Redaccion
Pedro, a man of 78 years old, never imagined he would find himself in such a distressing situation. Since September of last year, his apartment in Parla, which he had for sale through platforms, was occupied after receiving visits from potential buyers.
«I had the apartment for sale and, among the people who came to see it, there were some scouts. Shortly after, it was occupied and they even turned it into a complete nursery to make it more vulnerable,» Pedro shares with visible frustration.
When he returned to his home, he found the bitter reality: he could no longer enter. «They could have easily changed the lock from the inside,» he recalls.
Closing a chapter: several occupied homes evicted in a Villa de Vallecas urbanization
Despite many in the neighborhood being aware of the situation and acknowledging that the squatters are problematic, Pedro refuses to negotiate with them: «I know that offering them money is one way to make them leave. I would never do that in my life; I don’t negotiate with criminals,» he states firmly.
However, the squatters defend their position by claiming to have been victims of a scam. «I entered because I was rented the property; I paid my money, but not to the owner, but to third parties,» explains one of the squatters. They assert that their entry was legitimate and deny forcing the door.
Two national police officers save the lives of two men in a fire in Parla
The situation becomes even more complicated for Pedro and his neighbors, who have noticed clear drug consumption inside the occupied apartment. «When they smoke here, we all smoke. The smoke and the smell start to rise through the terrace,» declares a neighbor from the building.
Meanwhile, Pedro continues to wait for a solution to end this nightmare that has disrupted his life and the tranquility of his neighbors.
