LIVING HELL

News

Gemma Quinn / 2008-06-23 09:51:27

Ok so we all know that "living the dream" is never as easy or straight forward as we imagined it would be when we moved to Spain, but there are problems, and then there are PROBLEMS, such as those currently being faced by the Mayled family of Playa Flamenca.

Pauline and Mark contacted the "Leader" several weeks ago explaining how an Icelandic man, living on their urbanisation, was making their lives a living hell. Owners of Property Sales Spain, the couple had rented out a property on their urbanisation, San José II to the Icelandic man, H.H. his partner and young daughter and this is when the problems first started.

"We found out he was putting our rental properties on his website and trying to rent them out and saying he was working for me." Explains Mark who asked him on numerous occasions to stop his actions, "He was also very slow and bad at paying his rent and about two months ago he came in with a load of receipts for all this work he had done on the property demanding the owner paid for it."

Things came to a head when Mark went round enquiring as to when the rent was going to be paid. He received an unpleasant expletive from H.H. before the door was slammed in his face. As he went off to work, just ten minutes later the Guardia Civil came in and surrounded their house and closed off the street claiming Mark had a gun. He hastily returned home and invited the officers in to search the premises to prove H.H.'s claims he owned a firearm were completely absurd. The family thought, or rather hoped, this would be the end of it, but the following day Mark was requested to attend the police station in Pilar de la Horadada. Being a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen, he duly obliged and was arrested on suspicion of having a firearm. "I was arrested, photos and fingerprints were taken and I was held there for hours." He continues, "It is now going to the courts apparently and the police say it is down to me to prove that I don't have a gun and to prove my innocence! It is ridiculous that one man can make wild claims such as this and I get arrested without any evidence at all!"

The "Leader" spoke to the Guardia Civil following the event who commented that each case presented to them must be investigated. Obviously if the claims are false the denouncees will be prosecuted. "Providing the police with false information is considered as a very serious offence in Spain. The police had to take a statement from Mark Paul Mayled, to enable them to investigate the accusation to the best of their abilities. A judge will then decide who is telling the truth."

The family say H.H. has since continually thrown a barrage of abuse and threats at the couple directed at their family and business. Copies of denuncias made against H.H. by the Mayled's are for "continuous threats over a two month period which climaxed on 8th May 2008, when they shouted 'We are going to destroy your business and your family and all your friends.' Other threats included, 'Be careful with your daughter's life and your own.'"

With the couple no longer able to communicate with H.H. after sending him official notification to leave the rental property, the owner's say it is now in the hands of their lawyers, but in the meantime, the Mayled's say H.H. is continuing to abuse and threaten them, with events climaxing last Wednesday when Pauline went to collect her daughter's from school. "I was running a little late and saw him drive past with his daughter in the car, he then made a U-turn, came back to me and starting abusing me and pointed a gun, or what looked like a gun, at me through the window." She adds, "Thankfully my children were not in the car, but I am amazed he would do something like that with his own child present!" Mark heard everything via the phone and their employee Sandra, was in the car with Pauline at the time. She has given her statement to police along with another British gentleman who witnessed the abuse and has kindly given a statement for which the Mayled's are truly grateful, but ask what will it take for the police to lock up this man?

Sandra, who unfortunately, also lives on the urbanisation, has had her life disrupted by the Icelandic couple. She says she fears to be in the office on her own and is sometimes scared to walk down the street or go out of her front door, worry she may encounter his abuse.

With summer now upon us, the Mayled's have even had to stop their 4 children from using the communal pool as he now takes his daughter there. They believe H.H. to be a very violent man and have heard the child say "daddy has beaten up mummy," a claim also heard by another neighbour on the urbanisation.

The Mayled's have sought support and help from the community in trying to remove H.H. but have had little response. We spoke to a committee member of the urbanisation who said he was aware of the problems the Mayled's were facing, but unfortunately said, "We try not to get involved in neighbour or domestic disputes." Mark had informed the committee that H.H. was running a business from the house and the committee were taking action against this, "We have written to him saying it is not allowed and our main concern is to stop this and our administrator is currently looking in to it."

The "Leader" attempted to speak to H.H. regarding this matter for comment, however, when calling and informing him of our position he accused us of lying about being based in La Zenia, as our office phone system does not appear as a local number. He shouted he was going to report us to the police as we were lying and he promptly hung up. Another call went unanswered.

The final say has to go to the Mayled's who hope that by speaking out against this man and highlighting their plight, others can be saved similar distress and have the courage to take action. They want the police to take stronger action against H.H. who is illegally working and running a business in the country and offer more support to law-abiding families like the Mayled's. Pauline grew up surrounded by the troubles in Northern Ireland and Mark was a soldier over there and they moved to Spain to escape and they wanted something better for their children, "Everything I have is in this business and my family love it here, but we have had constant intimidation." Whilst they are determined they are in the right and will remain in Spain, for now, it has all got too much for Pauline, who is spending the next month back in Ireland.

Tags: Property Rentals