foreclosure of his mortgage and the consequent forced sale of the home, the loss of property and subsequent homelessness." This assessment of the fundamental unfairness of Spanish mortgage law echoes even harsher comments from Spain a few days earlier. The conservative bishop of San Sebastin, Jos Ignacio Monilla, said: "We are seeing how the banks continue to evict families at the same time as these financial groups pile up tens of thousands of empty homes which they cannot sell or rent. It is immoral as well as absurd". La Vanguardia columnist Fernando Onega speaks for many: "A country which allows 400,000 families to be thrown out of their homes for mortgage default is an unjust country. But a country which does not rise up against the legality that allows that same home to be passed on to the 'bad bank' at half price is a country of cowards". Far from being leftist radicals, these commentators represent the many moderate voices that are increasingly appalled at how little protection is afforded to homeowners. Why Spain? But in all countries mortgage default can lead to eviction, so is there anything particularly unjust about the situation in Spain? Ada Colau, spokesperson for the pressure-group Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) identifies three areas that are out of line with prevailing mortgage laws in OECD countries. Firstly, once an eviction process is underway, the law does not allow it to be suspended even if there is a legal dispute about the terms of