In the Son Bauló residential area of Can Picafort are the Espigol Beach apartments. Originally for tourist purposes, some twenty years ago they were put up for sale as residential properties. Which was when the problems began. The apartments didn't have a certificate of habitability and were outside local planning regulations, those of Santa Margalida Town Hall.
A change of use to residential was not possible, which didn't prevent the apartments being put up for sale. In one case, €173,000 were paid. The matter ended up in court, and a developer admitted they were illegally marketed as residential properties. The judicial process has, however, dragged on. The complex is in limbo, with no solution in sight.
Meanwhile, rates and bills are being paid (and there are solar panels for electricity), some owners trying to get shot of their purchases by offering them at bargain prices and with the understanding that there are issues. One very big one. Squatters.
A recent fire turned the spotlight once more on a situation that has existed for years. Local residents say they have had to put up with anti-social behaviour and not infrequent burglaries. All this on what is an otherwise pleasant residential road not far from the beach.
The squatters themselves say they have nowhere else to go; renting an apartment is impossible. They add that they do their best to keep the place clean and to protect the apartments from "dangerous people". "We don't want to cause trouble." They maintain they have good relations with the police and the Guardia Civil, something which has been corroborated. There has been a decrease in police interventions.
People living there are of different nationalities. Some work in the local hospitality industry. There are families with children. The fire has placed Espigol Beach in a negative light, the squatters wanting the town hall to "regularise" the apartments. "People live here, not animals." But the town hall's hands are largely tied. This is private property. It has taken actions, such as removing a dangerous tree, but the squatters want more, especially in respect of pools in which dirt and stagnant water have accumulated and that represent a health hazard.
Local residents are likewise concerned about health and are calling on the town hall to act "in defence of the residents". They are taking the matter up with the regional government. But while the town hall carries out cleaning and maintenance in public areas and has felled the dangerous tree inside the complex, it lacks the authority to act regarding squatting.