Prior’s Compensation Unpaid

Ruling on Prior demolition case places responsibility for compensation at Vera council’s door, but no money is on the table.

The labyrinthine legal battle over compensation to Mr and Mrs Prior following the demolition of their home in 2008 reached its final conclusion last month, as the Superior Court of Justice ruled Vera council should pay up, but the money has not materialised.

Further litigation, following legal bills of more than 190,000 euros – 150,000 of which is still owed to lawyers – may be the only way forward for the Priors to force the council to pay up, and even then the cash strapped council could claim they have nothing in the coffers to make the payment.

Helen and Len Prior’s luxury villa in La Loma, in Vera, in which they had invested their life savings, was demolished in January 2008, although reportedly all necessary building licenses had been issued by Vera council. After completion of the property, planning permission was retracted by the Junta, who issued the demolition order.

The Priors’ home was reportedly the only property demolished at the time due to illegal construction on non-urban land in the Levante area, in spite of five other demolition orders placed on the same development.

Article by; Jackie Bragg. Costa News