Seven families of squatters, of the 48 that inhabit the Tabaiba buildingin San Isidro, some for 10 years, were tried on Tuesday in Passion fruit and in a week they will know the judge’s sentence in a criminal procedure, in which all of them are accused of “usurpation”, by forcefully occupying a property, now private. The penalty for usurpation could even carry prison sentences, although Israel Ojel, of the Tenants’ Union of Tenerife, maintains that “the normal thing is that they are acquitted and subsequently proceed to an economic agreement, but not for 1,500 euros, with the new owner , as long as he proves with papers that he legally bought the building and if there is none, an eviction and a fine would be carried out”.
For now, there are no more pending citations, but it is not surprising that the judge continues to set a date for the rest of the squatting tenants, most of them in a vulnerable situation and therefore subject to the anti-eviction moratorium approved as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19, which expires on September 30.
It must be remembered that the families came to live in this building 10 years ago and with the authorization of the Granadilla City Council, as they were people in a vulnerable situation. The only thing they were told was that they could not provide electricity or water, as the plot was considered land and not a building, so they self-managed by putting water drums and solar panels that they paid for themselves. “Here nobody has taken anyone’s house, this was public. That poor owner whose home was occupied did not exist, ”they point out from the anti-eviction platforms.
“These families invested in the building, because it was in terrible condition. Little by little they made it habitable with a lot of love, work, sweat and effort, with the protection of the institutions. They created their home with the hope of staying here forever, and that the City Council would give the buildings as social housing due to their vulnerable situation, but they were sold to a foreign vulture fund with all those families and children inside, as if they were merchandise. ”, says Pilar, a neighbor.
The new owner hired the company Desokupa to “convince” the squatters to leave the houses. The first day they cut off the water network from the drums on the roof, arguing that it was a risk due to its weight, in addition to closing three entrance doors. The neighbors denounced Desokupa and requested “a restraining order.”
