Tag: Spanish lawyer in Manchester
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Paying the purchase of a Spanish property in stages: a story about family, trust and taxes
I just came back from a property completion in Fuengirola that has proved anything buy easy. While sipping an extremely hot americano in the plane, elbows locked between two passengers-I hate it when I get assigned the middle seat- I started to to convey into paper, well in this case it is a laptop, my…
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Uncle Jimmy has died: A practical case on intestacy rules on a Spanish estate
There is no better way to learn and update our knowledge than with life itself. Very often, a lawyer´s knowledge updates as new cases get through the door of the office. This is what happened with uncle Jimmy´s case. Obviously, this is not his real name but it is a name that could perfectly apply…
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Under-declaration of the sale price of a Spanish property
Believe it or not, I still come across property transactions where one of the parties, usually the seller, asks for part of the sale price to be paid in cash or, even worse, paid with a bank transfer but not shown on the deeds. The first one is flagrantly illegal but the second is simply…
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SUBJECT TO MORTGAGE OR NOT SUBJECT TO MORTGAGE : THAT IS THE QUESTION
I have to confess—sometimes estate agents drive me crazy, especially here in my hometown of Barcelona. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of reliable and professional agents. But lately, probably due to the rising property prices in the city, I’ve noticed a recurring practice that really frustrates me. I’m talking about the buyer’s right…
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Returning the keys to the bank after the death of a relative
One of the first phrases that I learnt when I moved to the UK to work as a Spanish lawyer was “catch 22”. At the beginning I did not have a clue as to what it meant (‘a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or limitations’ says Wikipedia) but…
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Oxford, annual conference and Brexit
Antonio Guillen attended the annual conference of lawfirm Gunnercooke, where he is a partner, and met his colleagues, including Spanish lawyer Claudia Font, to talk about the progress of the firm as well as other interesting topics such as personal development, stress management and of course…Brexit. One of the things that Antonio pointed out to…
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Renting property in Barcelona
Ah, Barcelona. Lovely city. Famous for its gastronomy, football, fashion and its Architecture, specially buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi such as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila or Parc Güell. A very cosmopolitan city with inhabitants of all countries and cultures. Also a great place for foreign remote workers and professionals…
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What is the plusvalía tax? And why should it be charged after the death of a person?
This is a question very frequently asked by our clients. The question usually comes with a frown on the face. Clients understand the concept of Inheritance tax: someone dies, and the Tax office applies a tax because the beneficiary gets “presumably” wealthier. So far, so good but what is the plusvalía tax then? Clearly, the…
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Buying property in Spain under-value
Spain is still recovering from the brutal economic recession that has affected its economy for the last 10 years. One of the main consequences of the recession was the collapse of the property market where properties went down in value consistently, reaching lower values that left many property owners in negative equity as their…
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I am British. Can I still get a Spanish passport?
I have connections with Spain. Can I apply for a Spanish Passport so I can keep my European status in the event of a potential hard-brexit? Now that Brexit has been implemented, some British citizens with connections with other European countries are considering applying for dual…