Solicitor

I have a suggestion. I recently sold a property and the purchaser's vendor sent me a 60 page booklet to complete (on the Isle of Man but the principal is the same wherever). If you are buying why not do the same and incorporate the answers into the contract? The questions even asked if my dog had bitten anyone and if I had planning permission for my Sky dish.  It was a pain and included questions on boundaries and fences, drives and gates and previous, current and possible future disputes!  You could simply ask every question that could concern you and make the vendor complete it.

Manx. Thanks for that.   I am now even more glad I decided to live in Spain !!

the purchaser....sent me a 60 page booklet to complete...if you are buying why not do the same and incorporate the answers into the contract?

That's a truly superb idea Manxmonkey.  I wish I had done so recently, I hate being conned even though this time it only cost me a few hundered euros.  But far more importantly your suggestion should reduce the amount of fraud and misrepresentation by the vendor.

@Acer: I’m not sure it would get you anywhere. I did something like this when I bought my smallholding 8 years ago. Pretty much every answer the seller gave me was untrue. When I queried this, everyone shrugged and said words to the effect that they were unaware, or things have changed since then, or it was to the best of their knowledge, etc. My lawyer joined in the shrugging “He says he thought he had planning permission when he sold to you”. “The certificate that the mayor sent me saying you can build, he now says the system has changed since then”. If you let it upset you, you’ll end up tearing out your hair. The law and legal system will not back you up. Just accept that you’re probably going to get ripped off and do your best to minimse it.  You're quite  lucky you actually got a property for your money.

But we’d do it all again. We'd buy the same property. We love the country – we are still friends with “the seller” and have him around for a barbecue from time to time. We came to Spain from Cape Town, so not having people trying to rob and kill us 24/7 is a big plus.

Hello.

Here is a lawyer who is not lazy, nor incompetent or interested in developing relationships with compatriots rather than doing the work required by the client... :D

Hi GuyT,

Thanks for yours - do I detect just a hint of cynicism here?

We're all different.  I wouldn't get too upset either way, but I'm a bit litigious on the quiet.  I've never hesitated to issue proceedings when necessary and always been successful, usually without going to court. 

But you're right, enforcing your legal rights in Spain seems to be like pushing water up a hill.  They would probably foam at the mouth at the thought of adopting the UK "Money Claim Online" system.   But you have to start somewhere!