Caravaca initiates expropriation for failure to maintain property

The City Council of Caravaca de la Cruz has initiated the procedure to declare the breach of urban planning obligations regarding the conservation and rehabilitation of a property located at Calle Olivericas, no. 7, whose owner faces compulsory expropriation for failure to fulfill the social function of property. The decision, adopted by Mayoral Resolution no. 2557, dated July 9, 2026, has been made public through a public information process announcement in the Official Gazette of the Region of Murcia (BORM) number 212, dated September 14, 2026, page 20918.

The procedure and its legal basis

The action is being processed under file no. 1316922J and is based on article 237 of Law 13/2015, of March 30, on Territorial and Urban Planning of the Region of Murcia (LOTURM). The council considers that the owners have not complied with the actions ordered by Mayoral Resolution no. 3230, dated September 29, 2023, regarding the conservation and rehabilitation of the property.

The affected parties are Mr. Manuel Alejandro Bernal and Ms. Elena Beatriz Díaz de Bernal, owners of the property under a community property regime, identified by Cadastral Reference 0085412XH0108E0001SA, postal code 30400, municipality of Caravaca de la Cruz.

Risk of compulsory expropriation

The announcement expressly warns that, should the breach be declared without the interested parties having previously proven the execution of the ordered works, requested a license for such, or reliably guaranteed their commitment to execution, the compulsory expropriation of the property will proceed due to failure to fulfill the social function of property, in accordance with articles 235.3.b) and 239 of the LOTURM.

Deadlines and open procedures

The file is subject to two simultaneous procedures:

• Public information for a period of twenty business days, counted from the day following the publication in the BORM, during which it may be examined at the Department of Urban Planning, Housing and Environment (Plaza del Arco, no. 1) and at the municipal Electronic Office, and allegations may be filed.
• Hearing procedure for a period of fifteen days addressed to Mr. Manuel Alejandro Bernal, Ms. Elena Beatriz Díaz de Bernal, and Mr. Pedro Raúl Espallardo Martínez, in his capacity as the registered owner of the property.

The announcement, signed on August 28, 2026, by the mayor, José Francisco García Fernández, has also been published on the Notice Board of the City Council’s Electronic Office.

Relevance for residents

The news illustrates the effective application of the social function of property in regional urban planning: the sustained failure to comply with conservation obligations can lead to the forced loss of the property. Owners and registered titleholders have fixed deadlines to lodge appeals or prove the execution of the works, and any interested party may consult the file during the public information period.

Source: Official Gazette of the Region of Murcia, no. 212, September 14, 2026, section IV. Local Administration, page 20918 (official reference: NPE A-140926-4381).