The right to live in peace and safety

Dear Sirs

We are a young Spanish/English couple who have two little children. We have been living in the UK for the past few years to enable us to pay our mortgage after our ex bank manager stole from us. We have been looking forward to returning to our flat and starting life in Spain again.

I am now crying and feel sick after being told that the nice neighbours are moving out because they cannot cope with the behaviour of the people in the block who are renting. I am shaking as I write this....they took sheep to the top of the terrace to kill for their religious festival, they also threw a window pane out onto the pavement from the 5th floor in an argument. They are constanting fighting or making noise, throwing rubbish into the communal areas and generally making everyone feel very scared.

How can we return there? What are OUR rights? I don't want to be racist but why can't they respect the manner of how we Europeans live? I am now so scared to return and we have only a month to go before we are going back. I am so scared for my two little boys to pass these people in the entrance.

I don't know if the banks who took over the ownership of the flats have just rented them out to anyone cheaply or whether wealthy spanish people have bought from the banks at a very low price and are renting them out to just anyone for a bit of easy cash. The block is on the best street, the Mayors sister lives across the road and the church is next door. Why can't we have the right to live in peace and safety there, what can we do?? If we denounce them my husband thinks that they will turn against us?

Please let us know what we can do as i'm now so scared to return and after all the financial problems paying for this flat we can't lose it. We just want to live with our children in a safe environment!

Please let us know what our rights are?

After a night thinking about it I have had an idea. Can a few of us in the community group suggest that we take on job of looking for people to rent the empty flats in the block. We can therefore encourage people who can live in harmony with us rather than against us? Are we allowed to do this or will it be classed as discrimination? What ways can we get round this? We would like to have a block of people who agree to the same way of living and having respect for a peaceful and safe way of life. Taking live animals onto the communal rooftop terrace to kill them is appalling in my opinion, and it shouldn't be classed as being racist as the act must surely be illegal? Throwing rubbish, including chicken innards/bones out of the window onto communal areas is not nice and is a health hazard for everyone. I don't want to sound as though i'm a terrible person but I really would like to live in our flat and not feel scared or intimidated by other people who are renting (or squatting?) in the building. Having spoken to another neighbour they believe that the banks are trying to get some of those who are renting out after so many complaints. Maybe this will solve the problem but I worry that they'll just change the tenants for similar types?

Any advice of what we can do would be appreciated.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I suggest you contact the police and file a denuncia against them.

Have you tried talking to your Community of Owners President to put an end to their behaviour?

One cannot sacrifice livestock in the penthouse for health related issues regardless of your religion.

This may of course lead them to retaliate against you...but its a chance you are going to have to take.

We are unable to help you, sorry.

Yours faithfully,