11 Apr 2013 16:50:

Hi there - I don´t know these particular clubs, but please be advised that in Spain anything which is described as a nightclub is usually a strip joint / brothel.

I would steer your teenagers to a different kind of establishment if I were you!

Thread: nightclubs in los alcazares

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10 Apr 2013 16:11:

Hi - yes, John, this is the way they deal with the Hab Certs here. 

Apart from the first certificate being a really important document, it does seem a complete waste of money and effort to have to keep updating these and it is only the utility companies who bother about them.  I did wonder how the new energy certificates might change things, but haven´t seen any reference to that in the stuff I have read.

 

Thread: Habitation certificate

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10 Apr 2013 15:56:

As with most things in Spain, there are different rules for different areas.

In this area a Habitation Certificate lasts for 5 years and after that a new one should be obtained if the house changes hands, as the utility companies can ask for an up to date certificate before changing over the supply to the new name.

However, sometimes the utility companies allow the original certificate up to 10 years.  Sometimes they don´t even ask!  Some buyers get around it by just leaving the utilities in the old name and changing bank details for the direct debits.

You can apply for a certificate of 2nd habitation, and in some areas they ask for an architect to certify there are no changes to the property, and in others they don´t bother.  Some areas charge for the certificate and others don´t and an architect can cost around 400€.

There is no need for a new owner to have a new certificate - it will only be needed, if at all, when the property changes hands.

What is really important is that a new property should have a certificate before it is sold for the first time, as this states that the council have accepted that the property has been completed, including the infrastructure.

I am sure others will have different experiences, but this is what happens in this area and I hope it is helpful.

Thread: Habitation certificate

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15 Mar 2013 12:25:

This is an issue which I am always in two minds about.  When I first came here it was always a pain to get to shops and find they were shut, but then I got into the way of doing things here and appreciated that the Spanish do put family life before all else.  It still annoys me though that Ikea doesn´t open many Sundays!

As for the union issue, I used to be a shop steward (very briefly) and believe in workers´ rights, but I think there needs to be a balance and that services need to be available when the customer wants them.  I do think it will change over time but Spain has never really cared much about customer service, has it? 

Thread: This News Really Annoys Me!

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09 Mar 2013 13:03:

Hi Dorothy and welcome to the forum.

It would be helpful if you gave your area, as the rules vary in different areas.  Some ask for the Padron first and some ask you to register as a resident first.  In this area (Orihuela) you apply in the town hall for the municipality, not the individual village, and they are keen to have more people on the Padron because they get extra funding for each person.

You are entitled to be on the Padron if you own a legal house and live here, so don't give up!

 

Thread: health care for pensioner

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