# Electricity theft. What to do?



## randalbond1 (Jul 21, 2017)

Hi, we bought a flat in Garrucha, Almeria, and it looks like we've been had. It's an old 6 flat building without management company (the agent said the company would be formed when more flats would have been sold). Three neighbours: Gypsy family, Moroccan family and two black guys sharing a flat (if anybody told us about it, we would pull out straight away). I think they are all renting.

We were approached by neighbours and told that everybody in the building was stealing electricity and that we could be connected the same way for 60 E. We refused. When Endesa put a cable for us (the previous one was stolen), they stole it again the same night. Previously they sent their children with a strange question about what time we go to bed. When my husband threatened *to call a police, they also took off and hid a metal shield which covers the cables and where the meter is attached. In this way even with a cable on it would not be possible to connect us to electricity. They also stopped talking to us and their children always looked where we go, what we carry and who comes to us, up to following us along the street. I guess it was a form of bullying. They were like little wild animals, always snooping around, always on their guard, spying and reporting to their parents what what going on.

Electrician who came to put the cable in, noticed the ongoing theft, took the pictures and contacted Endesa about it. But three weeks on, nothing happened. Then we went to Endesa to make a complaint. They said they knew about it. Two weeks on and nothing happened. Looked like Endesa just was not interested being a state run company. Even though it was a matter between them and the robbers because we never put a meter on. We were told that they contacted the police but it was a lie. As our neighbours were becoming more and more hostile, we decided to sell up and went to police ourselves. Anyway, living 6 weeks without electricity was all we could take. Police took the photos, checked the documents of the black guys and told them that Endesa would be in touch with them.*
Two weeks on, still nothing has happened as our neighbours across the road say (we are back in the UK). All neighbours still live (rent) and have illegal light there. An agent we came to know said that many flats in that area are owned by rich Gypsies and people who made big money on smuggling illegal immigrants from Africa. These flats are rent to all sorts of dodgy folk bypassing the agencies and a lot of things going on there. You won't see a Spanish person there, so our flat may not sell. Who will want to live in a flat without electricity and with neighbours like that?

Does anybody have any suggestion or any advice at all? Can Endesa disconnect electriciy to the whole building as every single tenant had*their meters disconnected long ago for non-payment? It would be the only way to chase them out because they wouldn't want to live without electrics and their creature comforts like Internet, TV, etc.

Thanks for any input.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

> > anybody told us about it, we would pull out straight away



Told you about what?

Contact a lawyer


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

You really can't rely on an estate agent who stands to gain financially from you buying a property to advise you of any problems with it, be they related to neighbours or anything else. You have to check things out thoroughly for yourself, make several visits to the property and suss out who lives there, are there any things in the neighbourhood that are likely to cause you problems with noise, noxious smells, etc

You say the flat is in an old building, yet the agent told you a management company would be formed when more apartments had been sold. Those two things seem a bit contradictory to me

If the police and the utility company are both aware that electricity theft is going on and are not doing anything about it, I don't know that there is much more you can do about it other than try to sell the property, but if there is no electricity supply that could be a problem.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I have read and re-read the OP and I still can't really see the actual issue, apart from having bought a potentially difficult to sell property.

The OP has not connected illegally to the supply, the neighbours have not connected illegally to his supply (so no theft from the OP).

What remedy is a lawyer going to give in this case?

I fear that what the OP wants is some form of compensation for having been "tricked" into buying a flat in a building where "black people" live.... good luck with that!


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## danboy20 (Jul 10, 2017)

What is the actual issue for yourself? Apart from living in a less than affluent area? Are you paying for the electricity they are stealing? I don´t think there is any need to name racial groups - anybody is capable of doing this. 


What do you want the end result to be?


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

randalbond1 said:


> Hi, we bought a flat in Garrucha, Almeria, and it looks like we've been had. It's an old 6 flat building without management company (the agent said the company would be formed when more flats would have been sold). Three neighbours: Gypsy family, Moroccan family and two black guys sharing a flat (if anybody told us about it, we would pull out straight away). I think they are all renting.
> 
> We were approached by neighbours and told that everybody in the building was stealing electricity and that we could be connected the same way for 60 E. We refused. When Endesa put a cable for us (the previous one was stolen), they stole it again the same night. Previously they sent their children with a strange question about what time we go to bed. When my husband threatened *to call a police, they also took off and hid a metal shield which covers the cables and where the meter is attached. In this way even with a cable on it would not be possible to connect us to electricity. They also stopped talking to us and their children always looked where we go, what we carry and who comes to us, up to following us along the street. I guess it was a form of bullying. They were like little wild animals, always snooping around, always on their guard, spying and reporting to their parents what what going on.
> 
> ...


A truly extraordinary story! You appear to imply that you were conned into buying this flat because you weren't told about all the problems. Now that you have decided to sell will you be telling all prospective purchasers about the dodgy neighbours and other issues?


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## cermignano (Feb 9, 2017)

i don't know what the answer is but you sure have been had Get the same agent to sell it on for you. I feel sorry for you as you may well have to walk away and lose your money. This has happened to others


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## rpbalbis (Jun 26, 2012)

*Tough crowd*

I think the OP got herself into a big mess, most probably out of inexperience, naiveté, a trusting spirit… It’s obvious she will lose whatever monies she thrust into that property. I cannot see any other way out than to sell with a partial or a complete loss. She must be hurting, her retirement dreams shattered. Now, do some people in this forum need to attack this victim of quasi-fraud as if she were a neo-Nazi skinhead, just because she mentioned that the only neighbors are immigrants? Of course she cannot blame but herself for not being diligent in finding out the particulars of the property, but I would hope people here exhibit a little more compassion and less misguided and simplistic political correctness.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

rpbalbis said:


> I think the OP got herself into a big mess, most probably out of inexperience, naiveté, a trusting spirit… It’s obvious she will lose whatever monies she thrust into that property. I cannot see any other way out than to sell with a partial or a complete loss. She must be hurting, her retirement dreams shattered. Now, do some people in this forum need to attack this victim of quasi-fraud as if she were a neo-Nazi skinhead, just because she mentioned that the only neighbors are immigrants? Of course she cannot blame but herself for not being diligent in finding out the particulars of the property, but I would hope people here exhibit a little more compassion and less misguided and simplistic political correctness.


No-one has attacked the OP - she has recieved sympathy & no-one has called her names

Yes it's a dreadful situation to find yourself in, with a property that you don't feel comfortable in that you will have trouble selling - but with some proper research before buying it could have been avoided

Hindsight is of course 20/20, but I'm sure if anyone buys a property in their home country, they check out the area properly & even the neighbours before buying. Would you not do that in a foreign country only more so? The OP doesn't seem to have done, sadly


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

randalbond1 said:


> Hi, we bought a flat in Garrucha, Almeria, and it looks like we've been had. It's an old 6 flat building without management company (the agent said the company would be formed when more flats would have been sold). Three neighbours: Gypsy family, Moroccan family and two black guys sharing a flat (if anybody told us about it, we would pull out straight away). I think they are all renting.
> 
> We were approached by neighbours and told that everybody in the building was stealing electricity and that we could be connected the same way for 60 E. We refused. When Endesa put a cable for us (the previous one was stolen), they stole it again the same night. Previously they sent their children with a strange question about what time we go to bed. When my husband threatened *to call a police, they also took off and hid a metal shield which covers the cables and where the meter is attached. In this way even with a cable on it would not be possible to connect us to electricity. They also stopped talking to us and their children always looked where we go, what we carry and who comes to us, up to following us along the street. I guess it was a form of bullying. They were like little wild animals, always snooping around, always on their guard, spying and reporting to their parents what what going on.
> 
> ...


You seem to have got yourself into a difficult situation - but you have done all that you can by informing the police & Endesa & it's in their hands now.


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

The Skipper said:


> A truly extraordinary story! You appear to imply that you were conned into buying this flat because you weren't told about all the problems. Now that you have decided to sell will you be telling all prospective purchasers about the dodgy neighbours and other issues?


You have a big problem, you only have one solution ... one machinegun


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## Tellus (Nov 24, 2013)

The whole story reminds me at a topic called "Schrottimmobilien" (scrap properties) in Germany.
Agents sold such scraps to people for tax saving and for retirement provision. 
Buyers often didn 't had a look at the object. They only had nice leaflets and calculations.
Those flats mostly are untenantable or even tenants like the OP told are in.

Agents motto: Every day there is a dumb one, you just have to catch him


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