Pedro, a 78-year-old man, never imagined he would find himself in such a distressing situation. Since September of last year, his apartment in Parla, which he had for sale through platforms, was occupied after receiving visits from potential buyers.
«I had the apartment for sale and, among the people who came to see it, there were some scouts. In no time, they occupied it and even turned it into a complete nursery to make it more vulnerable,» Pedro shares with visible frustration.
When he returned to his home, he faced the bitter reality: he could no longer enter. «They could have easily changed the lock from the inside,» he recalls.
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Although many in the neighborhood are aware of the situation and acknowledge that the squatters are problematic, Pedro refuses to negotiate with them: «I know that one way to make them leave is to offer them money. I would never do that in my life; I don’t negotiate with criminals,» he states firmly.
The squatters, however, defend their position claiming to have been victims of a scam. «I entered because I was rented the property; I paid my money, but not to the owner, but to third parties,» explains one of the squatters. They assert that their entry was legitimate and deny forcing the door.
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The situation becomes even more complicated for Pedro and his neighbors, who have noticed clear drug consumption inside the occupied apartment. «When they smoke here, we all smoke. The smoke and smell start to rise through the terrace,» declares a neighbor from the building.
Meanwhile, Pedro continues to await a solution to put an end to this nightmare that has disrupted his life and the peace of his neighbors.
