plans to house asylum seekers in the property.' He added: 'Exempt accommodation providers receive uncapped housing benefits directly, in exchange for providing support services to vulnerable tenants. 'In order to qualify, providers must meet specific criteria to ensure appropriate services and facilities are in place. 'While the council previously concluded that Constellation House did not meet the required standards, this decision has now been appealed and we are reviewing the case in line with the legislation.' A spokesman for Qualitas Housing said: 'Qualitas Housing is aware of recent claims suggesting that Armed Forces veterans are being evicted from Constellation House to accommodate asylum seekers. These claims are entirely false. 'The difficult decision to issue section 21 notices followed the local authority's refusal to reinstate housing benefit for the tenants. We are actively supporting the tenants in appealing this decision and are working closely with both them and the council to ensure that no individual is left without suitable accommodation.'
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Tenants push back against 5-week eviction notice
Social Sharing After living in her apartment for nearly four years, Karelle Sikapi figured she would get more than five weeks' notice to find a new place. The 23-year-old lives in a building in Little Italy she says is filled with students. Tenants were recently told the property manager wants all 185 units vacant by the end of August. "To be [thrust] into this process is jarring, not just for me, but for a lot of students who don't have backup plans," Sikapi said. Residents of the building on Champagne Avenue South were notified on July 23 by the property's general manager that a motion will be brought before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Thursday to seek approval to sell the property. A condition of the proposed sale is that the building be vacant Sept. 1 so that the buyer can address mould issues in the building, according to the letter to tenants. To Sikapi, the approach is giving the impression that "they want this place to be filled with people that aren't us, that aren't the students and the young people and the people that can't afford high rent prices. "It really feels a bit like a betrayal." Seeking fairer terms Yaasir Hosenie says he believes he's been living with mould in his unit since May, adding that all residents were notified about the problem in June. An email from the general manager stated they conducted an interim indoor air quality and mould assessment throughout the building. "We are not pushing against the sale or against the remediation because we understand mould is a health hazard and everything, but we are pushing for fairer terms and also for our voice to be heard," Hosenie said. The notice to tenants stated that if the court grants approval to sell, the tenant will execute a N11 — an agreement to end the tenancy form, and a release form. Once the tenant signs the forms and vacates the unit, the new owner will have to pay each tenant the equivalent of two months' rent for relocation expenses. In a statement to CBC, the property manager said it recognizes this is a time of uncertainty for tenants and that it's committed to being a reliable source of information and assistance throughout the process. "As legal proceedings are ongoing, we are unable to provide further comment at this time," Varsity Communities added. Lawyer takes case as pro-bono Hosenie says he has a letter with over 40 signatures to push back in court and expects more tenants to lend their support too. His goal is to extend the timeline to give tenants the proper amount of notice, to properly compensate them to move out so rapidly, or give them an option to return to their unit after remediation with the same pre-existing lease conditions. Lawyer Kevin Wiener has stepped in to take on the case pro-bono. He said he heard about the situation on social media and reached out to help as he thought it was unfair that tenants might get evicted on short notice "without any real opportunity to have a lawyer argue for them." "That's not how we're supposed to do things in this province and in this country," he added. Wiener will represent Hosenie in court on Thursday and expects to see "some kind of adjournment." "If this building genuinely does require to be vacated to do mould remediation, there's a process to do that, although an expensive one and if they want to short circuit that process, they need to incentivize the tenants to voluntarily give up their leases or they [have] to go through the process," Wiener said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Big Brother 27' spoilers: Who won Week 3 Head of Household after Jimmy's HOH flop?
Gold Derby is serving up spoilers all summer long. Read at your own risk! A chaotic week in the Big Brother house, marked by Head of Household Jimmy Heagerty cycling through five different nominees, ultimately fizzled into a big nothingburger. Amy Bingham was unanimously evicted over Cliffton "Will" Williams, not even receiving a sympathy vote from her closest ally, Rachel Reilly. Despite all the tension — from bathroom bickering to Kaycee Clark making a surprise return to save Keanu Soto from the block — the final result proved underwhelming. What a snoozefest. More from Gold Derby 'Big Brother 27' spoilers: Lauren's HOH reign goes from bad to worse after Veto meeting 'Big Brother 27' spoilers: Here's who wins the Week 3 Veto competition during Lauren's yawn-inducing HOH reign Host Julie Chen Moonves made her best attempt to spice up the live eviction: When live feeds returned after the live eviction episode, we learned Lauren Domingue won the coveted HOH key. That means the 22-year-old bridal consultant from Lafayette, La., will soon have to nominate three people for eviction. CBS will air the complete Head of Household comp and the nominations ceremony during the 60-minute episode on Sunday, July 27 beginning at 8 p.m. PT/ET. Lauren's reign as HOH has the potential to shake things up — or at least, we hope so. Her position in the house remains uncertain, as she openly admitted during Thursday's episode. While she's shared flirtatious moments with Zach Cornell, the two have been cautious about diving into a full-blown showmance. Could the added privacy of the HOH room spark something more? Time will tell. Lauren revealed that "two definitive sides" are beginning to form in the house, with her claiming she's "sort of in the middle." On one side, there's the girls plus Jimmy, where, according to Lauren, "everyone is sort of unified." On the other side, the men (plus Kelley Jorgensen) "aren't unified," she noted, before adding, "But I feel good about my relationships with almost all of them." Well, Lauren, the clock is ticking — you'll have to pick a side. As HOH, there's no room for middle ground! Best of Gold Derby From 'Housewives' overload to the 'shadiest queens' alliance: The dish on 'The Traitors' Season 4 lineup The 25 best 'Survivor' villains of the past 25 years 'Survivor' winners list: All seasons Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
