British property owners in Spain are to be guaranteed compensation if their homes are demolished because they are illegal.
Until now judges could order the demolition of properties before compensation was paid. However, Spain’s upper house of parliament this week voted to change the law, amid an outcry over the previous rules.
Often developers declared themselves bankrupt so that homeowners were left with nothing and many British investors lost all their savings as a result.
The change comes after a ten-year campaign by members of AUAN, a group that represents British property owners in Spain. At least seven homes owned by Britons have been knocked down and another 17 are facing demolition orders.
The British Embassy in Madrid estimates that up to 4,000 more owners are embroiled in court action.