How can we help you?

Investing in a property overseas is a big step, so it is highly recommended  searching for legal advice on property law. Elena Lino is an English-speaking Spanish property lawyer that will help you at all matters regarding finding a property for sale in Spain and going through all the process to finally purchase your house. Elena Lino is a member  of the Law Society of Pontevedra, (membership number 1943) and she assures a professional regulated service during all the process.

It is important to bridge the gap between cultures and countries when you are representing international clients. For that reason, Elena Lino´s firm collaborates with  solicitors  and notaries of other countries to arrange Powers of Attorney, Certificates of English Law and other kinds of legal documents which have to be issued out of Spain for use before Spanish notaries, land registries and the court.

On legal matters, we provide:

• Legal searches regarding ownership and title, etc.
• Advice on how to deal with any title complications arising
• Administrative searches regarding planning proposals, etc.
• Check the coastal boundary line between public and private land if the house is located near the seafront
• Drafting and reviewing all the contracts. The most common  is called “arras” -( if the buyer pulls out he loses the deposit, if the seller pulls out he has to return double the deposit). Alternatively, another form of agreement may be made.
• Provision of English translations of all papers
• Supervision of the work done by the Notary [use of whom is compulsory in Spain]
• Advice on any particular Spanish aspects of the purchase
• Search to ascertain if there is a charge on the property
• Ensure that the property matches the seller’s description
• Agreeing the terms of the purchase with the seller or the estate agent such as taxes to be paid and what appliances and furniture are included in the price
• Checking that the seller’s mortgage (if any) is cancelled
• If the seller is non-resident in Spain, we ensure that all taxes are paid on the property including the 3% tax on the non-resident property
• If you do not wish to attend the closing meeting, we can act through a power of attorney
• Ensure that the deed of purchase and sale is registered at the local land registry
• Help to open a bank account
• Assist with obtaining a NIE – foreigners national identity number – required for all non-Spanish persons with property in Spain
• Advise on the necessary taxes to be paid.

In addition, if you require them, we will also provide you with:

• Arrangement of a structural survey
• Introduction to sources of finance
• Advice on setting up a business in your new house such as a bed&breakfast or a “casa de turismo rural”

The advantage of property lawyers?

• A much easier process
• Greater security in the integrity of the process.
• Saving of time and trouble, both via the provision of our services and the introduction to others
• Overall, a higher level of confidence in a much more secure transaction for you. In brief, peace of mind

Services not included

Although we don’t normally provide any of the following services, we can, of course, introduce you to people who do:

• Translation services for non-legal documents
• Interpreter services for meetings with non-English speaking agents and/or vendors
• Advice on building or restoration projects
• Provision of estimates for such projects
• Supervision of such projects