Tangier Owes Spanish City $300,000 for Neglected Palace Upkeep and Unpaid Taxes

The authorities of Tangier have not reacted to the notification of the debt made to them by the municipality of Vitoria in July, which specifies that the Moroccan city has already accumulated a total of seven unpaid fines corresponding to a debt of 283,690 euros. Tangier owes this amount for not having taken charge of the maintenance or rehabilitation of the Álava-Esquível palace and for not having paid certain taxes such as the IBI (property tax) or the garbage collection tax, El Correo reports.

The municipal councilor of Vitoria in charge of territory and climate action, Ana Oregi, reiterated on Monday the determination of the municipal council to pursue its approach to the end, the objective being to reach the maximum of 10 fines before then launching an expropriation procedure of the building.

"This situation is untenable, there are other options," said Óscar Fernández, spokesman for Elkarrekin, who does not approve of this approach by the municipality. "People live in the Álava-Esquível palace and we must prioritize their safety," he insisted. But, Oregi reassured, "the safety of the people is not compromised," stressing that the planned rehabilitation will only be partial.

Currently, 10 of the 16 apartments in the building are rented. The municipal council has tried several times to regain ownership of Álava-Esquível, without success. A descendant of General Álava, Ricardo de Álava y Carrión, lost ownership after betting at poker. The palace thus ended up in the hands of Ignacio de Figueroa y Bermejillo, Duke of Tovar, who, wounded, was treated in Tangier. As a sign of gratitude, he donated all his property to the Moroccan city.