English Lawyers in Spain, Can You Trust Them?

Certain English lawyers in Spain are not to be trusted.

It seems that they are willing to flout laws and bamboozle ex-patriots of whatever nationality with their superior knowledge of the law, language and common practices. 

This does not only apply to English lawyers in Spain of course but let us concern ourselves with them for the time being.

This blog has cited the case of Edward Kirwan who was to be railroaded from his home on the 21st January 2009 as the result of an illegal action brought by De Cotta Law on behalf of their client Valerie Celia Russell. 

International laws become something  of a joke when a judge sitting in Hastings in England can pronounce a judgement in a divorce case based on a Spanish property valuation. The valuation was proven false,  it was written in Spanish which is a language the judge could neither read, write nor speak. Yet  District Judge Pollard was able to do this… how amazing…

Ask District Judge Pollard next time you see him…señor, habla español?

However, based on his superior knowledge of the law, his professional position and the fact that he had had an apartment and stayed in the Marbella or Puerto Banus area on his holidays, gave him, it appears,  sufficient understanding of the Spanish law to make a court order. 

Sadly, the court order was “mis-translated” by an Official Translator, Barry True and was used against Edward Kirwan, initially by Jon Sutton of DeCotta Law, to prevent him from honouring the court order. Interestingly, the official translation was acted upon several days before Barry True stamped it.

Time passed and DeCotta Law, on behalf of their client Valerie Celia Russell, appealed the decision of the Torrox Court on a technicality. De Cotta McKenna y Santafé had the appeal denied on 12th March 2009. 

De Cotta McKenna y Santafé have appealed again, this time to the higher court in Madrid…do De Cotta McKenna y Santafé really want to continue this charade? Do they want to defend their illegal action? The mind really boggles…or is it just another day in Surreal Spain?

I hear you shout “FRAUD” and you are not wrong…watch this space…

Wake up! There are ordinary intelligent individuals living and working in all parts of Spain and other countries in Europe, who are being exploited by  ”the system”. Why?

There are all manner of reasons but perhaps because they do not speak the language,  perhaps they do not understand the proceedures, perhaps they cannot afford to pay the fees of English lawyers in Spain but certainly they do not want to be exploited further.

Meanwhile, English Lawyer, Paula Basham and owner of Axar Property continues with business as usual with seemingly scant regard for the plight of her former employee (or as we are now noitfied employees).

Paula Basham is totally refusing to acknowledge or respect the heavy fines imposed on her by the Court in Malaga for her illegal actions.

Although the “office staff” at Axar Property have their lips tightly sealed, possibly through fear,  it appears nothing much has changed there in regard to employee’s rights and employer obligations. 

The misery and suffering these English lawyers in Spain have caused in the instances cited  above is quite beyond measure.

Anyone might forgive drunken louts behaving in this fashion but the action of these educated and presumably cold sober professionals brings disgrace to the English people and makes it  a shame to be known as English.

 

Silence is Golden – DeCotta Law Loves IT

Silence is Golden – DeCotta Law Loves IT

Silence is Golden for DeCottaLaw (also known as DeCotta, McKenna y Santafé) the English lawyers in Spain who represent Valerie Celia Russell.

Why, readers ask,  has this blog been silent recently about the illegal action brought about by DeCotta Law on behalf of Valerie Celia Russell against her ex-husband ?

Because it has been waiting and waiting and waiting for the result of an appeal launched by DeCotta Law on behalf of their client.

Were the grounds for an appeal by these English lawyers in Spain because their actions in the past were legal?

NO.

The grounds for appeal were that the the pronouncement of Torrox Court was incorrect on a technical point. The technical point in question was that the defendant knew about their (DeCotta Law and their client’s) illegal actions and had not appealed against it within the allotted time. The allotted time for appeal is 20 days.

Please note this well. The appeal was not launched because the action brought by Valerie Celia Russell was LEGAL, oh no, it was because of a possible technicality!

DeCotta, McKenna y Santafé, got it WRONG! The defendant DID notify Torrox Court of the illegal action being brought against him on the very next day that he had proof of the illegal action.

Look at what DeCottaLaw boasts...

This is the same DeCotta, McKenna y Santafé who are top of the list for recommended English lawyers in Spain when you search on Google.

This is the same DeCotta Law who boast an HONORARY LEGAL ADVISER TO THE BRITISH CONSUL

The same  DeCotta, McKenna and Santafé who are Proud to Sponsor the Royal British Legion.

The same DeCotta Law who will deal with your bereavement

This is the same DeCotta, McKenna y Santafé who have brought an illegal action against a man which would have deprived him of his home and buried him financially.

DeCotta Law must surely love IT.

And this is the same DeCotta, McKenna and Santafé who have made threats of  “further action.“ due to “factual errors and defamatory allegations against members of this firm.” while the defendant was trying to get his case heard without legal representation.  ( An invitation to DeCotta Law to explain these  “factual errors” was extended but the company chose to remain silent. No legal action has been taken to date.)

This is the same DeCotta Law that you may have trusted until now.

Es la vida, no?

We invite you to contact De Cotta McKenna & Santafé on:

Tel.: +34 952 931 781
Fax: +34 952 933 547

to get their take on this story.

Injustice in Europe recommends that anyone having dealings with DeCotta Law in relation to  translation of an English legal document (particularly regarding divorce and  property),  check and double check it.  Triple check it if it was translated by Official Translator, Barry True.

Barry True made a mistake and stated ” I sincerely regret this mistake, which is a sad exception in my 21 years of unblemished experience.”  Sadly his “mistake” has led to much hardship over a number of years.

Ensure that you have a correct translation and that you have not been deprived of your property, your wealth or the health that you may have enjoyed before encountering DeCotta Law.

Is Axar Properties above The Law?

Injustice in Europe asks if Axar Properties is above the law?

Having lost two court cases and owing her ex employee thousands of euros, an English lawyer in Spain, Paula Basham carries on business as usual as the owner of  Axar Properties.

This her entry on Google

AxarProperties S.L. – House and Home Relocation Building and …Paula Basham is the owner of the company and an English lawyer still practicing in the UK. She is keen to ensure that your purchase is problem free ! …

www.axarproperties.com/ing/whoweare.php – 24k

What this entry on Google fails to tell you is that Axar Properties employed Vanessa Kjaerulff Jensen  full time and she acted as secretary, translator and sales woman, yet was only willing to give a contract as a part time cleaner!

The result of Paula Basham’s actions has left a respectable, hardworking and capable young mother without her rights to social benefits after being unlawfully dismissed from the employment of Axar Properties.

NOW, Paula Basham’s ex- employee along with her young daughter is forced into homelessness. Axar Properties, according to Vanessa Kjaerulff Jensen’s lawyer, has no money in their account to pay the two sums of money owing…this raises many questions.

These sums are not inconsiderable. They amount to 4 thousand euros and 11 thousand euros...but Axar Properties boss , Paula Basham will not pay.

This is a total disgrace, outrage and a bad reflection  on all English lawyers in Spain. Perhaps other English law firms will be interested in how their name is being brought into disrepute by the owner of Axar Properties.

As it is, Axar Properties continues to do business under the ownership of English Lawyer, Paula Basham.

Spotlight on Axar Properties

The spotlight is on Axar Properties, the Torrox Costa Estate Agency who illegally dismissed employee, Vanessa Kjaerulff Jensen in January 2008.

It is business as usual at Axar Properties despite the fact the company has no money in the accounts according to Vanessa Kjaerulff Jensen’s Spanish laywer. This lawyer has done his best to recover the money owed following 2 court cases in Malaga who found against Axar Properties but the bank account is empty!

Meanwhile, Miss Jensen has a happy bouncing baby but no job, no compensation for wrongful dismissal and no access to the usual Social Benefits associated with her home country, Denmark or indeed the majority of European Union member countries.

Shame on Axar Properties and the proprietor, Paula Basham, another one of the English lawyers in Spain. 

DeCotta Law – Health Warning

DeCotta McKenna and Santafé have failed in their attempt to deprive a man of his house and home when the judge at Torrox Court in Spain annulled the “public auction” on 21st January 2009 on grounds of ILLEGALITY!

Where is DeCotta Law?

The case revolves around an English Court order which was “mis-translated” by Barry True, Sworn Translator of the Spanish Foreign Ministry and Jon Sutton, a partner in Decotta Law. Jon Sutton was able to say that he had a sworn translation of the English Court order a full three days before it was stamped, dated and certified…what vision that man must have! Meanwhile, Reyes Gómez Llorente of DeCotta McKenna y Santafé in Nerja, representing Valerie Celia Russell,  wrote in an email on the 25th November 2008 saying  “you must understand that I am not tasting my time in explaining you the matter. Tehrefore, don´t waste your time in sending me more emails.”  Great words from an international law company don’t you think?…DeCotta Law really must know what they are doing.

But I wonder…do they understand and realize the real stress, pressure  and destruction that they and other English Lawyers in Spain have caused? It has yet to be measured.

English Lawyers in Spain such as DeCotta McKenna and Santafé (Decotta Law) and Paula Basham of Axar Properties should come with a Government Health Warning!

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