Not So Mean Streets

There has been a lot of digging up of streets and new pavements being laid in many of our local towns and villages, indeed Rojales had major disruption during a lot of the summer due to such works. Torrevieja Council has just received more money for public works to help ease unemployment in the town. It’s good to see central government money getting into circulation in the area. Also good to see what a splendid job has been made of the little area out sides the bars and lotteria in Rojales. Its now got some new seating and has had a general tidy up with Bollards now in place, ideal for watching the world go by on this busy little corner. I must nip down to the other end of Formentera and see what it’s like now the pavements have been widened and improved there. Now the weather has cooled it’s a lot easier to stroll around and see what’s been done, though it’s by no means cold during the day it’s the early morning and evening which are chilly. I would tell you about having lunch sitting on the beach yesterday but I don’t want to upset our UK readers who are somewhat under black cloud weather wise. Lets just say it would be no problem spending sometime resting on that new bench..

Two important news items (part one )

Valencian central government are starting to move on anyone who is letting a property without the required paperwork. Tourism authorities want to crack down on unregistered holiday lets of apartments and villas along the whole region's coastline. I have heard some expats say it’s my property I can do what I like with it. Not so, an apartment must be registered as a holiday let before you can market it as such. Registration will not be automatic, local authorities may refuse the licence if they consider your property is only suitable for residential use. Personally I can see the logic in this as it would go someway to preventing whole areas of towns and villages becoming ghost towns out of season. The owners who comply with the law are suffering as they cannot afford to lower there prices to far, they have taxes etc. to pay, but that’s not the whole story. An illegal let may well have consequences with regards insurance, quality of product and effects on the community it is in. Quite aside from the fact that a community of owners can its self be fined if property within it is used as holiday lets, and the building/complex is not registered as required, there can be detrimental effect on community life when large amounts of people are arriving and using, or misusing faculties. Sadly it is often the case that holidaymakers will not respect the fact that some people have to get up and go to work in the morning.If they or their family do not own the property they are in they have no investmant , financial or social in the area. Rules for using pools etc. will be ignored and residents are even subject to abuse if they try to remonstrate. I would think a claim against a community insurance policy would be on shaky ground to if the company found illegal letting was going on. If more and more properties in a residential area become purely holiday lets, it means less and less people signing on at the padron. This leads to cuts in services as council income decreases. This is the no doubt the reason holiday letting licences are not granted for what are primarily residential. When owners let and do not pay taxes they make no financial contribution the governments coffers which does have a serious knock on effect for local services. It’s not all bad news for holidaymakers either. Health and safety issues should be better addressed under a licence system. The type of facilities holidaymakers seek should be more available in areas which are catering to tourist.

Healthcare scheme

After the Valencian governmement announced last year that free healthcare for early retired expats was being withdrawn, it was announced that the government were working on a new scheme where monthly payments for health care would be provided. This scheme is still being worked on although it was hoped it would be in place in January.
Untill it is in place the free health care for early retirees will be available.

Let your Conscience be your guide........

The British Government estimates that 93 million pounds were defrauded by benefit thieves going abroad in 2007/2008. With this in mind they have set up a new hot line for the reporting of benefit fraud. The Fraud hotline has been opened in Spain on 900 554 440 where calls are free and confidential. As there has now been a ruling that some people had benefits removed illegally I would think the UK government is working extra hard to ensure the money they do pay out goes to those who should get it. I wonder if these cheats ever think about the fact those who really need help are less likely to get as much as they require because of the amount being stolen from the system. When they are sitting in the sun living the good life do they give a thought to some poor soul who is afraid to switch on the heating or dreads another bill arriving, who's every trip to the supermarket is a penny counting nightmare. Fact is they are not robbing the government they are robbing old people, young families, the disabled. Of course there are expats here who get UK benefits that they are entitled to and quite right too but I think we all know someone who nips off to UK on a regular basis to keep the "claim" active. My hope is there conscience will get to them before the now longer arm of the law. That's me, travelling in hope rather than arriving in disappointment I fear.

37 million pound tax rebate!

Thousands of British who have sold Spanish property between 2004 and 2006 could get a share of a 37 million pound tax rebate from the Spanish government.
Those who qualify could get 11,000 pounds each, including interest, as a result of the Spanish government claiming too much capital gains tax.
Britons with homes in Spain who sold their properties between March 2004 and December 2006 paid a non-residents’ tax rate of 35% on any capital gains, compared with 15% paid by Spanish nationals. This is against European rules about discrimination.