Tenant union faces lawsuit over calling landlord a 'vulture fund' in eviction case

Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversiones S.L., which acquired Maricarmen’s home in 2018, filed a defamation suit against the Sindicato de Inquilinas for calling the firm a “fondo buitre” in a social-media video featuring the company’s owners, Fernando and Rodrigo Alonso. The union, represented by spokesperson Valeria Racu, maintains the description is accurate, citing the eviction of the 87-year-old tenant. After a July conciliation session where Urbagestión demanded a public retraction that was not granted, the dispute moved toward a judicial hearing.

The company also alleges the union organized a mass email campaign urging the public to halt the eviction, though the union says the emails were sent individually by supporters using publicly available Facebook photos. Urbagestión emphasizes it is a small Madrid-based investment platform, not a large fund, while its own website describes broader investment activities. The eviction, which lasted eight years, ended with the tenant offered an unaffordable rent despite her modest pension.