Gemma Majó is a psychologist and family therapist from Mataró in Catalonia. She wanted to move to Mallorca in order to find herself "a natural space, slow down and dedicate myself to diving".
Through a friend, she heard about a rural property in Santa Margalida. She travelled to Mallorca on May 15 for a viewing. The owner explained that a 75-year-old Swiss woman would be moving out at the end of the month. Everything went well. He even said that he would help her with projects such as establishing an orchard. The rent was lowered from 1,300 to 1,000 euros per month.
She wanted to sign a contract there and then, but he said that this could be done once she was back on the island. A deposit could wait until then as well.
Her home in Mataró was rented out. She returned to Mallorca in a van. This was June 2. The property in Santa Margalida was still occupied. She slept in the van for a few nights in Alcanada before finally confronting the owner. He admitted that the Swiss woman hadn't signed the agreement giving up the property. He offered to store Gemma's belongings while she looked for somewhere else.
"I couldn't find anything." Prices were too high. In her view, this was the sort of "deception" which occurs frequently in Mallorca and elsewhere in the Balearics "with disproportionate holiday rentals".
She's back in Mataró, sharing her apartment with her tenants until she finds somewhere else. Her possessions are in storage. "All this has cost me more than two thousand euros." After consulting a lawyer, she has decided not to file a complaint because there was no contract. The owner of the property says: "It was she who decided to bring her things and I offered to keep them for her. There was only a verbal agreement to rent."
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The golden rule of pretty much everything in life is, get it in writing. Verbal agreements are worthless in law when something goes wrong. If the other party won't give a written undertaking or provide a contract then leave it alone and look elsewhere.