Storm214

Hello,

Thank you for reading our message.

We are visiting Playa Flamenca soon to view some properties. We are looking to purchase a house/villa and was hoping that we may get some good advice from here?

Can anyone recommend a good Solicitor that speaks English, notery and possibly surveyor?

Can anyone suggest any questions we should be asking the agents when we visit?

We would be really grateful of any advice.

Thank you in advance

Regards

Adele x

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

missile

There are no solicitors in Spain. The nearest equivalent of a solicitor is called Abogado. I would recommend [email protected].

You may also hear the term Gestor. In simple terms; Gestor is a legal professional qualified to a lesser standard than Abogado.

You do not "choose" a notary

UK style property surveyors do not exist in Spain.

Make sure property is legal and has not been extended without planning permission. Make sure there are no outstanding debts linked to the property.

There are many other questions you need to ask. Any good Estate Agent / Abogado will advise you on what you need to know.

rspltd

In some cases a gestor can be qualified but in a number of cases they are only people who are versed in Spanish bureacracy. Anyone tried suing a gestor for incompetence ..........and succeeding??

Moses2013

If you're in the UK Google Spanish lawyer UK and you should find someone who offers the whole package.

Storm214

Thank you for your help.

NKing

Good luck with the purchase. If you're still looking for a good, reliable lawyer who speaks English, try West Med Solicitors (Pedro Suances) - the best I've dealt with and in your area.

WEST MED CONSULTING |BUFETE DE ABOGADOS|TORREVIEJA |ALICANTE

Storm214

I have read that if you live in the UK and are purchasing a property in Spain you should employ a lawyer based in the UK. Has anyone else been given this advice?

missile

Bad advice

Moses2013

It's up to you and everybody will say something different. Personally I think it's a good idea to go to a Spanish lawyer/Notary based in the UK, if you're living in the UK. You can see them in person, rather than doing everything through the internet. If you're not travelling to Spain, you'll need a power of attorney and an Apostille. We used a German lawyer based in Spain, but had to go a notary to verify our passports here at home. It would have been easier to use the law firm at home in my opinion, because it would have saved time and was more personal.

missile

I would rather employ a legal expert who is conversant with the area into which I was buying. If you were relocating from say London to Aberdeen, would you use a solicitor based in London?

FYI:
You don't actually need to employ a layer and many don't.
You cannot use a notary based in the UK (or Germany) to purchase a house in Spain.
You (or your representative with PoA) must be present to complete the purchase in the presence of the Spanish notary. Thus your German based lawyer would have had to travel to Spain.

Moses2013

I said a Spanish lawyer/Notary (not just Notary) in the UK. There are plenty of firms that do both. The German lawyer we used also had offices in Spain, so it was no problem, however it would have been easier to use a Lawyer/Notary here at home, because we needed the passports verified etc. I don't see a problem using a registered Spanish Lawyer/Notary in the UK and it's usually a fixed price.

missile

I appreciate you said lawyer/notary. That was your first mistake. These are two discrete functions.

The problems are>
1. Both parties and witness to their signatures must be present for the notary to notarise the sale .... in Spain.

2. PoA is given to a named individual. Your German lawyer based in Germany could not pass on this PoA to his colleague based in Spain.

Moses2013

:

I think you're mixing things up.
I'm taking about the notary to verify your passports if you're not in Spain, not the notary when you sign the papers in Spain (Two different things).

missile

I would suggest it is you who is mixing things up and making a simple process unnecessarily complicated.