The Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH) has managed to stop an eviction in Altavista of a woman who lives with her daughters, ages 13 and 19, and her young grandson. The eviction was going to take place at 9:30 a.m. in a house on Crucero Canarias street, number 6, but ten minutes earlier a member of the PAH received a hopeful call, in which it was communicated that the eviction had been stopped. At that time, members of the Platform had gathered in front of the doors of the affected family, but finally the judicial police did not arrive at the house.
Cristina Cividanes, a member of the PAH, explained to La Voz that this family lives in the house as tenants. "The entire building belonged to a real estate company but became the property of Caja de Canarias. Caja de Canarias wanted the building and did not allow them the possibility of continuing to pay the rent. Although she had economic problems, she wanted to continue paying it, but the entity did not facilitate it. It forced her to default for three months and after this period it executed a precarious eviction," she indicated. In other words, according to the PAH, the bank did not allow the tenant to pay for the rent of the house, in order to execute her eviction.
The eviction was going to take place this Friday, but finally the last-minute negotiations of the PAH with "the bank, the lawyer of the opposing party and the lawyer of the affected party" managed to stop it. "We have managed to stop it before the judicial police arrived. The platform always tries to avoid the moment at the door because it is very traumatic," Cividanes indicated. The minors who reside in this house were also not in it to prevent them from seeing the judicial police, who finally did not make an appearance.
The woman who supports this family works as a cleaner and earns 700 euros. It is the only income that enters this house. "When she was informed that she was going to be evicted, she did not stand still. She asked for help from the institutions and the Arrecife City Council approved an aid of 800 euros. But the aid never materialized, it is approved but never reached the affected party. She wanted it to be able to leave the apartment she was renting and rent another, because in the first month they ask for an advance that she could not pay with a salary of 700 euros," explains the member of the PAH.
Ashamed of the eviction
The woman was "very nervous" and the PAH psychologist spent the morning with her. "We went to the Court so that they would give her the communication that the eviction is stopped. In this way she will be able to rest, because she was very emotionally affected, very ashamed. She was very ashamed for her children, for not being able to defend them in this situation. Starting on Monday we will have to start working to get her a social rent," defends Cividanes, who cannot understand how the bank wants this house, "when in the same building it has others abandoned."
From the PAH of Lanzarote they have recalled that they have managed to stop all the evictions that they have been aware of on the island. "Many times they do not transcend, because we do not reach the moment of protest at the door of the house, because we managed to stop it before," they explain.
