When British ex-pat couple Chris Hicks and Natasha Retzmann first discovered an attractive detached three-bed home in Mallorca for sale for £173,000 they thought their dreams had come true.
The pair, originally from Hertfordshire, thought it would be the perfect place to move to from their small island flat as it came with 1.3 acres of land which would allow their burgeoning passion for rescuing Spanish cats.
They went ahead with the purchase despite discovering squatters inside, as they were advised the family of four would soon qualify for social housing and move out.
But nine months on, Mr Hicks and Ms Retzmann have complained the squatters are still inside and have even installed CCTV – meaning they’re stuck in their flat with two dogs and 47 cats.
Spain‘s socialist government imposes strict penalties on homeowners who remove squatters or enter squatted-in properties. Even standing outside can be seen as intimidation.
Illegally evicting ‘okupas’ can result in a jail term of up to three years.
Mr Hicks and Ms Retzmann first moved to the island from their home in the commuter-belt town of Tring in 2010, initially renting and then buying the two-bed flat they now find themselves stuck in.
British ex-pat couple Natasha Retzmann and Chris Hicks have discovered the hard way that buying a property abroad can be fraught with problems after purchasing a home in Mallorca
Chris and Natasha bought their attractive detached three-bed home in Mallorca for £173,000. It would have been more expensive but the property had sitting squatters that had to be removed
Squatters have considerable right to remain under Spain’s socialist government. Pictured, the outside of their Spanish property
It can be both expensive and a lengthy process to evict tenants from Spanish properties – with homeowners facing fines and even prison sentences for evicting them illegally
These are the squatters living in Chris and Natasha’s Spanish home – and they are refusing to move out. Their case could take two years to get to court
Mr Hicks and Ms Retzmann quickly found they were upset by the living conditions of the island’s cats, many of which are stray and often have health problems.
They estimate they have since spent more than £60,000 of their own money rescuing some 450 cats, keeping those who are too ill to be adopted in their own home.
But with dozens of cats now occupying every room the couple searched for a more spacious property and were seduced by the opportunity to own the beautiful, rural ‘finca’ mortgage-free for a below-market price.
They admit they ‘naively’ relied on legal advice that the resident squatters should imminently be given social housing and ploughed all their savings into the purchase.
But that social housing has failed to materialise and now the squatters are refusing to budge.
They have even turned down a cash offer from Mr Hicks and Ms Retzmann to move out.
The couple now face having to pay a further £10,000 in legal fees to try to evict them through the courts – which could take a further two years.
In the meantime, they must continue to pay taxes on both their small flat and the villa as well as the mortgage on their existing flat – meaning they are financially struggling.
Mr Hicks, 47, who works as a removals surveyor on the island, said of their dozens of cats: ‘We started out rescuing a couple but it’s got out of hand.
‘The cats in our home all have either eyesight problems or missing limbs – and all are unadoptable.
Chris (left) and Natasha (right), who moved to the island from the commuter belt town on Tring in 2010, now face having to pay a further £10,000 in legal fees to try to evict the squatters
The couple went ahead with purchasing the villa despite discovering squatters inside as they were advised the family of four would soon qualify for social housing and move out
While they face a long wait to move into their dream home in Mallorca, the couple are renting a tiny flat on the island for them and the 47 cats they have adopted while living there
With dozens of cats now occupying every room of their small flat the couple had searched for a more spacious home and were seduced by the opportunity to own the beautiful rural ‘finca’
But their dream has turned sour. Natasha is pictured surrounded by cats in their tiny flat. Chris, 47, who works as a removals surveyor, said of their dozens of cats: ‘We started out rescuing a couple but it’s got out of hand’
‘There is nobody here who wants to help them.
‘People over here are barbaric with animals and we are the only help they can get, this is why we desperately need the Finca but the squatters know that and so does the government.’
The couple knew the squatters – a mum, dad and two children – were living in the house when they bought the property but were given legal advice that they were due to be rehoused imminently because they had been on the social housing list for six years.
But with no sign of them moving, Mr Hicks and Ms Retzmann face being trapped in their flat for two more years due to court backlogs.
Ms Retzmann, 48, who runs a cycling clothing shop on the island, said: ‘It’s been incredibly frustrating.
‘It’s completely illegal for us to go to our own house, or anybody to go on our behalf, even to stand in front of it could be seen as intimidation.
‘Chris walked past and a woman came out and pointed to the fact she’d installed CCTV which is hilarious as it’s our property.
‘You can see why squatting is a massive problem on the island.
‘The fact we’re expats 100 per cent counts against us. It’s always been a problem getting paperwork approved if you have an English surname.
‘We can do nothing except wait for the courts. God forbid with the illegal electricity setup the whole thing goes up in flames.
‘And, of course, we can’t insure it because of the squatters.’
Squatting in Mallorca is widespread – last year alone there were 514 official reports of squatters, with the true number likely to be far higher.
Last month, Joan Monjo, Mayor of Santa Margalida, claimed there were 1,500 squatters in his municipality – more than 10 per cent of the area’s 13,750 occupants.
The mayor said some of the squatters are immigrants who work as street vendors on the beaches. There are also children and workers who don’t want to pay rent. He maintained that many of the squatters commit crimes in Santa Margalida.
The couple knew the squatters – a mother, father and their two children – were living in the house when they bought the property but were given legal advice that they were due to be rehoused imminently as they had been on the social housing list for six years
Mr Hicks and Ms Retzmann say they have gone out of their way to work with the squatters, even offering to pay their first two months rent on a new property, but have been met with resistance.
The local council, which initially backed their plans, is now refusing to return their calls – something they attribute to an anti-expat attitude on the island.
Ms Retzmann added: ‘We knew the house had squatters in when we bought it and we have tried to work with them in a really friendly way, even offering them money to leave.
‘We were quite happy to pay to have them removed in a kind and legal way through the courts.
‘But we are having to pay all the taxes and face a massive bill to re-fit it once we do move in because who knows what we will walk into.
‘We’re still paying a mortgage on a second property for no reason, this apartment could be sold and the money spent to benefit the community and on animal rescue.
‘I suppose maybe we were a bit naive,’ she said, ‘but we did seek legal advice before buying and were told the social services report on the family was damning because they had been on the housing list for six years and the limit is five so they would be moved soon.
‘We’ve tried so hard to work with the local council but the problem is every minute it’s delayed it is delaying us from selling our property.
‘With all the anti-tourism stuff over here they seem to think every expat wants to buy an amazing house, cut the owner’s throat with the offer then spend two weeks a year here but that isn’t the case.’
