This is the story of Zulema, who last Thursday had to enter his mother in a residence in fear of staying in the street; or that of Paloma, which awaits a double lung transplant , while spending sleepless nights; or Georgiana's, who on Monday celebrated her daughter's birthday without knowing if tomorrow she will have a roof to shelter.
In the numbers 11, 13, 15 of the Madrid street María Guerrero, located in the neighborhood of Carabanchel, there is a funeral atmosphere. The walls of the buildings are papered with signs that denounce the Kafka situation in which 18 families find themselves: if the judge does not prevent it, tomorrow they will be evicted , although they paid their rent religiously.
The makeshift posters hanging on the walls carry messages against Sareb, the bad bank, and against the judge instructing his case, which the neighbors consider guilty of their situation. "Sareb, national shame", "rescue the banker, evict the worker" or "Mr. Judge, we are not criminals" pray the slogans that decorate their facades.
Some of the residents already have everything packaged . Its six years of life are already introduced in a dilapidated cardboard boxes. Others are reluctant to dismantle their homes, waiting for someone to listen to them and stop the eviction.
«We are not to blame. We are paying people . Too hard it has been my mother's illness to find me now in the street, ”laments Zulema Herrero, with tears in her eyes, after having admitted her mother, sick with Alzheimer's disease, in a residence against her will.
The neighbors criticize that it is the Sareb , a society with a 45% of public ownership, responsible for evicting 18 families, some of them in a situation of vulnerability.
«We are not squatters . I have a rental agreement and I pay for electricity and water. All we want is to regularize our rentals. This is pure and hard speculation of the Sareb. It is a shame that they allow a society created with public funds to speculate with our lives, ”criticizes Oscar Mayordomo, one of those affected.
The problem is that the neighbors rented their homes to the developer Proinsa , who had requested a loan from Bankia. The promoter could not repay the loan, so the bank started a judicial process in 2012.
After the creation of Sareb, the bad bank inherited the procedure initiated by Bankia and went ahead with it to recover the developer's debt, which put the three blocks of real estate as collateral. In July 2017, Sareb requested possession of the property from the court, which occurred on April 6, 2018.
That day the judicial commission went to the buildings to notify the residents that they had been awarded to Sareb and that they should leave their homes or present the titles that justified their right to occupy them .
The neighbors had their rental agreements in order signed with Proinsa, so they presented them before the court. However, the judge considered that these contracts were not valid because they were not registered in the Property Registry. From Sareb they allege that on many occasions they are subrogated to legal rental contracts, but, that, in this case, they were unable to do so because the judge did not authorize it.
The judge orders the eviction
At that time, residents tried to continue paying their rent at all costs, but they had no one to make the income to. «We went to court to notify that we were going to continue paying, but since the execution was Proinsa and not us, they did not leave us. We contacted Sareb to pay the rent, but they didn't listen to us. Total that we could not pay the rent either to Proinsa or Sareb, ” Butler laments.
Both he and the rest of the neighbors were confident that over time Sareb would try to regularize his situation, but none of that happened. The judge ordered the eviction of the residents on December 18, which, after social pressure, was finally postponed until February 6.
Currently, Sareb has asked the judge to postpone the eviction, because the City Council and the Community of Madrid have asked for time to study the situation. However, the neighbors say that, as of yesterday, they had no news of any extension.
Residents denounce the bad treatment they have received from Sareb and consider that there have been irregularities in the changes of title deeds from Proinsa to Bankia and from Bankia to Sareb. In fact, the simple floor notes still show that the owner is Proinsa.
They also doubt the performance of the Instruction Court number 32 of Madrid when they consider that their contracts were not valid because they were not registered in the registry.
«We have felt absolute contempt on the part of the Sareb . We have called them, we have sent them emails and they have not attended us at any time, ”complains Herrero.
On the contrary, from Sareb they claim that it is the occupants who have not collaborated . According to this version, his lawyer went to the building and put up posters with contact details to offer alternatives. «Sareb's intention is to sell the building. Our obligation is to manage and sell everything we have. There has been no offer to buy or rent, ”they argue from the management company.
On the street, with two daughters
Many fear the worst. Paloma Santos has been giving away everything he had in his house until he was practically wearing the clothes he is wearing. Santos gets tired when he speaks and he has to look for one of the inhalers he always carries in his bag. It only has a lung capacity of 25% and is waiting for a double lung transplant.
«When the notification was brought to me in December, I fell round the ground . I have anxiety and I drown more and more », tells this unemployed tourist guide.
Santos paid 425 euros per month of rent for a flat that does not reach 30 meters, but now finds nothing similar to that price.
The same happens to Georgiana Cojocariu, who tries to hide her despair before her daughter Sofia, who turned 6 on Monday. While her little one walks with her crown and her SpongeBob cake, she recounts the anguish of seeing herself tomorrow in the street with her two daughters.
«We are from Romania and we have no relatives. Since December I am looking for a flat night and day, but the rentals are at impossible prices . You can't play with these girls' lives, ”she concludes indignantly.
The neighbors have called a rally tomorrow to stop the eviction and open a negotiating table with Sareb. His fight continues.
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