The Spanish housing market is under threat from a growing number of accusations that local town councils are abusing their power to claim land for public developments -- and dedicating land to resort communities and golf courses.
"The land claims are part of a web of questionable real-estate transactions, including projects completed with illegal building permits or no permission at all. Altogether, 102 cases of urban corruption have been opened in Spain, according to Greenpeace International, which is campaigning against damage to the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines."
"On April 11, the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions issued a report detailing a laundry list of concerns uncovered during a trip to Valencia, Andalusia and Madrid. They range from the limited public interest of some developments and arbitrary costs for infrastructure to a lack of recourse for property owners and destruction of national parks, according to the report."
" 'Town councils have concocted urban development plans less because of their real requirements related to population growth and tourism, and more because of what often appears as their greed and avarice,' the committee said. Victims of the land grab law, including Spaniards and foreigners, number in the 'tens of thousands,' it said."
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