Spanish Police Warn Of New Trick Burglars And Squatters Are Using To Identify Vacant Properties
Spain News
Published: 13 April 2021 14:31 CET
Updated: 20 February 2023 14:31 CET
Spain’s National Police have warned of a new trick being used by burglars and squatters, to tell whether a home is vacant or occupied.
In a social media post, the country’s National Police force explained that the latest technique which prospective squatters and burglars are using to pinpoint vacant properties is much harder to spot than previous tricks used.
The new technique entails placing a tiny string of glue between the door and the door frame. They simply return a few days later to see if it is still there.
The police have warned that the new method being used is harder to spot than previous ones used, such as placing a piece of plastic between the door and frame. This was far more obvious and meant that owners and neighbours were able to notify the authorities when finding the plastic.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, homeowners have been unable to get to their properties and squatting has become a huge problem in the country.
“According to data from the Ministry of the Interior itself, illegal occupation has grown by almost 50% in Spain since 2016 and between 2018 and 2019 it increased by 20%, to 14,394 occupations.” - Source: Idealista.com
The police force is encouraging property owners to instal alarms, always ensure that all windows and doors are locked properly and call 091 if any strange symbols or signs appear outside of their properties.
Squatters or ‘Okupas’, are a serious threat to property owners in Spain and unfairly, the forces of law and order seem to be more on the side of squatters than of the property owners, particularly in areas where squatters enjoy high-level political support.
If you are the proud owner of a holiday home in Spain, and squatters break in, without your knowledge and stay for 48 hours undisturbed, you have a very big problem on your hands.
In other countries, you would immediately call the police and they would be removed instantly, but this is not the case in Spain.
If you miss the 48-hour window of opportunity to report squatters to the police, you lose your best chance of getting them out quickly via the legal way with little cost and risk.
Once they are in the property, with the locks changed and personal possession in place, it will look less like a break in and more like the squatters live there. They will then get squatters’ rights and it could take you months, if not years, to have them evicted.
If you contact the police in Spain after the 48-hour period you will also find yourself locked in a very slow and costly judicial process to get them evicted.
During that time, you will also have to continue paying all of the utility bills because if you cut off the electricity and water, the squatters can and will report you to the police, where you then risk being charged with intimidation and coercion.
Learn more about squatters in Spain.
Source:
https://twitter.com/policia/status/1380608201100468224
https://spanishnewstoday.com/police_warn_that_burglars_in_spain_are_using_new_trick_to_tell_whether_homes_are_occupied_1583850-a.html
Image Credit: Policia Nacional
