British, NZ Homeowners Battle Squatters and Disputes

Joanne Venet, a British actress and wedding celebrant, was forced to sell her €450,000 three-bedroom villa near Benidorm after a Spanish national tenant stopped paying rent and refused to leave, exploiting Spain's strict tenancy laws. Venet paid £4,000 to an eviction agency to remove the tenant, who had accrued over €5,600 in unpaid rent and bills, and the villa was returned in a trashed state with drug paraphernalia. The ordeal caused Venet significant emotional distress and disrupted her work, prompting her to sell the property, a decision echoed by other British owners facing similar squatter issues in Spain. Additionally, in New Zealand, a woman refused to vacate her former home after a mortgagee sale, challenging the bank's ownership and leading the new owners to seek legal action. Both cases underscore the legal and emotional difficulties property owners may encounter during evictions and property disputes. These incidents highlight a broader trend of homeowners facing challenges with eviction processes in different countries.