Reuters and BBC reported that police removed 87-year-old Maricarmen from her apartment in Madrid's Retiro district on September 23, 2026. The eviction followed a dispute with the new owner that had lasted about eight years.
The Government has rejected Sumar's demand to expropriate the property. Félix Bolaños says the proposal lacks a clear constitutional basis and would not solve Spain's wider housing crisis. The minister is now pointing to next Tuesday for a new housing decree.
The two coalition partners are split over the case. Sumar says the property can be taken from the fund that acquired it under Article 33.3 of the Spanish Constitution. That provision allows limits on private property when there is a justified cause of public utility or social interest.
Sumar's ministers want both measures approved at the same Cabinet meeting. They are calling for forced expropriation alongside the Real Decreto-ley de Vivienda on Tuesday.
Bolaños rejected the proposal.
Speaking in Bilbao, the minister of Presidency and Justice said expropriation would lead nowhere, in remarks reported by EP. He said the plan did not clearly fit within the Constitution.
Instead, Bolaños called for measures covering rented and purchased homes. His stated goal is to make housing easier to access and prevent evictions like Maricarmen's.
El País and DW have reported that the investment structure linked to the property is Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversiones SL. They also reported that monthly rent rose from about 500 euros to 2,650 euros after the ownership change in 2018.
The proposed decree has not been approved. The Government is still negotiating with parliamentary groups.
