Spanish Property Legal Advice

A-Z of Spanish Property Legal Advice

A
ABOGADO: Lawyer.
ACTA: A document prepared by a notary to enter a property into the land register.
ACTA DE NOTORIEDAD: Procedures for registration in the land register if the basic principle of the continuous registration was interrupted.
AFECCIONES REGISTRALES: Noted encumbrances on the property in the land register.
AGRUPACION: Combining parcels of land.
ALTA CATASTRAL: Official value of property (calculated by the town hall and always lower than true value).
ARRAS: Deposit.
ARRENDAMIENTO DE OBRA: Contract for work and labour. e.g. a contract between a builder and owner of property for renovation work.
ASIENTO DE PRESENTACION: Note of conveyance. Protection of the purchaser for a certain period of time against further registrations.

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B
BOLETIN DE ENGANCHE: Certificate for the installation of electrical facilities. Precondition for getting access to electrical power.

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C
CANCELACION: Cancellation.
CERTIFICACION: Certification.
CERTIFICADO BANCARIO DE DEVISAS: Certificate from the bank that the price of purchase was paid.
CERTIFICADO FINAL DE OBRA: Certificate from the Architect that the construction is complete.
CODIGO CIVIL: Civil law.
COLEGIO OFICIAL DE ARQUITECTOS: Chamber of Architects.
COMMUNIDAD DE PROPIETARIOS: Community of owners in an urbanisation.
CONDICION RESOLUTORIA: A condition under which a wanted (intended) juridical consequence does not occur.
CONDICION SUSPENSIVA: A condition under which a juridical consequence only occurs if certain other circumstances and assumptions occur prior to it.
CONTRATO DE ARRENDAMIENTO: Rental contract.
CONTRATO DE OPCION: A contract, which contains certain options offer certain rights. e.g. a rental contract may have the option to buy the property at a time determined in the agreement.
COPROPIETARIOS: Co-owners.
CUOTA: Membership-fee. In this case normally the community fee payable calculated by number of copropietarios.

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D
DECLARACION DE OBRA NUEVA: The declaration of the construction of new buildings. Needs to be declared by a notary.
DELEGACION DE URBANISMO: Surveyors office of the community that grants building permits.
DEMARCACION DE COSTAS: Department for the protection of the coastline.
DERECHO DE RETENCION: Right of retention. E.g. the right of one party to retain contributions should the other party not comply with one or more terms of the contract.
DERECHO DE SUPERFICIE: Land rights.
DIVISION: A claim to disband a joint owner community.

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E
EDIFICABILIDAD MAXIMA: The maximum construction area (at all levels).
EMBARGO: Seizure or retention.
ESCRITURA: The certificate of purchase issued by the notary.

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F
FIANZA: Security payment or deposit.
FINCA: Either a piece of country land with or without built property upon it.
FINCA REGISTRAL: Registered land with or without built property upon it.

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H
HACIENDA PUBLICA: Federal income (Ministerio de... - Treasury).
HIPOTECA: Mortgage.

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I
I.B.I (IMPUESTO SOBRE BIENES IMMUEBLES): Common ground tax.
IMPUESTO DE ACTOS JURIDICOS DOCUMENTADOS: Stamp- duty; approximately 0.5 % of the purchase price.
IMPUESTO DE TRANSMISIONES PATRIMONIALES: Purchase tax on real estate, 6% of the sum mentioned in the "escritura".
IMPUESTO SOBRE CONSTRUCCIONES, INSTALACIONES Y OBRAS: Local tax for new constructions and any work needed.
IMPUESTO SOBRE EL PATRIMONIO: Property tax.
IMPUESTO SOBRE SUCESIONES Y DONACIONES: Death duty and inheritance tax.
IMPUESTOS MUNICIPALES: Municipal or local taxes.
INSTITUCION DE HEREDERO: The insertion of one or several heirs.
IVA (IMPUESTO SOBRE EL VALOR ANADIDO): Value added tax, normally 16%.

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L
LEY DE ARRENDAMIENTOS URBANOS: Urban rental law.
LEY DE LA PROPIEDAD HORIZONTAL: Tenants law. This law applies to apartments, town houses, villas and complete urbanisations.
LEY DE SUELO: Ground law.
LICENCIA DE OBRAS: Building permission (license).

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N
NIE (NUMERO PERSONAL DE INDENTIFICACION DE EXTRANJERO): Tax identification number for non-residents.
NIF (NUMERO DE INDENTIFICACION FISCAL): Tax identification number for residents.
NOTA SIMPLE INFORMATIVA: extract from the land register, kind of X-ray picture from the estate and the property.

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O
OBLIGACION PERSONAL: Unlimited tax obligation for residents.
OBLIGACION REAL: Limited tax obligation for non-residents.
OCUPACION MAXIMA: The maximum permitted roof area of a property.

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P
PARCELA: Plot of land.
PERITO: Person who checks the installation of electrical points etc. and advises on architectural safety matters.
PERMISO DE OBRA MENOR: Permission for smaller construction works.
PLAN PARCIAL: Partial development plan of a community or urbanisation.
PLANTA: Floor (i.e. in an apartment building).
PLUSVALIA: Growth-of-value tax.
POSESION: Property or possession.
PRECIO: Price of purchase.
PROCURADOR: Representative of a party at the court, besides the lawyer.
PROMOTOR: Promoter.
PROPIEDAD: Property or possession.
PROPIETARIO: Owner or property or possession.
PROTOCOLIZACION: confirmation of a foreign document or certificate by protocolation at a Spanish notary.
PROYECTO DE EJECUCION DE OBRA: The proposal for building held until receipt of the permission for construction.

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R
RECEPION DEFINITIVA: Final acceptance of the construction.
REGISTRO DE LA PROPIEDAD: Land registrar.

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S
S.A. (SOCIEDAD ANONIMA): Public limited company.
S.L. (SOCIEDAD LIMITADA): Society with limited liability.
SANEAMIENTO: Liability for defects.
SEGREGACION: Separation of a part of the property.
SEPARACION A LINDEROS: Minimum distance between neighbouring properties.
SERVIDUMBRE DE TRANSITO: Transit rights. (when direct access to the plot and person or persons have to pass through another's property).
SOLAR: Plot.
SUELO NO URBANIZABLE: Land protected from building.
SUELO URBANIZABLE: Unprotected land for building.
SUELO URBANO: Urban or built up land.

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T
TASA: Rates.
TOMA DE POSESION: Taking possession.
TRASPASO: Payment for the transfer of rental or lease contracts - normally for an established business.

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U
U.T.M.: The number of a registered plot.
URBANIZACION PRIVADA: Private community or development.
USO DE OFICINAS: To use as an office.
USOCAPCION: Appropriation of a property over a certain period of time( fixed).
USUFRUCTO: Usufruct right at a real estate.

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V
VALOR CATASTRAL: Official value of property (calculated by the town hall and used to generate the rate of ground tax).
VALOR COMPROBADO POR LA ADMINISTRACION: Assumed value of real estate as a base for the property tax.
VALOR REAL: Real value.

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Z
ZONA DE SERVIDUMBRE DE PROTECCION: Protected area up to 200 metres inland from the coast certain rules governing construction are in place.

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