Urbagestión says it will file a criminal complaint after receiving death threats and a box of cockroaches at its Madrid office. Labeled "live animals," the box arrived last Friday with a plastic container full of cockroaches. Days earlier, the company’s phones had rung nonstop with threats, prompting staff to stay home for their safety.
Urbagestión owns the apartment where María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, lived. Management says a campaign of intimidation is underway, marked by harassment and death threats. Ricardo Alonso, the company’s director, blames the Sindicato de Inquilinas, saying the tenants’ union is behind the pressure campaign to force a new deal for Maricarmen after her eviction became public.
The trouble began on September 23, when news of Maricarmen’s eviction broke and Urbagestión’s office lines were soon overwhelmed. The company says abusive calls poured in, and ABC reports that voicemails included direct threats and insults. Management eventually unplugged the phones and told everyone to leave the office. Telemadrid and EFE report that Urbagestión also claimed it faced cyberattacks and the publication of personal data belonging to its management.
People shared personal details and photos of Urbagestión’s leaders on social media, while posts called for crowds to gather outside the company’s headquarters. Employees saw people waiting near the building, and management told staff to stay away altogether.
Threatening emails followed. Some messages were blunt: "We’ll come up to the fifth floor and shoot you twice." Others warned of "surprises arrive in the form of a car bomb." The cockroach box, traced to an online reptile supply shop, took things further. Urbagestión also noticed hacking attempts on employee emails and cases of identity theft aimed at stealing financial data.
El País and 20minutos report that the Sindicato de Inquilinas organized mass mobilizations in 40 cities after Maricarmen’s eviction, including a tent protest at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol. The union also presented a package of anti-eviction measures called the 'decreto Maricarmen,' which it says marks a turning point in Spain’s housing struggle.
The fallout was swift. Urbagestión says it has already lost clients, and some employees have taken leave because of stress and fear. Ricardo Alonso says the damage is real: it affects the company’s finances and its reputation.
With pressure mounting, Urbagestión turned to Madrid’s municipal housing authority, the Empresa Municipal de la Vivienda y Suelo, for help. After five hours of talks on September 28, all parties agreed to extend Maricarmen’s lease for eight years and cap her rent at 30% of her income. The original deal allowed a seven-year extension and rent of up to 40% of her income. Alonso says the tenants’ union campaign forced this outcome. He calls their tactics "like a militia."
Public pressure and direct action have shaped other Madrid eviction battles. Recent cases, including those involving celebrity protestors, have drawn attention to the conflict between landlords and organized tenant groups. The details vary, but the conflict continues to grow.
The Urbagestión case stands out for its intensity: the harassment went beyond protest and crossed into criminal threats. The company says it was forced to negotiate under pressure. Tenant advocacy responds to Madrid’s housing crisis, but these methods risk damaging the movement’s credibility and drawing everyone into legal trouble. Maricarmen’s eviction shows how quickly a housing dispute can turn ugly, affecting businesses and workers, with consequences for the city.
