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They have an almost opposite situation in Spain, especially along the Costas and also mainly concerning domestic properties. There, it is not uncommon for local authorities to grant builders and developers building licences because they are a great source of revenue.
However, in many cases, the said local authorities were not in a position to grant such licences, and in many instances the revenue actually went to individuals within the authorities rather than the authorities themselves. This has resulted in hundreds of thousands of properties being constructed and sold which are actually illegally built.
So far, a few have been demolished, but most remain in situ. But it does mean that a lot of these property owners are unable to sell them if they wish to move. The largest problem is in the Marbella area which has in excess of a hundred thousand illegal properties due to the corrupt practices of their past Senior Planning Officer, who it is alleged kept his bosses sweet with multiple brown envelopes, and who is currently languishing in jail awaiting trial.
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