Tag Archives: register of deeds

New Obligations for Tourist Accommodation Owners

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Last year, tourist accommodation owners in Spain were required to obtain a Unique Rental Registration Number (NRUA) if they wanted to advertise their properties online. Now, to maintain this registration, they must comply with a series of reporting requirements.

Owners of properties intended for short-term rentals must submit an information return detailing the activity carried out during the previous year in these properties, specifying each category and type of rental that took place there. This declaration consists of an anonymized list of rentals made by hosts or landlords who provide short-term accommodation rental services through online platforms.

This information declaration for short-term rentals must be submitted during the month of February each year, with information on the rentals established in the previous year. One separate information return must be submitted for each property, ship, vessel, or naval craft intended for short-term rental. For each NRUA (Unique Rental Registration Number), it will be indicated whether the purpose of the rental was on vacation or tourism, work, studies, medical reasons requiring relocation, or any other reason. If there are well-founded doubts about the declared purpose, the property registrar may request additional supporting documentation.

Failure to fulfil these requirements will result in the withdrawal of the rental registration number.

Carlos Prieto Cid

Lawyer

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Who will inherit your property after you death?

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You may think you know the answer to this question. But the law, when applied, can lead to some surprising and unexpected outcomes. Because regardless of whether you make a will, your inheritance will be subject to the law.

I’m sure you know that the law fills the gap when someone doesn’t make a will. But even if you make a will, the law is applied to determine its validity, scope and any limitations.

What happens if the heir you appoint dies before you do? What happens if they die after you but before they formally accept the will, in other words, they die without having been declared your heir? What happens if you appoint a non-family member or a legal person (e.g., a foundation or association) as your heir and leave nothing to your children? What happens if somebody has an interest in invalidating your will?

All these questions are subject to the law. But here is where the doubts just begin. What law? The law where you live, your country of origin or where your property is located?

For instance, the inheritance of a Swiss national resident in Spain is governed by Swiss law. However, Swiss law can end up making Spanish law applicable. Whereas the inheritance of a German national resident in Spain is governed by Spanish law except where otherwise stated in the will.

And then there’s the fact that the applicable Spanish law differs depending on whether you live in Benidorm or Salou. The applicable tax will also differ. Even the formalities that your heirs must observe to take possession of your property won’t be the same.

So care must be taken when setting out your inheritance in a will. You must think about the formalities that the beneficiary you designate will have to go through, the costs that they will have to bear, and any difficulties they might face with other possible beneficiaries, the authorities, your creditors, etc.

So if you have property in your name, we urge you to seek professional advice and make a will as soon as possible. Your heirs will be glad you did.

Carlos Prieto Cid – Lawyer

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New comprehensive Advisory Service for Property Owners

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Owning a real estate property is a big responsibility. To protect your rights as an owner, your property must meet all current legal and technical requirements. To give you the peace of mind that your real estate property does meet these requirements and is fully protected legally — both now and in the event of any change in the law — Tarraco Iuris law firm would like to offer you its comprehensive advisory service for property owners.

Based in Tarragona, our specialist team of lawyers and technical experts are ready to handle all your properly-related legal and administrative needs, including the handling of any mediation process and other procedures and the drafting and lodging of documents for the Spanish authorities (local councils, provincial and regional governments, the cadastral register, the Land Registry, notaries public, the courts, etc.) or any third parties (adjoining property owners, neighbour associations, the community of owners, entities involved in expropriation processes, etc.).
To legally protect your property in Spain, we offer a complete range of technical and legal services that includes:

1. Helping you obtain a NIE (foreigner ID number required for tax purposes in Spain).
2. Drafting all property-related contracts, including preliminary, option-to-buy, purchase and sale, and lease agreements.
3. Verifying property charges with the Land Registry.
4. Verifying property zoning with the local council.
5. Verifying any debts owed by the seller to the Community of Owners.
6. Verifying that all tax due on a property has been paid (municipal property tax, tax on income from real estate property, etc.) and drafting and presenting any corresponding tax declarations.
7. Providing an estimate of taxes and expenses so you can budget for the cost of transferring a real estate property.
8. Verifying the applicable marital or inheritance law and advising you on the legal conditions for purchasing or transferring a property.
9. Drafting title deeds for executing property transactions.
10. Accompanying you to sign title deeds and any other notarial instruments, acting as advisers and/or translators.
11. Assisting your negotiations with the bank for using the property as loan security.
12. Registering title deeds with the Land Registry.
13. Informing the local council of a change of ownership for the purposes of local taxes and fees.
14. For sales by non-residents, preparing and presenting declarations on tax withheld for Spanish income tax and handling the collection of any refund.
15. Preparing/lodging applications for:
    a. Certificate of occupancy and energy efficiency certificate.
    b. Building technical assessment report.
    c. Certificate of structural soundness and certification of construction age.
16. Plans and topographical surveys.
17. Undertaking boundary demarcation and mediating in conflicts with neighbours.
18. Undertaking historical investigations on properties and updating the cadastral record for divided or joined plots.
19. Advising you on:
    a. Utility connection and the possible use of wells and springs.
    b. New construction, reform or landscaping projects.
    c. Business projects.
    d. Road and path refurbishment.
    e. Land and building assessment.

Are you sure that your property does not run any legal risk?

Do not hesitate to contact us for further information. Please contact us for any service you require that is not listed.

Carlos Prieto Cid – Your legal adviser in Spain

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A legal change improves the position of buyers of inherited real estate

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On this blog, we have commented in the past on the risks of purchasing from a seller who acquired a property by inheritance from a non-immediate family member. Buyers were often not aware of this situation, which entailed legal risks that fortunately have been removed.

The most typical example of this type of inheritance is a single person or widow with no children who, via a will or by law, ends up leaving their estate to a non-immediate family member (under Spanish law: a sibling, nephew/niece, cousin, etc.) or even someone with no family ties. When these heirs accept the inheritance and become the owners of the property of the deceased they, logically, often want to sell it. To sell the property, they first have to register their ownership of it in the real estate register. Until now, this registration recorded with it a charge in the form of a restriction on the owner’s power to sell the property for two years. This restriction existed to protect the rights of any heir with a preferential right to inherit who appears later on (e.g., a child that had not previously been acknowledged).

The buyer, who was unaware of how the seller acquired the property, may have committed to purchasing it via an earnest money agreement, only to later find out that the banks will not finance the purchase owing to the restriction on the property. The legal provision providing for this restriction has recently been repealed with retroactive effect. This means that property buyers can rest a little easier from now on.

However, we still recommend seeking the assistance of a lawyer when purchasing a property to obtain the proper legal advice and avoid the other risks that buying real estate entails.

Carlos Prieto Cid – Your legal adviser in Spain

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Legal restrictions affecting the purchase of inherited real estate

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Buying a property is always a risky proposition. Especially when the seller inherited the property. This entails additional risks for the buyer, depending on the relationship the seller had with the former owner.

In a previous post, we spoke about the risks of buying real estate inherited by an immediate family member. These risks have to do with tax as the inheritor is entitled to fiscal benefits that place restrictions on the sale of the property. If these restrictions are not met, the tax office will make any claim against the current owner of the property.

In this post, we look at another type of risk that arises from a slightly different situation — when the seller acquires the property by inheritance from someone who is not an immediate family member. The most typical example is a single person or widow without children who, via a will or by law, ends up leaving their estate to a non-immediate family member (under Spanish law: a sibling, nephew/niece, cousin, etc.) or even someone with no family ties.

When the seller registers the inherited real estate in the land registry, a restriction is placed on their power to sell the property for a given period. This restriction exists so that if an heir with a preferential right to inherit appears (e.g., a child that had not previously been acknowledged), their rights are protected.

This restriction, which is often not taken into account, can lead to surprises as the banks may decline financing the property purchase in such cases. As always, we recommend seeking the assistance of a lawyer when you purchase a property to obtain the proper legal advice.

Carlos Prieto Cid – Lawyer

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Why you should check that the details on your property in the Land Registry and the Cadaster match

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As we have commented previously on this blog http://blog.tarracoiuris.com/en/?p=118, there are two systems for registering and guaranteeing titles on real property in Spain: the Land Registry and the Cadaster. Having two systems means inconsistencies in the data registered can arise.

The details registered can differ from one system to another because both the information source and purpose differ in each system. The Cadaster provides property details to the Spanish Tax Office for collecting tax. This information comes from tax declarations and inspections. In contrast, the purpose of the Land Registry is to guarantee and protect property titles. Titles can only be registered by submitting public instruments. The information in the Land Registry is therefore more rigorous than that contained in the Cadaster as the information source is subject to stiffer requirements.

To help make the data stored in each system consistent and so this data better reflects reality, the Spanish government introduced in 2015 a straightforward procedure for coordinating the data in both systems. This procedure has been further extended. You can now update the data registered to make it consistent in both systems and ensure it reflects reality. The procedure is quite automatic and gives rise to numerous advantages. If the data registered is coherent and faithfully reflects reality, selling your property or transferring it in any other way (by mortgage, gift, etc.) becomes far more straightforward. These advantages affect the property’s market value.

So I encourage you to check that the details on your property in the Cadaster and the Land Registry are the same and do reflect reality. If you find otherwise, get in touch. We can help you rectify the problem. By fixing the problem, you will have peace of mind that your property rights are fully protected by the Land Registry and that you are only paying the tax you lawfully owe.

Carlos Prieto Cid – Lawyer

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The recognition of notarial documents overseas

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Expats with financial or family interests in their home countries often have to go to local notaries to sign powers of attorney and other formal documents to handle legal matters in their home countries. Differences between the legal systems mean that these types of formalities generate more complications than we’d imagine possible.

The main problem arises when the law requires that a particular document be executed as a “public” notarial instrument for it to be valid. In Spain, for instance, legal transactions such as granting powers of attorney and transferring real estate are only valid if they are executed via a notarially-recorded “public document”. But there are countries, e.g., most common-law jurisdictions, where this type of “public document” does not exist.

What makes a document “public” in countries where this type of instrument does exist depends on the law in each country. In Spain, notarial documents are public documents, which guarantees that the facts stated in these documents are true in accordance with what the notary public has personally verified, and that, from a legal point of view, the statements of intent made in these instruments are authentic. Basically, all these characteristics give such documents privileged probative force.

We can only be sure that a notarial instrument will be recognised as such and, therefore, as a public document in the country where it is to be used, if the notary public who authorises it confirms in the document itself that all the legal requirements have been met, both in the jurisdiction it was executed and where it is to be used. In these cases, as a complement and guarantee to the service provided by the local notary, it is advisable to seek the advice of a lawyer who knows both legal systems.

Carlos Prieto Cid – Lawyer

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New Comprehensive Advisory Service for Property Owners

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Owning a real estate property is a big responsibility. To protect your rights as an owner, your property must meet all current legal and technical requirements. To give you the peace of mind that your real estate property does meet these requirements and is fully protected legally — both now and in the event of any change in the law — Tarraco Iuris law firm would like to offer you its comprehensive advisory service for property owners.

Based in Tarragona, our specialist team of lawyers and technical experts are ready to handle all your properly-related legal and administrative needs, including the handling of any mediation process and other procedures and the drafting and lodging of documents for the Spanish authorities (local councils, provincial and regional governments, the cadastral register, the Land Registry, notaries public, the courts, etc.) or any third parties (adjoining property owners, neighbour associations, the community of owners, entities involved in expropriation processes, etc.).

To legally protect your property in Spain, we offer a complete range of technical and legal services that includes:

1. Helping you obtain a NIE (foreigner ID number required for tax purposes in Spain)
2. Drafting all property-related contracts, including preliminary, option-to-buy, purchase and sale, and lease agreements
3. Verifying property charges with the Land Registry
4. Verifying property zoning with the local council
5. Verifying any debts owed by the seller to the Community of Owners
6. Verifying that all tax due on a property has been paid (municipal property tax, tax on income from real estate property, etc.) and drafting and presenting any corresponding tax declarations
7. Providing an estimate of taxes and expenses so you can budget for the cost of transferring a real estate property
8. Verifying the applicable marital or inheritance law and advising you on the legal conditions for purchasing or transferring a property
9. Drafting title deeds for executing property transactions
10. Accompanying you to sign title deeds and any other notarial instruments, acting as advisers and/or translators
11. Assisting your negotiations with the bank for using the property as loan security
12. Registering title deeds with the Land Registry
13. Informing the local council of a change of ownership for the purposes of local taxes and fees
14. For sales by non-residents, preparing and presenting declarations on tax withheld for Spanish income tax and handling the collection of any refund
15. Preparing/lodging applications for:

a. Certificate of occupancy and energy efficiency certificate
b. Building technical assessment report
c. Certificate of structural soundness and certification of construction age

16. Plans and topographical surveys
17. Undertaking boundary demarcation and mediating in conflicts with neighbours
18. Undertaking historical investigations on properties and updating the cadastral record for divided or joined plots
19. Advising you on:

a. Utility connection and the possible use of wells and springs
b. New construction, reform or landscaping projects
c. Business projects
d. Road and path refurbishment
e. Land and building assessment

Are you sure your property is fully protected legally?

Do not hesitate to contact us for further information. Please contact us for any service you require that is not listed

Tarraco Iuris global management

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The time has come to buy again real estate in Spain

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After several years of continued declines in prices and sales volume, statistics finally start reporting positive results. Very small, but that break the downtrend. The international situation could perhaps encourage investment decisions in real estate in Spain.

A significant reduction in the number of Russian tourists is expected this year on the Spanish coast. The reasons for that are instability due to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine and especially the collapse of the ruble. But also the euro is undergoing a gradual devaluation, and it seems that this trend will continue in the future. However this news, apparently negative, may have another reading: every time it came to the devaluation of a currency, conscious citizens sought to invest their savings in goods, a kind of “safe haven”, and throughout history, the most common safe haven for money savings has always been investing in real estate.

In addition, the mentality of the Spaniards in this area is rather conservative and therefore the opinion prevails that every ordinary citizen should be owner of his living room in his life. This approach has a significant impact on the real estate market, as this has always led to a higher demand than expected at every economic stage. And, moreover, hundreds of thousands of foreigners dream of a quiet retirement or at the Spanish coast or a summer residence to come to it every year, and they do not hesitate to purchase a property where safely enjoy Spain in their own home. All of these factors bring us back to the beginning: it has always been assumed that investing in real estate in Spain is a reliable investment.

Despite the severe crisis of recent years, we must not forget that real estate has always been the best and safest way to invest our savings in Spain. And just because of the crisis, prices at back at a rational level and , according to the monthly statistics, gradually begin to rise.

Carlos Prieto Cid – Lawyer

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Risks of buying real estate from banks

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In these times of severe economic crisis, thousands of properties are sold at auction every month in Spain because their owners can no longer pay their debts. In most cases, the creditor is a bank and if no bidders participated in the auction, the creditor himself receives ultimately the contract.

Although the government related institutions in recent months insist on pointing out that the economic situation of Spain is improving, the reality is that the seizure of property and evictions due to debtors’ failure to pay their own liabilities have no end. The banks are the biggest creditors nationwide. In the judicial auction they usually get the property, without being able to recover the outstanding loans, because of the lack of interest of potential buyers for the seized property. After the bank has become the owner of the property, it passes it to a real estate agency, which is often established only for the purpose of selling this type of property. For the same reasons that the property could not be sold at auction, it often takes months or even years before the agency finds a buyer on the almost at a virtual standstill housing market.

During this period, the attitude of the banks is far from what is expected of a correct owner. For example, in the case of apartments or houses in settlements with community facilities, the banks often do not pay the contributions to the community of owners required for maintenance, swimming pools, gardens, etc., until a buyer is found, thus bringing the condos in financial difficulties, as these depend on the contributions to cover the general expenses for cleaning and maintenance of the common areas. Furthermore, neither the agencies nor the banks take a minimum care about the conditions of the building and so, leaks, pigeon nests or all sorts of other problems that affect the neighbours remain unresolved.

These risks should be considered when investing in Spain. Investors are normally interested in such kind of real estate because they believe that their price might be below the average price. However, it should not be forgotten that the banks have more than enough capacity to hold on as long as necessary until its real estate stock is sold (after all, they were helped for that with a lot of public money). Investors must convince themselves that the banks won’t reduce the price more than other owners who might need the money urgently.

Carlos Prieto Cid – Lawyer

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