Eviction Postponed Amid Public Pressure

Francisco Olea, 81, and Milagros Andrade, 74, face eviction from their Artigues flat in Badalona after a 2012 loan default by their son, for which they acted as guarantors using their home as collateral. The couple, who have lived in the flat for 50 years and paid off the mortgage four decades ago, were due to be evicted on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. However, the eviction was postponed until 29 October following community mobilisation and municipal mediation. Around 50 neighbours and activists from the Sindicat d’Habitatge gathered on Tuesday to support the couple as Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, were expected to carry out the eviction. This public pressure, alongside negotiations between Badalona City Council and BBVA, led to a temporary reprieve.

Bank Seeks Alternative Housing Solution

BBVA has stated it has paused the eviction process to explore alternatives, including the possibility of social housing or a rental agreement, according to media reports. The bank confirmed it is in talks with the municipality to find a resolution. The couple say they were unaware of the son’s mortgage arrears until just before the eviction notice. They claim he concealed the situation for years to avoid distressing them. "I didn't expect this; I thought it could be resolved," Milagros told 3Cat’s 'Tot es Mou' programme. “We want to pay rent; we don't want to leave our apartment; we've lived here our whole lives,” she said. Francisco added: "The house is mine; it's where I've spent my entire life."

  • The flat has been fully paid for since the 1980s.
  • The loan guarantee was signed 15 years ago.
  • The son defaulted in 2012 and was later evicted from his own home.
  • The couple only learned of the risk days before the scheduled eviction.

Housing Union Demands Debt Relief

The Sindicat d’Habitatge is calling on BBVA to accept the son’s former property as full payment and to release Francisco and Milagros from any further liability as guarantors. The union has provided logistical and legal support, helping the couple remove their belongings in anticipation of eviction. The case has drawn national attention amid rising concern over housing insecurity, particularly for elderly guarantors. It follows the high-profile eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid and the suicide of a woman in L’Hospitalet after losing her home.

"With the crisis of 2008 my son lost his job and couldn't pay for three months. They took his flat, with everything inside, and now they want to take mine,"

, Francisco Olea, speaking to RAC1 Meanwhile, the couple remain in their half-empty flat, uncertain of their future. The next critical date is 29 October, when the postponed eviction could proceed unless a binding agreement is reached.

Primary sources: badalona.cat. Reported by liniaxarxa.cat, rac1.cat, sport.es, eltotbadalona.cat, elperiodico.com, CatalunyaPress.cat, diariosocialista.net, Línia Xarxa.