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roperty
GET INTO THE GROVE
October 2023
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scious Marbella 10 are flooding image-con Designer homes for super-rich investors, see page in the latest trend
Dolce & ELITE: Homes includeLagerfeld Karl Gabbana and (below)
ONLY WAY IS UP
*
BADGE OF HONOR
sales as a whole. growth for home now account for a As a result, they of total sales much larger portion to the Ministry (19.5%, according Mobility and Urban whether down Germany. pur- of Transport, the number of just Agenda), and this is partly IF you’re still wondering 7% year-on-year. are is a sound investerage price risingopportunities have In particular, fell by that foreign buyers buying in Spain figures should give chases by foreigners 2023, to the fact The investment foreign buyers, 2.7% year-on-year in Q1 Span- less dependent on ment, the latest By Laurence Dollimore not been lost on 2.7% fewer when puryou a clue. to declines among of 2023, pricwho only purchased 2023 compared of a 9% for second-home credit property. In the second quarter first quarter of chasing by 3.6% ish buyers the homes in the ous and steady growth. es nationwide increased and a 12% for first-home same period in Driving the uptick has been compared to 2022. demand purchases compared to the new-build homes, That is a strong sign of *With respect to the construction of rate rises purchases. strength in sales 2022. 3.5% year-on- which are popping up across the given the sharp interest long-term expat In addition, this follows the signifcost healthy a on follows worsening It foreigners Malaga resident the first quarter country, but particularly this year and the crises hit- amongrebound of 2022, when they Yazz year boost during Costa Blanca. to 6.4% of living and inflation for- icant Costa del Sol and of this year. most important by 30.7% compared mean prices And if you bought a new-build home seen ting Spain’smarkets in the UK and grew The latest statistics in Spain every last year, you will have already av- eign buyer the have been rising with value, a tidy increase in quarter since 2014. years of continuThat’s almost 10
Spain have risen for
every quarter since
2014
OLIVE PRESS
FREE A GIANT German accused of heading up a Hell’s Angels crew has been controversially acquitted on all charges following his arrest in Mallorca. A court in Madrid decided that it had not been proven that Frank Hanebuth, 59, and 12 other defendants formed a criminal enterprise dedicated to drug trafficking between 2009 and 2013. Curiously, among the 13 to avoid prison were three police officers, who were let off the hook for various criminal charges, including bribery. Hanebuth relocated to Mallorca in 2012, where he was accused of assuming control of the local Hells Angels chapter, and allegedly indulged in a life of luxu-
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Vol. 6 Issue 166 www.theolivepress.es October 6th - October 19th 2023
Heavens above! ry while expanding the gang’s reach in Spain. In 2013, Spanish authorities launched ‘Operation Casablanca,’ resulting in Hanebuth’s arrest on a litany of charges relating to Hell’s Angels activities. Meanwhile, Khalil Youssafi, a prominent lieutenant within the crime group, received a sentence of nine years and 9 months. His brother, Abdelghani Youssafi, who did not confess to the charges, faces a two-year prison term related to prostitution.
AQUITTED: German Frank Hanebuth
See feature on page 22
However, he was acquitted of other serious allegations, including participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and illegal possession of weapons. The legal proceedings also involved local law enforcement officers. One police officer was acquitted of bribery and charges associated with a criminal organisation. Another officer from the police force has been temporarily barred from public service for six months due to negligence in prosecuting crimes. A Guardia Civil officer faced accusations of bribery and failure to prosecute crimes but received a fine for the unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.
SICKENING! A BRITISH expat has been slapped with a £20,000 (€23,000) hospital bill after her bowel exploded during a trip to the UK. Helen Winslade, 55, who lives in Almeria, was visiting home in early July when she had to undergo life saving surgery, losing a part of her small intestine. The procedure went well, but
Expat slammed with €23,000 UK hospital bill after bowel explodes during visit back home amazingly, within weeks the retired Brit was faced with a whopping bill from the NHS, despite her British citizenship. The Welsh native was diagnosed w i t h a rare form of bowel cancer known as GIST t u mours. A c cording to her brother, Karl
By Yzabelle Bostyn
Winslade, Helen was not expecting to stay in the UK for an extended period and their ‘small pension’ could not fund Helen’s accommodation, food and travel costs. Karl launched a fundraising campaign to get Helen back to Spain, where he said ‘her prognosis would be better’ due to shorter waiting times. She finally returned in late September after a months-long ordeal. Her husband, Carlos, had been left holding the fort in Seron, while she was stuck in the UK short of funds.
LIFE SAVED: But at a hefty cost to Helen and hubbie Carlos
The impact of Covid 19 ‘wiped out’ their business, leaving the couple to live ‘on a very small
MUST GET THE CARD!
Tel: 952 147 834
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TM
PEOPLE resident in Spain are not automatically covered for emergency treatment on the UK’s National Health Service even if they are British citizens. They should get an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which is free in Spain and available to people enrolled with their regional health department. This ensures emergency health care is available during trips to the UK and EU countries on
the same terms as in the visited nation. In the UK this means attention would be free, although in some other countries charges may apply on the same basis as locals pay. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight. It also does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment.
pension’. The case is a warning to any expats considering visiting home without medical insurance or failing to travel with the correct forms in case of an unexpected health scare. Under current laws, if you are not a UK resident, you must produce relevant documentation to receive free NHS treatment - including an EHIC (a European health card) or GHIC card, or a so-called S1 or S2 form. Alternatively, you can request a Provisional Replacement Certificate, which will cover healthcare in the UK for the length of your trip. Since a Go Fund Me page was launched at the start of August, only €210 of the couple’s €5,000 target has been raised. Karl says he is ‘eternally grateful’ for any contribution. Opinion Page 6