Glossary of Terms

(General Indication of Meaning :- Spanish to English translation)

Abogado: Lawyer, solicitor, barrister, counsel, or attorney

Acta: Minutes or transcript

Acta Notarial: Notary's deed or certificate. The document as a base for the inscription of a given property into the land register.

Afecciónes Registrales: Charges against the property in the register.

Agrupación: Consolidation of plots of land.

Alta Catastral: District valuers office.

Arras: Secured deposit to ensure that the purchaser will lose his deposit or the seller pays back double the amount if either fails to complete the deal.

Arrendamiento de Obra: Contract for work and labour carried out by a builder

Asiento de Presentación: Note of conveyance providing protection for the purchaser for a certain period of time against further registrations.

Boletin de Enganche: Certificate of the correct installation of the electrical wiring.

Cancelación: Document of cancellation for charges against the property in the land register.

Certificación: Certification.

Certificado Bancario de Devisas: Certificate issued by the bank that the price of purchase was paid with money of known provenance, required as part of money laundering legislation.

Certificado Final de Obra: Architectés certificate that the construction had been completed in compliance with relevant building regulations.

Código Civil: Civil law.

Colégio Oficial de Arquitectos: College of Architects.

Communidad de Propietarios: Community of Property Owners, which manages the estate, building or development. Contrato de Arrendamiento: Rental contract.

Contrato de Opción: Option contract where someone obtains the right to purchase a certain estate or property, paying 10% of the property price.

Copropietario: Part owner of a property within a community or joint owner of a house or land.

Cuota: Percentage that the owner has in a community or jointly owned property.

Declaración de Obra Nueva: Formal notarised declaration of new building works.

Delegación de Urbanismo: District Surveyorés Office, Grants for building permits.

Demarcación de Costas: Department for Coastal Protection - ensures compliance with coastal environmental and protection rules.

Division: Claim to divide jointly/community owned property.

Edificabilidad Maxima: Maximum floor area that can be built over at all levels.

Escritura: Title Deeds.

Escritura de Compraventa: Document is signed by a Notary showing that you are purchasing the property.

Escritura Publica: This is the official document which shows that you are the legal owner.

Fianza: Deposit, security.

Finca: Property, plot of land.

Finca Registral: Registered property or land.

Hacienda Publica: Tax Office.

Hipoteca: Mortgage.

I.B.I (Impuesto Sobre Bienes Immuebles): Council tax or rates.

Impuesto de Actos Juridicos doCumentados: Stamp duty (approximately 1 % of the purchase price).

Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales: Transfer tax on real estate (6% of the amount declared in the "Escritura" ).

Impuesto Sobre Construcciónes, Instalaciónes y Obras: Local tax for building works.

Impuesto Sobre el Patrimonio/Plusvalia: Local tax on capital gain on real estate.

Impuesto de Sociedades: Corporation tax.

Impuesto Sobre Sucesiones y Donaciones: Death duty, inheritance tax and gift/donation tax.

Impuestos Municipales: Local taxes.

Impuesto Sobre el Valor Aņadido (IVA): Value Added Tax (VAT) - normally 16%.

Impuesto Sobre la Renta a Personas Fisicas (IRPF): Income tax.

Institución de Heredero: Insertion of one or several heirs.

Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos: Rental law.

Ley de la Propiedad Horizontal: Law relative to 'Communidades' - NB;- this law governs groups of houses, apartments and complete urbanisations.

Ley del Suelo: Ground law.

Licencia de Obras: Building permission.

NIE (Numero Personal de Indentificacion de Extranjero): ID number for non- residents.

NIF (Numero de Indentificacion Fiscal): ID number for residents.

Nota Simple Informativa: Extract from the land register with main points from the land registry.

Notario: A state appointed official who notarises public to make sure that a contract is legally correct. The notary does not have either partiesé interests in mind, only the legitimacy of the documents.

Obligación Personal: Unlimited tax obligations for residents.

Obligación Real: Limited tax obligations for non-residents.

Ocupación Maxima: Maximum permitted roofed area.

Parcela: Plot.

Perito: Valuer or assessor.

Permiso de Obra Nueva o de Construcción: Building licence/permit.

Plan Parcial: Development.

Planta: Floor.

Plusvalia: Capital Gains Tax.

Posesion Precio: Possession purchase price.

Procurador: Representative of a party at court in addition to the lawyer (similar to a barrister).

Promotor: Developer.

Propiedad: Property.

Propietario: Owner.

Protocolización: Certification of a foreign document certificate by a Spanish notary.

Proyecto de Ejecución de Obra: Plans for a project before receiving the building licence.

Referencia Catastral: Land Registry document relating to the property location.

Recepción Definitiva: Final acceptance of the construction.

Registro de la Propiedad: Land Register.

S.A. (Sociedad Anonima): PLC.

S.L. (Sociedad Limitada): LTD.

Saneamiento: Sanitation.

Segregacion: Separation of a part of the property.

Separación a Linderos: Minimum distance of a building to the neighbouring property.

Servidumbre de Transito: Right of Way (if there is no direct public access to the the property).

Solar: Building plot.

Suelo No Urbanizable: Green areas or natural reserves that cannot be built on.

Suelo Urbanizable: Areas which may be built on.

Suelo Urbano: Urban area.

Tasa: Local tax for receiving the building permit.

Toma de posesion: Handing-over the keys.

Traspaso: Transfer of rental or lease contracts.

U.T.M. : Number of a plot at the District Valuers Office.

Urbanización privada: Private community/development.

Uso de Oficinas: Property that has office use.

Usocapción: Right to use property over a fixed period of time.

Usufructo: Right to use and enjoy a property.

Valor Catastral: Rateable value/valuation - reviewed annually and the basis for calculating land tax.

Valor Comprobado Por la Administración: Assumed value of a property as a base for the property tax.

Valor Real: Real value.

Zona de Servidumbre de Protección: Stretches of protected coast from 100 to 200 metres which have special rules concerning construction.