Spanish lawyer admitted that public auctions conducted throughout
the Province of Malaga, Spain are controlled by ‘mafia-type’ criminal rings.
The grip on the so-called ‘public’ auction of properties is such that no outsiders, whether in business or as individuals can get near the gavel’s fall. This allegation comes after many attacks on the various Spanish systems. Almost unilaterally, they fail to live up to the expectations of their northern European visitors and residents from whom so much wealth has been derived.The general face of friendliness in Spain, while genuinely displayed by the majority, belies the underlying belly of corruption and belligerence on the part of the judiciary to clear the worst elements from society.Sadly, for the majority, many of whom still live in the shadow of Franco’s regime and the ongoing corruption, the reality is that they turn the other cheek. The burden of combining the ordeals of modern-day life while dealing daily with antiquated bureaucratic systems leaves many with a permanent resignation to life’s troubles, typified by the ‘Spanish Shrug’Over development and underinvestment in basic infrastructure make unhappy bedfellows. Following the boom years, Spain’s property market, despite recent claims to the contrary is visibly collapsing. Consequently more and more properties are coming under the hammer.Many absentee owners may be unaware that auction proceedings can take place without their prior knowledge due in part to the belligerence and outdated practices of officials allied to inadequate communication especially in the rural areas.Those wishing to salvage something from this creeping financial disaster are advised to ensure their property is not sent to auction where the sharks are having a feast and the lawyers dare not tread.