“Both parties agree not to disclose in any way or send any communications to third parties, especially to the media […] of this agreement”. Such is the contract offer by Cerberus to one of the tenants of one of the vulture fund’s subsidiaries. rise hire abusive, and having access to this newspaper.
In addition to the media, it also prohibits, under threat of lawsuitdiscussion of the content of the contract – in this case an increase of more than 400% of the rent – to neighbors or relatives. The Vulture fund demands that the deal be kept “in the strictest secrecy” and threatens to seek judicial compensation for damages resulting from breach of this obligation.
Lawyers and activists Confirm that such a threat is highly repetitive against affected familiesespecially intimidating them and trying to break off relations with other peers. Nacho Collado, a lawyer specializing in housing rights at the El Rogle cooperative, says he has seen similar cases and, in his view, the purpose of the vulture fund is to “instill fear into the neighbors’ bodies.” but above all avoid the creation of mutual support networks among other affected parties who may make a claim.“. It is also “good for them not to talk to each other and not to know about the offers they make to their neighbors, they may be different.”
Maria José Alamar is a lawyer specializing in mutual funds at Aliter Abogados and assures her clients that such pressure and threats from vulture funds are common. “My clients are constantly called, letters are sent, and even introduced to men in suits. at the door of their house at nine o’clock at night,” explains Alamar, who advises them never to interact in these situations and to seek the contact of their lawyer or attorney.
Another big problem that lawyers and activists face is this: “The fund does not have any physical center as a bank might have.. There is no office where people attend. Everything goes online with an email or contact number and in fact they hardly respond to those affected. This makes things much more complicated when it comes to protesting or making a claim at the door,” Collado explains. Alamar, for his part,Account where you see this type of item more timesThis prohibits the leaking of content to the press.
“We will experience a great social drama at the end of 2023 and at the beginning of 2024. Moratoriums are ending and many families will be seen on the streets”
The Ministry of Housing is aware of these situations and has published a draft law that has not yet been approved, to stop all these real estate harassment cases. Generalitat projects Fine of up to 950 thousand euros imposes the most severe sanctions and even disqualifies those responsible for years from participating in public housing projects. The project will act on this issue on paper, but it was not approved four months after it was announced.
upcoming social drama
Narcisa Gómez is an activist. Mortgage Affected Platform (PAH) He is committed to negotiating with mutual funds on behalf of families, as well as advising those affected by vulture funds in Valencia’s suburbs. Despite not seeing such phrases, he warns that it is true that mutual funds prohibit their tenants from discussing the details of offers, in order to prevent their tenants from seeking support from others, he warns. “The percentage of winners is very low, but in the end, it is won by fighting”. PAH is considering cases of 240 families affected by just one of these great vulture funds.
Narcisa Gómez also mentions very similar cases of harassment against women in her neighborhood; “Some are crying to tell you.” “There are many cases of middle-aged women being prescribed antidepressants.“This is very difficult for families, especially if children are involved.”
But what worries the platform the most is that we are on the verge of possible social drama. Gómez explains that many people make an appointment to pay after they experience a foreclosure—turning over the house in exchange for debt relief. After that, their bank gave them a social lease on the same house.
These social leases were signed in 2015 and (most) expire in 2022 and 2023. However, within these seven years the properties went from being in the hands of banks to mutual funds, refusing to renew any contract or requesting a 300% increase in fee. “There are many families affected, and we will see more if no one does something,” warns Gómez.
And we need to talk not only about social rentals, but also about. moratorium for mortgage borrowers Approved by the government in 2012, allowing many families to stay at home until May 2024, protected as vulnerable people. María Jose Alamar, Attorney at Aliter He warns that these two problems may come together, and “at the beginning of 2024 there will be world-class social drama in our country. People will stay on the streets and there is not much time left.”
PAH believes that solutions can be found. Its spokesperson, José Luis González, said: “This moratorium on mortgage borrowers has already been extended three times and We will protest for it to be extended again, because there are so many vulnerable families out there. and we can’t let them stay on the street,” he explains. It is not possible to know the exact number of families housed in C. Valenciana because the Ministry of Economy (which has the data) has not released them.