Almost 50 families live without proper electricity supply in 'bad bank' residential development on Costa del Sol
For the past six weeks, residents have been forced to use petrol-driven generators that cost them around 45 euros a day each for five hours of power
A total of 46 families have been living without a mains electricity supply in the Hacienda Riviera residential development in Mijas Costa since 11 August. The power outage happened after an illegal connection caused a fire in four homes in Riviera del Sol, just 200 metres from Hacienda Riviera. Daniel Serón - one of the affected residents - explained that the short circuit had left 14 homes without electricity, although one of the families "hooked themselves up to the grid to get their electricity back on". After that, one Sunday night the electricity went out in Hacienda Riviera and some six weeks later it still hasn't come back on.
The issue can be explained by the fact that Hacienda Riviera has never really had normal 'proper' supply. Before the incident, it received electricity through what is known as 'luz de obra' temporary power supply system provided to construction sites. Hacienda Riviera never reached a state of legalisation as its backstory is linked to real estate and financial crises.
The development ended up in the hands of Sareb and the houses were rented out through a vulture fund six years ago
The 46 housing units of the Mijas Costa development were completed, but the communal areas and the swimming pool remained unfinished. The development never obtained the occupation licence and ended up in the hands of the Sociedad de Gestión de Activos procedentes de la Reestructuración Bancaria (Sareb) - the entity known as the 'bad bank' that was created in 2012 to manage and liquidate problematic assets (loans and real estate) from financial institutions that needed public aid.
According to the Hacienda Riviera residents, Sareb put the development in the hands of a 'vulture fund' that began to market the homes on a rental basis. Daniel Serón arrived in October 2019 through an advertisement on a real estate portal and, together with his family, became one of the first occupants. He signed a five-year contract with a real estate agency. After renewing the contract, he started paying directly to Sareb. Now, he acknowledges that he should not have continued.
'We can't even use the hob. But every cloud has a silver lining, because we have learned to consume responsibly'
Not having electricity costs him at least 1,350 euros a month between the generator (15 euros a day for rent) and the petrol (30 euros a day for four or five hours of light or as much as 50 on weekends). "We can't even use the hob and we have to cook with a camping gas cooker. Of course, every cloud has a silver lining, because we have learned to consume responsibly," Daniel said somewhat ironically. Some of his neighbours have even installed solar panels to be able to have electricity.
A labyrinth with no way out
The tenants of Hacienda Riviera see no solution at the moment. They have tried everything, but the road seems like a labyrinth with no way out. "We have contacted Endesa; we have hired an electrician to make the electrical installation certificates so that we can have individual supply points; we have contacted Sareb and the town hall and we have even reported them for leaving us without electricity, but we get nothing. They tell us that we don't even have the right to the information because we are not owners and we have even set up a residential organisation before a notary to be able to act."
Serón said that "the situation is unbearable". What still keeps him in Hacienda Riviera is that he believes he might get the chance to get a house he "likes" if the 'bad bank' decides to sell the homes to their occupants, as it has done on other occasions. For the moment, hope remains alive with the light of a generator as they wait for a solution.
