The dream of retirement in Portugal turned into the opposite for one woman. The legal dispute against her neighbor cost the woman 70,000 euros and she fears for her safety.
London – After decades of working life, many seniors want to spend their retirement abroad. But sometimes retiring abroad causes a lot of problems instead of relaxation. This was also discovered by a British pensioner who wanted to have a nice retirement in the Algave and invested 600,000 euros in a house. But she got into a terrible argument with one of the neighbors that even ended up in court. Former investment banker Orla D. reports on threats, the alleged murder of her dog and a life in constant fear.
The nightmare began when she left Portugal in 2021 to visit family in Ireland. A nasty surprise awaited her when she returned, as she told the British newspaper
Dailymail
. Excavators were on her property, the fence between her property and the neighbor's property had been moved, and a pump house for the neighbor's hot tub had been built nearby. The Federal Court of Justice in this country has already dealt with the question of whether neighbors are allowed to build a pool.
Pension nightmare in Portugal: Neighborhood dispute leaves woman worried about her safety
Although Orla D. won the lengthy legal battle that followed, she still had not received her land back a year after the verdict. After a court hearing, her dog disappeared without a trace and was later found dead in a well with injuries. The emigrant also claims that just a few days later she was forced off the road by an SUV and her car ended up in a ditch.
She has already conducted three legal proceedings against her neighbor and spent around 70,000 euros on legal fees. In 2022, she and her then-partner temporarily left the house for renovations. But the events left their mark on the pensioner. She claims to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. In 2023, she fled her home “for her own safety” and has since changed her place of residence between Spain and Portugal for fear of being discovered.
Not the only pensioner affected in Portugal: “We call it the Algrab”
David Mapley, a fraud investigator who assisted Orla D., said such cases were an extreme example of a phenomenon that has been occurring in the region for years. He called it a “land grab.” “We call it the Algrab,” Mapley said. It is not uncommon for retirees to get into conflicts with other owners after moving.
Orla D. is aware that she is not the only one struggling with such problems. “Every day I hear terrible stories about people coming to Portugal to retire,” she said. She is now warning other pensioners who are thinking about buying a house in the picturesque Algarve. “You have to think long and hard about your decision and be on your guard right from the start,” advised the 65-year-old.
A lot of things can go wrong, not only when you're retiring abroad, but also when you're on holiday, and this can be expensive in several holiday destinations. Disputes between tenants also occur in Germany, but instead of going to court, angry notes from neighbors often find their way online.