Free Notary consultations in La Nucia

 Notary's are basically "Commissioners for Oaths" - they are not professional advisors but a witness of the state. There are many transactions that are required by law to be witnessed by a Notary such as the buying and selling of property, taking out a mortgage or bank loan, making a will, having your signature witnessed. You cannot instruct a Notary as you can a professional advisor.

Purchasing a property in Spain is very different than doing so in the UK. There you exchange contracts, collect the keys and the property is yours. In Spain its quite an arduous process -a  Notary's signature is required by law to make the transaction legal and registered on the equivalent of the land registry.

On the day of signing everyone involved turns up at the Notary's office at the appointed hour and are shown into an office ... but you will still end up waiting around for hours. Eventually the Notary will breeze in and sit at the head of the table and start proceedings - always in Spanish, so you must have a translator present if you are not fluent. There can be up to a dozen people in the room for a house purchase - couple buying the property along with their estate agent, solicitor and bank manager and translator (if required) plus the same for the vendor! Its becomes rather crowded in the room. The actual process is very quick - the Notary will read aloud through the paper work and asks that you understand everything - he pauses as the translator talks you through what he is saying. If everyone is in agreement then the deeds are passed around for everyone to sign. The Notary will then leave the room and any cash transactions are then carried out. It is common practice in Spain not to decalre the full value of the property on the deeds therefore some of the transaction is in cash. In many cases the bank manager will bring out wads of cash and count it out to hand over to the other party. Since the introduction of the euro it has become easier with the 500€ note but when they had pesetas the pockets were literally bulging with the ammount of notes! It was always easy to spot a bank manager in the summer - they'd have a suit on with buttons done up to try and disguise the fact when everyone else was literally half naked due to the heat!

La Nucia Town Hall

Bart Gommans, Councillor for Foreign Residents in La Nucia would like to inform residents that the Town Hall have organised a free weekly Notary consultation service at the Town Hall. There are 2 sessions per week. The first is held every Tuesday from 9.00 - 11.00 by appointment only (tel 966 875 410) at the Town Hall extension, Calle Barbados - near roundabout No 5 (behind Mercadona) and the second on Wednesday morning from 9.00 - 11.00 at the main Town Hall in La Nucia on the Plaza Major (next to the church). The consultation is FREE and you will be able to ask advice in English so no need to bring a translator.