Suspended an eviction in Gràcia in the middle of a general strike

"Jani and Loli are staying in the neighborhood," said the banner under which several hundred people, more than five hundred according to the Gràcia Housing Union, gathered to stop the eviction of these two neighbors from Fraternitat Street, in Gràcia. An eviction scheduled for the same day as the general strike, which finally and provisionally, has been stopped.

It involves a married couple of about 60 years of age, who have been living for almost 20 years in this property that has an old rent agreement. In fact, it is a dwelling where several generations of Loli's family have lived. The problem, according to the Tenants' Union, is that when the great-grandfather who held the apartment contract in his name died, a subrogation was not signed. Jani and Loli simply continued paying the rent to the owner, who according to the union was aware of the situation and the tenants living there.

The owner's daughters inherited the property a few years ago and that is when the eviction order was initiated. The problem for Jani and Loli is that there is no legal document of subrogation and the rent was delivered in cash and by hand. The Tenants' Union regrets that they always trusted in a relationship of trust with the owner, but warn that it is easy to prove that they have lived there for all these years and that they have always paid the rent on time. Furthermore, they assert that they meet the requirements for the housing decree to be applied to them: their home is owned by a large landlord, they have an accredited situation of vulnerability, and they have no alternative housing. "It is very harsh that they have denied it to us. Just yesterday we made the last attempt and the court told us no," laments Mariona Gallardo, from the Gràcia Housing Union.

Faced with this situation, the union has filed an appeal for nullity. They understand that the eviction procedure has not been carried out correctly because they are expected to be evicted through an ordinary process – provided for cases of non-payment or when the contract ends – and not through what is known as the "precarious" process, that is, those cases in which there is no legal title that justifies their stay. They understand that they fit into this second category, because the property is not recognizing the subrogation.

Today, after neighborhood pressure, the eviction has been postponed, which already has a new scheduled date: it will be December 3rd.