César Augusto Calderón and his mother believed they had finally found a stable home. They signed a ground floor rental agreement in Pobla de Vallbona for five years in January 2021, paying 400 euros per month. The contract appeared legitimate and was arranged through a real estate agent. They paid their rent promptly for more than a year and a half, trusting the paperwork. What they did not realize was that the person the agent claimed as the worker who handled the lease went by a false name, Miguel, and the NIE and DNI listed on the contract did not correspond to anyone real. “They scammed us for 9,000 euros in fake rent,” César later alleged.
César made the discovery on Thursday. A series of small coincidences raised his suspicions, prompting him to visit the land registry and the courthouse. There, he faced a shocking turn: an eviction order had been issued for the home on the coming Monday. Attempts to argue the case with receipts and utility payments were in vain—the contract itself was invalid, and the tenants had no legitimate right to remain. The situation worsened as they realized they could be left on the street that same night, with César and his mother in a fragile state. He gathered as many boxes as possible and, as a last resort, emailed Sareb, the entity that owned the property, explaining his predicament and requesting more time to locate another rental while his finances were in flux. Sareb paused the eviction process, unaware of the full scope of the case.
César has already filed a complaint against the man believed to be the scammer, who turned out to be the previous tenant of the same apartment. “He knew everything that happened and the tenants weren’t paying,” César explained. On the same day, César pressed for documents, receipts, and materials related to the case through his attorney, hoping to uncover the truth. His aim is clear: to stay active in the case until a fair resolution is reached. The broader concern is that other residents in similar situations have become victims of fake leases signed by former tenants.
double cheating
This case carries additional layers. César had previously been defrauded, and the wider backdrop involves the consequences of a property market downturn. A contractor who built the property reportedly owed more than 4 million euros to banks. Several savings banks failed, and their debts were absorbed by Sareb, which steps in when borrowers stop paying.
As discussions unfolded, the project owner began renting out the properties. On February 18, 2020, the first-instance court in Llíria ruled that 23 signed contracts were forged. The owner had told Sareb the property was vacant when, in fact, it was not. The state company filed a complaint and the courts supported this view, declaring that the 23 tenants did not have the right to stay on the farms and that there were insufficient proper titles. In short, the tenants themselves—who later faced accusations of fraud—were already victims of fraudulent contracts.
The developer had already created fraudulent lease agreements for former tenants.
Sareb sources note that they were unaware of the situation or that tenants had been rehired to perpetuate fraud. The suspension of the project launch once the issue came to light is taken as evidence of that fact. Sareb adds that the operator stopped paying and neglected the properties, assuming the farms were unoccupied and debts would not be pursued. This is not an isolated case in the region; 61 families from a Sagunto residential complex recently learned they had been lured with fraudulent contracts by a developer who owed several million.
“You didn’t pay”
Calderón grew suspicious as documents of non-payment and collection notices trickled in from unknown parties. He sought to enroll in Pobla de Vallbona, only to be told that the real estate records did not exist for him or his mother. Investigations by neighbors revealed that many faces in similar situations appeared under different former tenants. When he asked the court for information, an official declared, “You haven’t paid in years, and there is an eviction order this Monday.” The tone suggested that the legal system was already prepared to remove them, without fully explaining the irregularities in the tenancy.
When César tried to reach the so-called landlord again, the response was that he had been a tenant for more than a year, but such information could not be verified. The fear remains. Boxes still line the hallway as the family considers their options. An emergency lawyer provided by the bar association offered guidance and a document outlining their situation as the judicial process moved forward. The family remains hopeful that a legitimate rental arrangement can be found so they can move on in peace.