notice there logo at the bottom!!
The letter was picked up by us on Christmas Eve, as you may be able to see from the date it was typed and delivered to us on 24th Dec. He must have crept up to the post box to post it because neither Dave, I, or the dogs heard him, coward that he turned out to be.
We had to stick indoors absolutely frightened to step out in case the Gaudier Civil were waiting to chain our beautiful new home and auction it. We were unable to take the dogs for a walk, unable to spend time looking at our surrounding town, the weather had cheered up and we were stuck in doors.
We were in a strange country, we did not understand their laws or their language and we were far away from everyone we loved. We had no phone or mobile so we could not contact our sons for moral support. I do not think two people could have been more frightened or alone in their lives.
As soon as the solicitors offices opened we were on the phone making an appointment to see them, we mentioned about the chains as we were afraid to leave the house, we half expected her to laugh and say it was not so but she did not. She said that this is possible if we owe money, they cannot chain the house or attempt to get us out whilst we were in it, they would have to wait until we left, she doubted though, whether our property was being watched, due to the time of year. We decided to go; in fact we had to go.
There we were creeping out of our own house dogs in arms, diving into the car that Dave had already sneaked out to open when he looked about to make sure all was clear, to avoid being seen leaving.
It is so stupid, we took the dogs with us and left them in the car whilst we saw the solicitor in case our house was chained up and they were locked in! Christmas should have been so different to the way it turned out; we were so looking forward to our first Christmas in our new home and Country.
We were told by Karl our rep that sent this letter, that if we went into Torrevieja on Christmas Eve we would see the most wonderful site at the Church in the square, the children all sing and there is a nativity play by the little Spanish children, small presents are handed out to everyone. We missed that to. We have however watched it each year since :O)
The solicitor after reading the letter, said this was quite correct and that we would have to pay this fee of 500, 000, 00 pesetas (about £2,500.00) within fourteen days. We explained that he had not told us about this fee and we had not agreed to it. After a lot of going out the office to check all the paperwork on the property sale etc, she said to leave it with her; she would have lots to shift through to make sure we had not signed something in Spanish offering this fee. She said this fee was quite normal and she seemed pretty sure we had signed something.
We spent a further week trapped in the house wondering ourselves if we had signed something, although Dave was pretty sure we had not. You can get very paranoid in a situation like this, I thought I saw people looking into the windows or scurrying across the garden, and Dave had to go and investigate more than once.
At last the phone call came to go and see her, we once more took the dogs and left our house, we were not protected this time with ‘the time of year’ as we were now well and truly into the new year.
She greeted us with a smile and told us we had not signed anything giving this man any money what so ever except of course the normal fees his company charge, she found out that the company was his, he had no legal right for his company to make a charge the and then try another charge privately as an employer. She said that under normal circumstances most people would be frightened and pay, she was quite sure he was unscrupulous and therefore wrote to him and said that unless we received a full apology from him we would take the matter further; she also said that she was sure this was not the first case.
He rang the bell about a week later, but stayed well back from the gate to say how sorry he was, it was an oversight and then he dived into his car and was gone. The company folded a week later. Dave has recently seen him working for an estate agent. Yes he did think about going in and having it out with him, but decided against it I am very glad to say.
Then second bedroom upstaires
More tomorrow.....
5 comments:
I hope it gets better tomorrow. I can't stand the suspense! What a awful start to a new life, but what a good job that you found out about it and didn't pay up! If you'd had it, you probably would have! Waiting breathlessly for the next edition.
I can't believe how everything seems to happen to you two! You must have been beside yourself!
The thing is Sandie, if we had had money we would have assumed this was correct and paid it, you do not want bother in Spain. That is what this man depended on, fear and ignorance.
It was only the fact that we did not have this extra money to pay in fourteen days that made us seek help.
I wonder how many people he had done this too before we, or should I say, our solicitor found out he was doing it. We think she must have taken it further as he closed his company down not long after.
Well, I say! How come you didn't tell us this before?
He probably assumed you had money. Most people who retire to Spain, do so with plenty of money :O)
Yes he was hoping you'd pay up because you didn't want the trouble. Pig!
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