For anyone interested here is the summary update

1. Went through courts to evict tenant for non-payment of rent.
2. Courts decided in our favour - judge instructed tenant to pay 18k euros before he could lodge an appeal.
3. Tenant paid 18k the day before the eviction and raised an appeal.
4. 4 months later , the court of appeal judged in our favour again - gave the tenant 20 days to appeal to the 'Courts Of Madrid' .

Now awaiting to find if this tenant will be given even more 'free legal aid' by the Spanish state to appeal to the 'Courts of Madrid' . If they do agree to fund the appeal , the case could take 18 months - 2 years before a decision is made.

So there we have it. The Spanish state offering free legal aid to tenants to live 'rent free' at the expense of the landlord.

If the State does provide free legal aid to allow this tenant to appeal to the highest courts in Spain , then it will make a mockery of these new 'quick eviction' laws. It would mean there would be no point in landlords using legal means to evict the tenants .

Seems that the Spanish courts have failed landlords who have used the correct legal processes. What we have now is a biased system favouring tenants who do not pay their rent , can trash the property and run up sky high utility bills for the landlords to pay later. The state even pays free legal aid for them to use the appeal process to delay eviction, leaving landlords no other option but to use 'alternative' ways to get rid of this tenant. I think there are some companies that offer these alternatives services in Spain (using their 'negotiation' skills) and maybe this is the quickest and best way going forwards.