Intestate succession: what happens if I die without a will?

14/12/2017

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In this article you will find

The death of people is a natural fact, an immutable and inevitable biological reality that reaches all human beings, since all of us, sooner or later, die.

This reality generates a series of consequences in the patrimonial sphere of individuals that must be ordered and resolved, since every human being, when he or she dies, to a greater or lesser extent, has a series of assets, rights and obligations whose ownership must be transferred.

On this basis, the Spanish legislator, being aware of the transcendence generated by the death of persons, has long established a set of legal rules that regulate the succession of persons, that is to say, the set of rules that should regulate how the new ownership of the assets, rights and obligations of a person is determined when that person dies. Currently, these rules can be found in the Civil Code, which covers a large number of precepts (which in itself denotes the importance of the matter), specifically Articles 657 to 1087.

Entering already in the analysis of the above mentioned regulations, first of all, it is necessary to make reference that the right to succeed a person is transmitted from the moment of his death (article 657). Thus, when a person dies, a right to succession is generated, that is to say, a right in favor of a person to become the new owner of all the assets, rights and obligations of this deceased person.

The legislator has established (article 658) two main ways of determining to which persons the succession rights of the deceased person will correspond:

The will (object of analysis in another article of my blog), that is to say, that act in which a person expressly determines how his estate should be distributed at the time of his death. In this case, we can speak of testate succession.
And in the absence of a will, that is to say, when the deceased person has not granted a will, the succession will be governed by the provisions of the law, that is to say, the ownership of the estate of the deceased will be attributed to the person or persons that the legal norms establish to that effect. In this case, we may speak of intestate succession.

In this blog article I am going to refer precisely to this second possibility: "When a person dies without having named one or more successors by will". In the absence of foresight on the part of the deceased, it will be the law who will be directly in charge (through the notary) of naming the successor corresponding to the deceased.

To approach this complex subject, I will do it as always with the exposition scheme: question and answer. Trying to be as concise and graphic as possible. Let's get to it.

What is intestate succession?

As has just been indicated, the succession of persons can be governed by two main ways, namely, by the will and by the provisions of the law (Article 658). Thus, when a person dies, the determination of the new ownership of his assets, rights and obligations will always be ordered: in the first place, by what the deceased had established in his will and, in the absence of a will or when the same could not be applied; in its absence and second place, by the rules and precepts established by the Civil Code in this respect.

On this basis, intestate succession can be defined as the set of cases in which a person either dies without a will, or in which there are certain circumstances that prevent the will that may exist from being applicable to the testator's succession.

The specific regulation that determines in which specific cases intestate succession can be used can be found in Article 912 of the Civil Code:

When a person dies without a will, or with a will that is null and void or that has later lost its validity. This first assumption defined by the law details several different situations, among which it is worth mentioning:

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In the first place, and logically, the case in which a person dies without a will, in which case it is clear and evident that the rules of intestate succession will apply to order his or her succession.
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Likewise, this section includes another assumption such as the nullity of the will, which will happen for example when the formalities established by law have not been observed in its execution (article 687), when the person who executed it was not in full use of his mental faculties (article 685) or if it has been executed with violence, fraud or deceit (article 673). In any case, this declaration of nullity can only be declared by virtue of a court judgment.
When the will does not contain an institution of heir in all or part of its assets, or does not provide for all the assets or rights that correspond to the testator. In this second case, we can refer mainly to those situations in which the testator has not designated a successor in a universal or general way (e.g. heir), but has distributed his inheritance by means of specific awards (e.g. in bequests), but part of his assets have not been assigned to anyone in particular. In such cases, the intestate succession will only take place with respect to the assets or rights that the deceased had not said anything in his will.

When the condition attached to the institution of the heir is missing; or when the heir dies before the testator; or when the heir repudiates the inheritance, without having a substitute and without there being a right of accretion in favor of other heirs. In this third set of situations, the following cases can be distinguished:
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In the first place, when the condition imposed on the heir is not fulfilled, that is to say, when an heir has been instituted under condition and said condition has not been fulfilled, thus, the condition of heir has not been reached (as, for example, if a person has instituted a nephew as heir in exchange for him to take care of the testator until his death, and said care has not been provided).
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Likewise, the intestate succession will proceed when the heir dies before the testator and, if there are no other persons in the will to whom it corresponds to inherit (e.g. not having foreseen and named in the will itself a substitute in case of the possible absence of the principal heir). I remind at this point, that the right to succeed the deceased is transmitted with the death of the latter, therefore, if the person named as heir in a will dies before the testator himself, there is no such right.
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The last case described in this section corresponds to those situations in which the heirs repudiate the inheritance (i.e., formally reject it so that they do not wish to acquire ownership of the assets, rights or obligations that have been granted to them) and there are no other persons to whom it corresponds to inherit (either by right of substitution or right of accretion), in which case the opening of the intestate succession will also proceed.
When the heir is incapable of succeeding. Lastly, the legislator establishes that intestate succession will be applicable when the heir is incapable of succeeding, which will happen, among other cases, when there are causes of unworthiness to succeed (Article 756) or in the cases of dispositions in favor of the Notary who authorized the will (Article 754), in favor of the testator's guardian or curator (in the terms of Article 753), or in favor of an incapable person (Article 755).

Who has the right to succeed the deceased in intestate succession?

The order of succession in cases of intestate succession, that is to say, to which persons and in what order it corresponds to declare heirs, in our legal system is determined by what is established in the Civil Code in its articles 930 and following.

Thus, as regards the order of succession generically understood, it is necessary to specify that:

The deceased's descendants (children or grandchildren) will always inherit.
In the absence of these, the ascendants of the deceased (parents or grandparents) will inherit.
In the absence of ascendants and descendants, the surviving spouse, if any, will inherit.
In the absence of descendants, ascendants and surviving spouse, collateral relatives up to the fourth degree (i.e., siblings, nieces, nephews, etc.) will be entitled to inherit.
And in the absence of all of them, the succession will correspond to the State.

Having already detailed the generic order for intestate succession, it is now necessary to specify certain aspects in each of these different possible heirs:

As far as descendants are concerned, the following issues need to be taken into account:

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That children and descendants succeed their parents and other ascendants without distinction of sex, age or filiation (article 931).

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That the children of the deceased shall inherit in their own right and shall divide the inheritance equally (Article 932).

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On the contrary, the grandchildren and other descendants will inherit by right of representation, and, if someone has died leaving several heirs, the portion that corresponds to him will be divided among them in equal parts (Article 933). For a better understanding of the figure of the right of representation and of this case, please refer to the following question dedicated to it.

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In any case, it is also necessary to bear in mind, however, that if the descendants concur in the inheritance of the deceased with the widowed spouse, the latter will be entitled to the usufruct of the third destined for improvement (Article 834).

As regards the particularities relating to ascendants in the declaration of intestate heirs, it is necessary to highlight:

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If both the father and the mother of the deceased are living, both shall inherit in equal shares (Article 936). On the other hand, if only one of the parents survived, this one will succeed the child in all his inheritance (Article 937).

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In any case, in the absence of these (i.e., if the father and mother of the deceased have already died), the closest ascendants in degree, i.e., grandparents in the first term, great-grandparents afterwards, etc., will succeed (Article 938).

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Likewise, in the event that the parents of the deceased are absent, and it corresponds to other ascendants to inherit:

If there are several ascendants of the same degree belonging to the same line, they will divide the inheritance by heads (Article 939). As an example, in this case, if only the paternal grandparents of the deceased are living, the inheritance will be divided equally between the two of them.
On the other hand, if there are ascendants of different lines, but of equal degree, half will correspond to the paternal ascendants and the other half to the maternal ascendants (Article 940). For example, if in this case the paternal grandparents of the deceased and also his maternal grandmother are living, 50% of the inheritance will correspond to the paternal grandparents and the remaining 50% to the maternal grandmother.

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Finally, in this section it is also necessary to specify that, if the ascendants concur in the inheritance of the deceased with the widowed spouse, the latter will be entitled to the usufruct of half of the inheritance (Article 837).

As regards the particularities of the succession of the spouse, it is only necessary to specify, as has been said, that in the absence of ascendants and descendants, if any, the surviving spouse will succeed to all the assets of the deceased (Article 944), but with the proviso that this will not be the case when they are legally or de facto separated (Article 945).
As regards the succession of collateral relatives, it is necessary to detail that starting from the general principle according to which siblings and children of siblings (i.e., nephews and nieces) succeed in preference to other collaterals (Article 946), the following situations can be identified:

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When there are only siblings of the deceased:

On this basis, it is necessary to specify in the first place that, if there are only siblings, and all of them are of double bond (i.e. of the same father and mother), they will inherit in equal shares (Article 947).
However, if there are also only siblings, some with a double bond (i.e., of the same father and mother) with other half-siblings (i.e., with only one common father or mother), the former will have a double portion (Article 949).
On the other hand, if there are only siblings, and all of them are half-siblings, they will all inherit in equal shares (Article 950).

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When there are siblings of the deceased and children of another pre-deceased sibling (i.e., nephews of the deceased): In such a case, in accordance with Article 948 of the aforementioned Civil Code, in combination with the right of representation contained in Article 927, it will allow that when brothers of the deceased concur with nephews of the deceased, children of pre-deceased brothers of double bond, the former inherit by heads and the latter by lineage. By way of example, if a person died leaving alive only a brother and two children of another brother already deceased (i.e. two nephews), the brother would be entitled to 50% of the inheritance and each of the nephews 25%.

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When there are neither siblings nor children of siblings: In such a case, the other relatives in the collateral line up to the fourth degree, beyond which the right to inherit intestate does not extend. By way of clarification for the computation of degrees in kinship:

The decedent's siblings are 2nd degree collaterals;
The decedent's nieces and nephews are 3rd degree collaterals;
The decedent's uncles and aunts are 3rd degree collaterals;
The decedent's cousins are 4th degree collaterals;
Second nephews and nieces (i.e., children of a first cousin) are 5th degree collaterals.

Finally, in the absence of all the relatives indicated above (descendants, ascendants, spouse and collateral relatives up to the fourth degree), the inheritance in question will correspond to the State (Article 956), which will liquidate the estate and pay the resulting amount to the Public Treasury, unless the Council of Ministers agrees to give them totally or partially another application, due to the nature of the inherited assets.

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In any case, two thirds of the value of the relict estate will be destined to purposes of social interest, being added to the tax allocation made for these purposes in the General State Budget.

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By way of conclusion on this aspect, it is also necessary to specify that the State will always accept inheritances for the benefit of inventory (Article 957) and that in order for the State to take possession of these hereditary assets and rights it must proceed to the administrative declaration of heir (Article 958), a procedure regulated in Article 20 of Law 33/2003, of November 3, 2003, on the Patrimony of Public Administrations.

What is the right of representation?

The right of representation is an inheritance right regulated in articles 924 to 929 of the Civil Code, by virtue of which the relatives of a deceased person are recognized as having the right to take his place in all the rights he would have had if he were alive or had been able to inherit.

"Thus, and by way of example, in a case of intestate succession in which a person dies with only one living child and two grandchildren (the latter, children of a second child previously deceased), the two grandchildren will acquire the inheritance rights to the succession of their grandfather by representation of their deceased father."

As the most important aspects of this right of representation, it is necessary to state the following:

The right of representation always takes place in the descending line (i.e. from parents to children, grandchildren, etc.) but never in the ascending line. As far as the collateral straight line is concerned, it will only take place in favor of the children of siblings (a matter already detailed in the previous section).
Whenever succession is by representation, the division of the inheritance will be made by lineage, so that the representative or representatives do not inherit more than what the represented party would inherit, if living (following the previous example, this implies that the son of the deceased would be entitled to 50% of the inheritance and the two grandchildren the remaining 50% to be divided between them).
On the other hand, it is also necessary to point out that the right to represent a person is not lost for having renounced his or her inheritance (i.e., for example, a person could renounce the inheritance of a parent and subsequently compete for the inheritance of his or her grandparent by virtue of the right of representation).
Finally, the Civil Code establishes in this matter that a living person may be represented only in cases of disinheritance or incapacity (so that, for example, children of disinherited or incapacitated persons may participate in the inheritance of their grandparents by right of representation, even if their parents are still alive).

What should I do if I believe I am entitled to inherit from a relative who has died without a will?

The most important thing is to effectively rule out that the deceased did not have a will or, if he did have one, that such will is not applicable. To do this, it will be necessary:

First, obtain the death certificate of the deceased. In order to obtain the death certificate of a deceased relative, the following should be considered:

It will always be necessary that the death be previously registered in the Civil Registry of the municipality where the death occurs. The registration of the death must be made within 24 hours after the death and always before the burial. In order to register the death, the medical certificate of death must be provided.
It can be requested in person, by ordinary mail or by Internet without digital certificate (in the latter case, as long as the corresponding Civil Registry has the data digitized). The application is free of charge. If it is needed urgently, it is necessary to say so at the moment of requesting it and it will be delivered within 24 hours.
It can be requested by any citizen who so requires and has an interest, except for the legally established exceptions that prevent it from being made public without special authorization. To request it, the name and surname of the deceased, the date and place of death must be indicated.

Secondly, once the death certificate of the deceased has been obtained. The corresponding certificate must be requested from the Registry of Last Wills, in order to verify whether or not the deceased had a will. To obtain such certificate you can:

Apply directly (in person or by ordinary mail at any of the Territorial Management Offices of the Ministry of Justice), by filling out a form (form 790), allowing 15 working days to elapse from the date of death, providing the literal death certificate or a notarized copy of the same and, finally, proving payment of the corresponding fee (3.74 euros).
The application can be made through any notary simply by allowing 15 working days to elapse from the date of death, providing the literal death certificate and providing the applicant's national identity document.

In both cases, due to the increase in demand for the issuance of certificates of last will and testament, the average waiting time to obtain it is approximately one month.

Third, once the certificate is obtained from the Registry of Last Wills, two possibilities are always open:

If one or more wills appear on the certificate, the copy of the most recent will should be requested. The last will always leaves the previous one without effect. A copy should be requested in person from the notary who holds the last will. Well, once the death certificate, the certificate of last will and testament and the copy of the last will and testament have been obtained, the next logical step would be to comply with the orders imposed by the deceased in his will (e.g. that the person designated as heir in said will, carry out the inventory, accept and distribute, if applicable, the inheritance of the deceased, notarially).
In case no will appears in said certificate. A notary must then be chosen and asked to formally declare, in accordance with the applicable legislation, who are the heirs of the deceased. This formal declaration, which must necessarily be made by a notary, is called: "Act of Declaration of Intestate Heirs" (the detailed and practical study of which will be discussed below).

Who can request the notarial act of declaration of intestate heirs?

In accordance with Article 54.2 of the Law of 28 May 1862, Organic Law on Notaries (wording given by the eleventh final provision of Law 15/2015, of 2 July, on voluntary jurisdiction), the act of declaration of intestate heirs may be requested by persons who have a legitimate interest in it in the opinion of the notary.

It is not necessary that the applicant be the heir of the deceased, the legitimate interest is sufficient, which must be assessed in each case by the notary. For example, there is interest in the son who wants to be declared heir of his father, but also in the grandson who needs to declare his deceased father heir in order to be able to accept his grandfather's inheritance.

However, when any of the interested parties is a minor or a person with judicially modified capacity and lacks a legal representative, the notary will communicate this circumstance to the Public Prosecutor's Office so that it can initiate the designation of a legal defender (Article 55.1.3).

Is there any deadline to process the declaration of intestate heirs?

There is no deadline neither for initiating the declaration of heirs nor for the partition of the inheritance. What there is, however, is a fiscal obligation to pay the inheritance and gift tax within 6 months after the death of a person.

Which Notary is competent to process the act of declaration of intestate heirs?

With regard to the territorial competence of the notary to request this act, the aforementioned Article 55.1 of the Notary Act establishes that acts of notoriety of this nature may only be authorized by a competent notary, at the choice of the applicant, from among all those indicated below:

The notary of the place where the deceased had his last domicile or habitual residence.
The notary of the place where most of the deceased person' s estate is located.
The notary of the place where the deceased died.
The competent notary in a district adjacent to the previous ones.
And, in the absence of all of them, before the notary of the applicant's domicile.

Therefore, the current notarial legislation leaves a great deal of leeway to the interested party when it comes to choosing the notary of his choice to carry out this procedure.

How can I request and initiate a declaration of intestate succession?

In order to file for the declaration of intestate heirs, the interested party should simply contact the Notary Office and request an appointment for this purpose, on the day and time that is most convenient for him/her.

In addition, the following documentation must be provided in order to request and initiate the declaration of intestate heirs:

National Identity Card in force of the person requesting the deed ( it is enough if it is only one person to carry out the deed, although for the acceptance of the inheritance all the declared heirs will have to sign).
Certificate of death of the deceased that accredits his death.
Certificate of last will and testament certifying the non-existence of a will or, if applicable, a copy of the will whose content cannot be applicable (for example, because all the persons designated in it as heirs have died).
Literal birth certificate of the deceased issued by the corresponding Civil Registry, in order to accredit his or her civil status and the law applicable to his or her succession.
Marriage certificate of the deceased if he/she was married (this verifies whether or not there was a divorce or legal separation).
DNI or Certificate of census registration of the deceased issued by the corresponding City Hall, to prove the last domicile of the deceased.
The Family Book of the deceased or literal certificates of birth of the children that accredits the kinship and their condition of interested in the inheritance of the deceased.

Finally, in addition to providing the above documentation, it will be necessary that the applicant or requester of the act:

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Go to the notary's office accompanied by two witnesses of legal age who know the family (they can be neighbors, friends or relatives, as long as the latter do not have a direct interest in the declaration).

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Provide the identification data (a photocopy of the National Identity Card would suffice) of the persons to be declared as heirs.

How long does it take to process the Intestate Declaration of Inheritance?

Actually, the processing time will depend mainly on how long it takes the interested party or applicant to gather the necessary documentation. In order to initiate the process, it is essential to provide all the documentation detailed in the previous question.

Once the record has been initiated, in order to close it and issue the corresponding copy , it is necessary to wait 20 working days from the communication of the same by the authorizing notary to the Dean's Office of the College of Notaries to which he/she belongs. This term is recognized in the notarial regulations so that it can be checked:

whether the facts of the statement are correct,
if there is no other party interested in the declaration whose existence has been omitted,
if a previous declaration has already been processed.

During said period, the notary may not issue any type of copy of the minutes. Once said period has elapsed without any type of incidence or additional evidentiary procedure, the notary, without the need for a new appearance of the petitioners or witnesses, shall record in a separate document his final judgment as to whether the facts on which his declaration of heirs is based are sufficiently accredited by notoriety.

How much does it cost to grant a declaration of intestate succession?

There is no fixed price for a declaration of intestate succession. In order to calculate the exact cost, several factors must be taken into account:

A fixed minimum amount typical of notarial deeds without amount (€30.05).
A variable amount depending on the length of the act and the number of documents attached as supporting documentation (death certificate, certificate of last will, etc.).
The notary's travel expenses if exceptionally necessary (18 € per hour).
The corresponding supplements in this type of deed, such as: the stamped paper used (0.15 € per page) and possible communications or announcements if necessary.
Finally, bear in mind that since it is the provision of a service (even if it is a public service), it is subject to Value Added Tax ( 21% VAT).

In order to have an approximate total cost based on the factors just explained. Assuming that the length of the document is around 15 pages (our typical model including the usual annexed documentation), that 1 authentic copy is issued and that the notary does not have to travel to sign, the declaration of intestate heirs act costs 190 euros (VAT included).

Where can I find the current and valid regulations on the subject?

In order to refer to the current regulations, we must distinguish 3 large blocks:

Regarding intestate succession. It is important to be clear that, together with the general regulation of our Civil Code analyzed in this post (articles 930 to 958 respectively), there are special or foral civil legislations (e.g. Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Aragon, Navarra, Basque Country and Galicia) with their particularities.
To be aware of the notable differences between the state regulations and those of some Autonomous Communities, download the document: "Intestate Succession in Catalonia and its particularities".
Regarding the notarial act of declaration of intestate heirs. The legal basis for the notarial processing of such deed was Article 979 of the Civil Procedure Law of 1881, which only allowed the declaration affecting descendants, ascendants or spouse of the deceased to be notarized, and in any other case, the notary would have to go to the Court. It was developed in Article 209 bis of the Notarial Regulations. With the new Law of Voluntary Jurisdiction, this regulation is understood to have been repealed and the new articles 54 and 55 of the Notary Law are now applicable. The main novelty of these articles is that they also allow the notary to request and process notarial acts of declaration of intestate heirs in the case of collateral relatives and persons united by an analogous relationship of affectivity to the spousal relationship.
Regarding the economic cost of the intestate deed. All notaries should charge the same amount for this service. The notarial fees are set out in Royal Decree 1426/1989, which is applicable to all notaries practicing in Spain, without any distinction between territories in this case.

Final conclusion:

To conclude my article, I will use the magnificent explanation made on the subject by a prestigious colleague, José Carmelo Llopis, who in my opinion, very correctly defines the act of declaration of heirs intestate as:

"that notarial document that allows, applying the corresponding civil regulations, to determine who are the heirs of a person and in what proportion, when there is no will".

José Carmelo Llopis himself, encourages or advises on the convenience of making a will and thus avoid intestate succession for the following 3 reasons:

December 2023

1.- RENUNCIATION OF INHERITANCE AND VULGAR SUBSTITUTION. IF THE TESTAMENTARY DESIGNATION TO THE SUBSTITUTES IS GENERIC ("CHILDREN" OR "DESCENDANTS"), WITH THE SIMPLE AFFIRMATION THAT THESE DO NOT EXIST, IT IS ENOUGH TO FORMALIZE THE RENUNCIATION AND SUBSEQUENT ADJUDICATION TO WHOM IT CORRESPONDS:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of October 30, 2023 (BOE of November 22, 2023), where the DG resolves a case of an acceptance of inheritance of a woman, deceased widow, with two daughters, whom, in her will, she designated as heirs in equal parts, with vulgar substitution by their respective children or descendants. When the acceptance of the inheritance is formalized, one of the sisters renounces to the inheritance, and in the deed, the renouncing one simply states that she has no children or descendants (without proving it in any way), so that the other sister is awarded the whole inheritance. The Registrar denies the registration because he understands that the non-existence of children or descendants must be accredited (by notoriety deed or by any means valid in Law).

The authorizing Notary appealed the qualification and the DG, aligning itself with the latter, revoked the qualification note, confirming that, when the testamentary substitution is made in a generic form (with expressions such as "children" or "descendants", that is to say, without nominative appeals), the simple manifestation of the non-existence of these is sufficient to formalize the renunciation and subsequent acceptance by the heir favored by said renunciation.

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2.- SALE OF LEASED PROPERTY. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE THE TENANT'S WAIVER OF THE RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL IN ORDER TO REGISTER:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of November 8, 2023 (BOE of November 30, 2023), where the DG resolves a case of a sale and purchase of leased real estate (premises), in whose deed the Notary certifies that he has been shown a deed where the lessee waives his right of preferential acquisition recognized by the LAU.

The Registrar denies the registration, alleging that it is necessary that he also be accredited, with evidence, the details and circumstances of the waiver (providing a copy of the waiver deed where the Registrar can analyze its terms, the legitimacy of the person granting it, etc.). The DG revokes the qualification note, considering that the Notary's attesting that the lessee has waived his right of first refusal is sufficient, since the Law does not attribute powers to the Registrar to qualify the terms of such waiver.

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3.- IN CATALONIA THE PRE-LEGATEE CAN TAKE POSSESSION, BY HIMSELF, OF THE PRE-LEGACY ASSETS:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DG de Dret, Entitats Jurídiques i Mediació de Catalunya of October 27, 2023 (DOGC of November 8, 2023), where a case is resolved regarding an acceptance of inheritance with several co-heirs, where one of them, in addition, being a pre-legatee of a property, accepts his part of the inheritance and, also, unilaterally, is awarded said property that forms the pre-legatee. The Land Registry refuses the registration on the grounds that, in order for such adjudication to take effect, the agreement of all the heirs is necessary.

The authorizing Notary Public appeals and the DG, aligning itself with the latter, revokes the qualification note, recalling that, in accordance with the CCCat (art. 427-22), the legatee can take possession of the legacy himself if it is a pre-legacy.

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4.- SALE AND PURCHASE WITH RESOLUTORY CONDITION IN CATALONIA. INTERPRETATION OF THE PERCENTAGES OF NON-PAYMENT NECESSARY TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DG de Dret, Entitats Jurídiques i Mediació de Catalunya of November 10, 2023 (DOGC of December 1, 2023), which resolves a case related to a deed of termination of sale, in accordance with an agreed and registered resolutory condition, due to the non-payment of amounts owed.

In this case, the DG establishes the correct interpretation of article 621-54 CCCat, by virtue of which, in order to terminate the sale and purchase due to non-payment of the deferred amounts (so that the sellers recover the ownership of the property) it is necessary that the unpaid amounts exceed 15% of the full price (total price of the sale and purchase), so that, only once unpaid amounts have accumulated that exceed 15% of the total purchase price, the sale and purchase can then be terminated.

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5.- ARE REGISTRABLE THE AGREEMENTS OF A GENERAL MEETING TO WHICH THE ADMINISTRATORS DO NOT ATTEND:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of November 15, 2023 (BOE of December 4, 2023), where the DG resolves a case of a General Meeting of Shareholders to which, the administrators of the company do not attend.

The Mercantile Registrar refuses the registration of the resolutions adopted, for this reason, under Article 180 of the LSC ("the administrators must attend the general meetings"). The Notary appealed the qualification, and the DG, aligning itself with the latter, confirmed that, in effect, the non-attendance of the administrative body at the general meeting is not a reason for the nullity of the same, but what, if any, will generate the liability of the administrators provided for in article 236 LSC.

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NOTARIAL MINUTES OF THE MEETING. IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO REGISTER THE PREVENTIVE ANNOTATION IN THE MERCANTILE REGISTRY, IT IS NECESSARY TO PROVE THAT THE NOTARIAL REQUEST TO THE ADMINISTRATORS HAS BEEN MADE:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of November 14, 2023 (BOE of December 4, 2023), where the DG resolves a case of refusal of preventive annotation of request of notarial minutes of meeting, in the Mercantile Registry. In this case, a shareholder wants the notarial minutes of a general meeting to be taken and, to this end, sends an email to the chairman of the board of directors requesting this, who replies in the affirmative. Said shareholder tries to have the preventive annotation made in the Mercantile Registry on the basis of this Email, and the Registrar denies it, stating that for it to be possible to register the preventive annotation, it is necessary to provide the notarial request to the administrators.

The DG confirms the qualification note and reminds that, in order to be able to practice the preventive annotation that is sought, it is necessary to prove that the notarial requirement has been made to the administrators (art. 104.1 RRM).

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7.- SALE OF REAL ESTATE BY RELIGIOUS CONGREGATION:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of October 23, 2023 (BOE of November 22, 2023), which may be useful in this case of transfers, as it summarizes and analyzes in detail the legislation and documentation necessary to formalize the sale of a property belonging to a religious congregation.

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8.- ELEVATION TO PUBLIC DEED OF THE LEASE CONTRACT SUBSCRIBED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE PROPERTY:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of October 2, 2023 (BOE of November 2, 2023), where the DG resolves an appeal filed against the refusal of the registration of a deed of elevation to public of a lease contract.

Lease agreement entered into by the previous owner (as lessor) and a lessee. The owner does not pay the mortgage loan that encumbers the leased property and this, finally, is subject to foreclosure, in which process, the property is awarded to a third party, in favor of which the property is currently registered. In this foreclosure process, the new owner who is awarded the property is aware that the same is leased, and the award, in the judicial process, is granted safeguarding the rights of said lessee. Subsequently, the lessee tries to register his right, and the Registry denies it for lack of successive tract (art. 20 LH), that is to say, that the person who signed the lease as lessor does not coincide with the current registered titleholder.

The DG revokes the qualification, considering this case an exception to the general principle, since in the foreclosure proceeding in which the current registrant was a party, the tenant's right to occupy the property was safeguarded.

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9.- HORIZONTAL PROPERTY. FROM PRIVATE ELEMENT TO COMMON ELEMENT. THE CORRECT WAY IS THE AGREEMENT OF AFFECTATION AND CONVERSION INTO COMMON ELEMENT:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of November 14, 2023 (BOE of December 4, 2023), where the DG resolves an appeal filed against the refusal of the registration of a deed of segregation of a private element and subsequent sale in favor of the community of owners (to convert it then in common element of the horizontal property).

The DG confirms the defect and, in summary, tells us that if you want to convert something private into a common element, the correct way is not its sale in favor of the community, but its configuration as a common element, modifying the description of the building, and with the unanimous agreement of the community of owners as it affects the constitutive title.

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10.- NEW FUNCTIONALITIES IN THE ELECTRONIC HEADQUARTERS OF THE TAX AGENCY OF CATALONIA:

New features are summarized (HERE) and improvements in the electronic headquarters of the ATC:

Tax on property transfers and documented legal acts (ITPAJD): New features have been incorporated in the telematic forms for forms 600 and 620 and in the help program for forms 650 and 660:

Adaptations to the telematic form of the ITPAJD model 600 to admit foreign transferors without tax identification number in transactions at the DRG rate (guarantee and loan rights in rem).
Adaptations to the telematic form model 620, sale and purchase of certain used means of transport, to allow exporting the self-assessment and recovering its data when there is more than one acquirer, in the case of the purchase of a boat, and to show separately the types of motorhome vehicle.

Regarding inheritance and gift tax (ISD):

Adaptations of the inheritance modality aid program to introduce current or savings account deposits with IBAN format.

Likewise, the automated incorporation of the public deed in the ITPAJD (form 600) and ISD (forms 650, 651 and 653) self-assessment files has been introduced . Therefore, it is no longer necessary for the citizen to provide the public deed if the notary's office has previously sent the notarial informative declaration to the Tax Agency of Catalonia.

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11.- LCI MINUTES. IT IS NECESSARY TO ASK THE CLIENT HOW HE WANTS HIS FUTURE AUTHORIZED COPIES OF BOTH THE MORTGAGE LOAN AND THE SALE AND PURCHASE:

Attached (HERE) Note from the Board of Directors of the Notarial Association of Catalonia in which, in response to a communication received in several notaries' offices from the bank ING (requesting that all copies of their CV + PH deeds be issued in electronic format), it is indicated that, in the CV + PH, it is the buyer (who pays for the deed) who must choose the format of their authorized copies (paper or electronic).

For this purpose, it is recommended to ask the client about this issue in the pre-LCI minutes, record it in the minutes, and based on the client's preference, issue the copy as requested by the acquirer.

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12.- INSTRUCTION FOR THE VERIFICATION OF REAL ESTATE VALUES 2024:

Attached (HERE) the Instruction for the verification of real estate values of the Tax Agency of Catalonia for taxable events (ITP, Inheritance and Donations) for the year 2024.

It should be remembered that this table is of vital importance when we do not have the reference value of the cadastre of the property in question. Always, in the first place, the reference value for tax purposes must be taken into account. Suppletory, in the absence of this, this table will continue to be used as it was traditionally done. Multiplying the cadastral value by the corresponding multiplier coefficient, in order to obtain the minimum tax value.

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13.- HORIZONTAL PROPERTY AND SEGREGATION / DIVISION OF PRIVATE ELEMENT. IF THE STATUTES ALLOW IT, THEY ALSO, IMPLICITLY, AUTHORIZE THE NECESSARY WORKS TO EXECUTE IT:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of November 2, 2023 (BOE of November 30, 2023), where the DG resolves a case related to a segregation of a local, resolving that, when in the constitutive title of the horizontal property the possibility of segregating or dividing privative elements is foreseen without need of collective agreement of the owners' meeting, implicitly the works and modifications that this segregation needs are being authorized, unless express clause to the contrary.

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14.- SALE OF HABITUAL RESIDENCE OF THE FAMILY. THE CONSENT OF BOTH SPOUSES IS REQUIRED, ALSO FOR FOREIGNERS:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of October 25, 2023 (BOE of November 22, 2023), where the DG resolves a case of a sale of a property belonging to a foreigner, resolving that the application of article 1320 CC (and therefore its counterpart in the Catalan civil code) regarding the need for consent of both spouses to dispose of the habitual residence of the family, is independent of what the governing law of the matrimonial property regime provides, and that according to the Regulation 24 June 2016, it is also applicable to foreign marriages.

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15.- IMPORTANT DISTINCTION BETWEEN PARTITION MADE BY THE TESTATOR AND PARTITIONAL RULES:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of October 27, 2023 (BOE of November 22, 2023), where the DG resolves a case related to a deed of acceptance of inheritance and hereditary adjudications, in which, synthesizing the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court in this matter, it clarifies the important differentiation between a partition made in the will itself and the mere "partitional rules".

The Center points out that when the testator carries out in the will all the partitional operations (inventory, appraisal, liquidation and adjudication of lots) we are dealing with a true partition made in the will. On the other hand, when the testator limits himself to expressing his will so that at the time of the partition, certain assets are awarded to each heir in payment of his assets, we are dealing with mere partition rules.

November 2023

1.- BE VERY CAREFUL. ERRORS IN NOTARY'S OFFICE THAT GENERATE CIVIL LIABILITY:

Attached (HERE) a Note from the General Council of Notaries, detailing the main claims that the Civil Liability Insurance for Notaries is having to deal with in the event of negligence, errors or professional malpractice. Below are some outstanding examples:

Various complaints regarding authorized documents with persons with impaired mental capacity. Exercise extreme caution with elderly persons showing signs of cognitive impairment, incapacitated / with support measures for the exercise of legal capacity, under guardianship, conservatorship, etc.
Identity theft. Be extremely diligent when verifying the identity of the person with his/her ID / NIE / Passport, etc. photo.
Verification of mortgage encumbrances. Take extreme precautions with mortgages that have been economically cancelled, but not registered. Require documentary proof that the secured loan has been paid.

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2.- NEW REMINDER. NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN FOREIGN INVESTMENTS:

Attached (HERE) an OCP informative note with a summary of the main novelties of Royal Decree 571/2023, on foreign investments. The following are considered as foreign investments:

Foreign investments in Spain:

Participation of a NON-RESIDENT in Spanish companies exceeding 10% of the capital stock.
Acquisition of real estate in Spain by NON-RESIDENTS in excess of 500,000 euros.
In the event that the funds used in the investment originate in non-cooperative jurisdictions, prior declaration is required. The order of February 9, 2023 (HERE) contains the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions.

Spanish investments abroad:

Participation in the capital of non-resident companies exceeding 10% of the capital stock.
Acquisition of real estate located abroad for more than 300,000 euros.
In the event that the destination of the investment is a non-cooperative jurisdiction, the prior declaration is also required.

Obligations of the Notary:

When the regulatory development of the Royal Decree comes into force, it will be mandatory for the Notary to send the information on the foreign investment to the General Council of Notaries.
During the transitional period, the telematic filing of tax returns is done through AFORIX.
The obligation of the notary public to send to the Directorate General for International Trade and Investments, in writing, during the months of January and July of each year, a list of those intervened transactions considered as foreign investment, during the preceding six-month period for which the notary public has not been requested to submit the corresponding declaration, remains in force.

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3.- IT IS POSSIBLE TO DECLARE THE END OF WORK PARTIALLY IN A HORIZONTALLY DIVIDED BUILDING:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of September 19, 2023 (BOE of October 26, 2023), where the DG solves a case of a building, with several floors, divided horizontally, where the end of work of only part of them is declared (specifically, the first floor and the second floor, not the rest of the floors).

In this case, the DG accepts this, stating that there is no inconvenience in that the proof of completion of the work may be partial, by phases, and even by floors; since it may happen in practice that there are unfinished elements, without this obstructing the registration of the completion of others, as long as it is duly accredited.

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4.- PARTITION OF INHERITANCE BY ACCOUNTANT PARTITIONER. CARE WITH THE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of September 5, 2023 (BOE of October 25, 2023), where the DG resolves that in a deed of acceptance, partition and adjudication of inheritance, the accountant-partidora has not limited herself to the strictly partitional and, in the adjudications, has carried out dispositive functions that require the intervention of the heirs.

In addition, there is a conflict of interest between two sibling co-heirs, since one is the guardian of the other, and therefore exercises his legal representation. As both of them are interested in the inheritance, and one of them is legally represented by his brother, there is a conflict of interests and in this case the intervention of a legal defender is necessary.

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5.- SALE OF PARKING SPACE IN AN UNDIVIDED PROPERTY. IT IS NECESSARY TO DESCRIBE CONCRETELY THE PARKING SPACE:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of July 28, 2023 (BOE of October 12, 2023), where the DG resolves a case of sale of an undivided participation (1.329%) of a property, destined to parking of vehicles. The deed contained the description of the registered property as a whole (consisting of the basement floor of a building intended for parking and storage rooms), but not the description of the specific parking space whose exclusive use and enjoyment was attributed to the undivided interest of the transferred property.

The DG, aligning itself with the Registrar, considers that it is necessary that, in the deed of sale, the boundaries and surface area of the parking space to be transferred be described in detail.

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6.- LAND REGISTRY AND LAW 11/2023. NEW DEADLINES FOR QUALIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of July 7, 2023 (BOE of August 15, 2023), which approves the schedule for implementing the law 11/2023 of digitalization of registry actions. This law establishes the electronic signature of all registry entries and documents and the keeping of a protocol in electronic format. The aforementioned resolution includes two annexes with a schedule for the implementation of the electronic signature in each of the Land Registries of Spain, and extends the ordinary term of registry qualification from 15 working days to 30 working days, for a period of one month from the date on which the implementation of the digital actions begins.

Attached to the summary is the resolution with the annexes containing the respective starting dates of the electronic signature implementation phase, so that all employees of the notary's office can consult them and take into account that within one month from that date, the qualification period is not 15 days as usual, but 30.

The importance of this consultation lies in the fact that cancellations of mortgages registered in all the registries in Spain are authorized, and each of them has a date foreseen for the implementation of this electronic signature!

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7.- CIVILIAN CITIZENSHIP AND ITS DIFFICULTIES OF PROOF. IT IS NECESSARY TO GIVE MUCH IMPORTANCE TO THE MANIFESTATION THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE DEED:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of October 3, 2023 (BOE of November 2, 2023), where the DG solves a case related to the proof of the civil residence of a deceased and its importance to determine the applicable inheritance law.

In this case, the deceased, in her will, states that she has common civil status. However, her heir (husband), when accepting the inheritance, in said deed of acceptance states that the civil domicile of the deceased was that of Ibiza, and based on the same, he is awarded the entire inheritance (unlike this, if the civil domicile were common, as the deceased had no descendants, but did have living ascendants, these would be legitimaries). When this deed of acceptance of inheritance is presented for registration, the Registrar rejects it, considering that the manifestation of the common civil tenancy made by the deceased in her will prevails.

The DG, aligning itself with the Registry, considers that the proof of the civilian citizenship is very difficult (except in those cases in which the express manifestation is registered in the Civil Registry). Therefore, in case of doubts, the declaration of the interested party made before a Notary Public (since it has been made being duly informed by the notary public) must prevail, even over what may result from extrajudicial documents (such as a census certificate from which it is clear that the person has been registered at that address for more than 10 years), since administrative residence does not always coincide with the actual address (which is what determines civil residence).

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8.- THE ADMINISTRATOR WITH EXPIRED OFFICE CAN CALL THE GENERAL MEETING FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE BODY AND TO PRESENT ANNUAL ACCOUNTS:

Attached (HERE) the Resolution of the DGSJFP of October 31, 2023 (BOE of November 21, 2023), in which the DG resolves that the General Meeting convened by an administrator with expired office is valid, provided that such General Meeting is convened to renew the administrative body and to approve the annual accounts of several fiscal years as a way to overcome the closing of the Land Registry.

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9.- PREVENTIVE POWERS AND INTERREGIONAL ASPECTS:

The following is a brief summary of a paper on preventive powers and aspects to be taken into account in the field of inter-regional law:

Great usefulness of the preventive power of attorney: it avoids the family having to resort to judicial support measures (which take more than a year to set up, plus the cost of lawyers, etc.).
Soon it will be possible to consult telematically, in the Civil Registry, the validity of these powers of attorney. Caution to be taken into account whenever an attorney-in-fact goes to the Notary to sign with one of these powers of attorney.
Doubts about applicable law when a client goes to a notary to sign a preventive power of attorney: We must always resort to the criterion of the habitual residence (art. 9.6 Cc) to constitute the power of attorney under the CCCat or the Cc.
Always remember to include (or not), at the client's request, the clause on whether judicial authorization is required for the same acts for which it is required by the guardian.
In Catalonia, in the next few months, there will be relevant developments in this matter, since the draft bill to reform Book II of the Catalan Civil Code on this matter will soon enter the Parliament as a Bill, so that, if it is processed ordinarily, in a few months there will be a new regulation on this matter with very deep modifications that we will have to study in order to adapt the deeds.

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LAW 11/2023. DIGITALIZATION OF NOTARIAL AND REGISTRY ACTS (ELECTRONIC PROTOCOL, VIDEO SIGNATURES and ELECTRONIC AUTHORIZED COPIES):

Attached is an article from our BLOG summarizing the 10 main points of the entry into force of Law 11/2023 (HERE).

There are three main changes that will affect our daily lives:

The first is the deposit of all the signed documents in the electronic notary's office, being a faithful reflection of the paper document (matrix, united, diligences and notes).
The second major change is the possibility of video-signing certain types of documents with a digital certificate once the citizen is registered in the notarial portal;
and finally, the creation of electronic authorized copies that replace paper with the same effectiveness and validity.

After 21 days of implementation we have encountered the following casuistry:

REGARDING THE NOTARIAL PORTAL (PNC):

Citizens who wish to carry out procedures must fill in the form and validate their cell phone and contact email address. The procedure is simple and is completed by uploading the identity document to the platform. We have validated it and it works correctly for citizens identified with DNI, NIE and PASSPORT.
The most practical way to access and sign is to use a digital certificate. We recommend that of the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre, although there are several issuing entities certified by Ancert.
The accessing citizen will be able to consult all his deeds history between January 1, 2007 and November 8, 2023. The deeds signed after the entry into force of the law are yet to be published.

AS FOR THE VIDEO SIGNATURE:

Since the beginning we have been able to successfully perform 2 video signatures . Although it is a very new technology and has its limitations, it has not been complex to perform once the client is registered in the portal and has the digital certificate to sign.
The connection is made with an application integrated in the web browser and is intuitive and simple. We expect that as citizens register, the number of documents granted by this method will increase.

REGARDING THE ELECTRONIC AUTHORIZED COPY:

We have already issued the first electronic authorized copies with secure verification code (CSV).
The process is managed from Word itself and in parallel to the deposit of the document, although it can be issued at a later date, always for documents signed after November 9, 2023.
The document is published in the notary's electronic office and the CSV is generated quickly and easily in SIGNO to be sent to the client.
Once uploaded to the electronic site, it is shared with the client by means of an e-mail in which we provide a link to its electronic authorized copy. This delivery method provides authenticity and legal validity before third parties. We believe that little by little it will replace the paper because for its consultation and validation it is not necessary to be registered in the notary portal of the citizen.

most frequent doubts about electronic protocol and video signature:

In SIC, within the section "Law 11/2023. Digitalization of notarial and registry actions" you can find a document with questions and answers about existing doubts in relation to the implementation of Law 11/2023, two publications have been issued: volume 1 and volume 2.

Also attached (HERE in singular and HERE plural), basic templates for any electronic deed granted by video signature through the Notarial Citizen Portal.

MODIFICATION OF THE SINGLE COMPUTERIZED INDEX. NEED TO REPORT SEPARATELY THE NUMBER OF PAGES ON PAPER / TELEMATIC SUPPORT:

As of November 9, 2023, the Single Computerized Index is modified to incorporate as a mandatory field to be reported in each public instrument the number of pages of the paper support matrix separately from the number of pages in the electronic support.

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For any questions regarding the new digitalization (both employees and customers), please contact Antonio Alba for resolution by e-mail: antonio@jesusbenavides.es

October 2023

1.- CENTRAL REGISTRY OF REAL PROPERTY. EXPLANATORY NOTE

Attached (HERE) clarifying note from OCP on several issues related to the Central Registry of Real Estate Titles and the obligations of the Notaries in this respect:

For the granting of the legal transaction, obtaining the e-mail address referred to in Article 4 of RD 609/2023 is not a requirement of validity, since it is not part of the identification requirements of the beneficial owner.
Percentage of ownership: this information should only be included when a new manifestation record has to be made in the event of a discrepancy between the content of the BDTR and the grantor's manifestation.

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PURCHASE AND SALE OF REAL ESTATE FORMALIZED BY A REPRESENTATIVE WITH REVOKED POWER OF ATTORNEY. BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN VERIFYING THE VALIDITY OF POWERS OF ATTORNEY AND CORPORATE POSITIONS.

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of July 26, 2023 (BOE of September 28, 2023).. The DG resolves a case of a CV of a real estate, in which the seller is represented by an attorney-in-fact, stating that his power of attorney is in force, and the Notary, giving his positive sufficiency judgment in the deed. However, from the data in the Mercantile Registry, it appears that this power of attorney was revoked a few days ago, the revocation having been published in the BORME, once registered in the Registry (from which moment it is enforceable against third parties), on the same day of the signing of the CV.

The DG confirms the qualification of the Registry, so that the buyer's right cannot be registered since the seller was not duly represented by a person with sufficient powers to formalize the sale.

To take into account the case and make the pertinent consultations at the Registry as close as possible to the signing of the deed (if possible, on the same day), in order to avoid such cases.

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3.- SL. CAPITAL REDUCTION DUE TO THE PURCHASE OF SHARES. AMOUNT OF THE RESTRICTED RESERVE

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of July 24, 2023 (BOE of September 27, 2023).. The DG resolves the typical case of "exit" of a partner of a SL. To do so, the company repurchases all the shares of that shareholder (for a redemption value higher than the nominal value) and then reduces the share capital by the same amount (thus proceeding to its amortization) and, also, endow a restricted reserve, for the amount of the reduction (taking as a reference the nominal value of the shares, and not the value reimbursed to the shareholder, which as indicated, is higher), to guarantee the rights of the creditors.

The Registry qualifies negatively because it considers that the amount of the reserve must be equal to "the value of what was received by the partner" (i.e., the total amount reimbursed, and not only the nominal value of the units).

The DG revokes the Commercial Registrar's qualification, determining that in these cases the amount of the restricted reserve must be equal to the nominal value of the redeemed shares, and not to the amount reimbursed to the outgoing shareholder.

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DE FACTO GUARDIANSHIP. INTERPRETATIVE DOCUMENT FOR BANKING PROCEDURES

It is reported that in SIC, within the link "Law 8/2021 in support of disability" a framework protocol signed between the State Attorney General's Office and the banking sector is made available to employees to clarify the powers of the de facto guardian in the field of banking transactions.

This document has also been the subject of a detailed analysis in an article in our blog (HERE you can read it).

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5.- FOREIGN INVESTMENTS. NEW REGULATIONS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

Staff is informed of the recent approval of Royal Decree 571/2023, of July 4, on foreign investments (HERE you can consult it), which must be taken into account when entering into transactions with non-residents. Specifically, it modifies the previous regulations in the following fundamental aspects:

1.- The following are considered foreign investments for the purposes of making the corresponding subsequent declaration to the Investment Registry of the Ministry of Economy:

Participation by non-residents in Spanish companies when such participation exceeds 10% of the capital stock or of the voting rights of the company (previously the participation was required to be 50%).
Acquisition of real estate in Spain by non-residents when the amount exceeds €500,000 (previously the minimum limit was €3,000,000).

In these cases the non-resident holder is obliged to declare the investment before the Investment Registry of the Ministry of Economy, using the forms resulting from Transitional Provision 3 of the Royal Decree (forms DP1, D1A D1B, DP2, D2A, D2B).

2.- If the transaction has been intervened by a Notary Public, he/she must communicate the investment to the General Council of Notaries through the notarial electronic office (SIGNO) and, in any case, must warn the person appearing of the obligation of presentation.

In the case that the investments considered foreign (in accordance with article 4 of the Royal Decree), have origin in a country of non-cooperative jurisdiction (former tax havens), which are those included in the Order of February 9, 2023, it will be necessary to make a prior declaration and the Notaries must demand it before the granting, and expressly warn of it in the public document.

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6.- PRACTICAL NOTES ON DOCUMENTS INVOLVING FOREIGNERS

Attached (HERE), an interesting article by a fellow Notary, where a series of practical reflections to be taken into account when a foreign individual is involved in a public document. By way of summary, the most relevant ones are highlighted:

Identification. The general rules of the Notarial Regulations apply. Specifically, in the case of EU foreigners, this is done either through their passport or their national identity card.
NIE: Foreigners who, due to their economic, professional or social interests, are related to Spain, must be provided, for identification purposes, with a personal, unique and exclusive sequential number. This number is necessary for all operations with tax implications.
Translation: Unless the notary knows the foreign language, the provisions of Article 150 of the Notarial Regulations must be complied with and an interpreter must be requested.
Means of payment: Be very careful and diligent with regard to money laundering prevention. It is highly advisable to demand that the deposit and payment accounts be in Spanish banks. If there are foreign banks or accounts of third parties, the most complete and reliable information possible about the origin of the funds will be required, requiring documentary justification (certificates of ownership of the accounts, contracts justifying the origin of the funds, etc.).
Apostille: It is essential to have an apostille for documents issued abroad.
Real estate transactions. Remember the withholding of 3% of the price (Non-Residents Income Tax) and the inversion of the taxpayer in the "municipal capital gain".

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7.- REQUEST FOR COPIES OF WILLS TO THE ARCHIVES OF THE NOTARIAL ASSOCIATION OF CATALONIA

Information of interest when requesting copies of wills from the College. In order to avoid problems in case of discrepancies in dates, the College requests that, when a copy request is submitted, the corresponding death and last will certificates be attached to the request for a copy of the will in order to more accurately identify the request.

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8.- TELEMATIC SIGNATURE OF NOTARIAL DOCUMENTS. ENTRY INTO FORCE

As previously reported, next November 9, Law 11/2023 will enter into force, which will allow the telematic signature of public documents (that is, through a videoconference system with the Notary and electronic signature, without the need for the client to physically go to the Notary's office). HERE you can find an article in the blog of Jesus Benavides' Notary's office with more details (which documents can be signed, procedure, etc.).

In order to be pioneers with this novelty and give the best service to the clients, a new section has been created in the web page of the Notary's office of Jesus Benavides (Video signature) where, by means of didactic videos, the whole process to be followed by any citizen who wants to put this possibility into practice is explained.

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For any questions in this regard (both from employees and customers), please contact Antonio Alba for resolution at his e-mail address: antonio@jesusbenavides.es.

September 2023

1.- COMPUTATION OF DEADLINES FOR HOLDING THE GENERAL MEETING. THE DAY ON WHICH THE MEETING IS HELD CANNOT BE INCLUDED IN THE COMPUTATION.

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of July 11, 2023 (BOE of July 28, 2023).. According to it, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us of the rules for calculating the deadlines for the call of a general meeting in a capital company. As is well known, article 176 LSC determines that one month (SA) or 15 days (SL) must elapse between the call and the holding of the general meeting. For the computation of these periods, the starting day begins on the day on which the notice is sent to the last of the shareholders and, in order to determine the day on which the period ends, the day on which the general meeting is held cannot be computed.

Therefore, one month must elapse for corporations and 15 days for limited liability companies, and it is the day after these deadlines when the General Meeting can be validly held.

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2.- DOCTRINE OF THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE ON TARIFF MATTERS

Attached (HERE) an interesting document containing a summary of the doctrine of the General Directorate of Legal Security and Public Faith, in tariff matters, for the years 2020 - 2023. To consult in case of doubts on how to minute specific deeds.

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3.- NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SINGLE COMPUTERIZED INDEX

It is reported that, recently, the Single Computerized Index has included a series of new features to improve the reflection of the legal transactions that are granted in public instruments.

Specifically, new legal acts are created to duly collect:

Acts of acquisition or preservation of civilian citizenship.
Deeds of support measures and assistance constitution deeds (and their equivalent in Catalonia),
Minutes of omission of protocol or Registry Book number (to solve the unfortunate case that one or more numbers remain without a document actually authorized or intervened).

Other minor modifications:

Proof of the means of payment in the deposit records.
Specification of the ownership (or not) in the sale and purchase of shares and stocks.
Incorporation of entities with or without legal personality, where the information of their Tax Identification Number is required (if the information is obtained after the granting and it has not been possible to obtain it from the client, when the deadline for submitting the index has expired, the lifting of the rule must be requested through the usual channel).

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4.- THEORY OF THE COMPLEX LEGAL BUSINESS. PURCHASE + MORTGAGE OF REAL ESTATE BY MARRIED PERSON. THE CONSENT OF THE OTHER SPOUSE IS NOT NECESSARY IF THE MORTGAGE IS MADE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE PURCHASE. CARE IN CASE OF FOREIGNERS

Attached (HERE) an interesting article summarizing the doctrine of the DG on the theory of the complex legal business. It deals with cases where a married person buys a property alone, and then mortgages it. As it is known, the general rule determines that, in order to mortgage the habitual residence, even if it belongs to only one of the spouses, the consent of the other spouse is necessary. As an exception to this general rule, the theory of the complex legal business arises, by virtue of which, the consent of the non-owner spouse is not necessary in the constitution of mortgage on the habitual residence immediately after its purchase, that is to say that the mortgage is signed with the number immediately after the protocol number of the purchase-sale.

In the case of foreigners, BE CAREFUL, since the DG does not admit the doctrine of the complex legal business, unless that foreign law allows it and it is so accredited (therefore, it must be verified by means of a report of the notary if the foreign law that governs the specific matrimonial regime of the clients admits or not this theory of the complex business).

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5.- PUBLIC NOTARIZATION OF CORPORATE RESOLUTIONS. A GOOD DEED CAN SAVE A BAD CERTIFICATE

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of July 10, 2023 (BOE of July 28, 2023).. According to it, and by way of summary, the DG determines that, in the context of an elevation to public of corporate resolutions of an SL (cessation and appointment of positions), if the certificate does not indicate the quorum for adoption of the resolutions, but in the deed it is specified (through a statement of the administrator), this is sufficient to register the agreement in the Commercial Registry.

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6.- PRIOR IN TEMPORE, POTIOR IN IURE. WHAT ARRIVES FIRST AT THE REGISTRY, IS WHAT PREVAILS (EVEN IF THE LAW IS LATER).

Attached is the Resolution of the DG of Law, Legal Entities and Mediation of July 17, 2023 (DOGC of July 31, 2023).. According to it, and by way of summary, the DG determines that what accesses first to the Registry, is what prevails.

A case in which, in 1986, by means of a private document, a life usufruct on a property is constituted. Subsequently, on 02/09/2023, this private document is elevated to public deed and is presented for registration in the Land Registry. However, the Registrar refuses the registration, since on 02/03/2023, that is, 6 days before, a deed of bequest was presented for registration, in which this right of usufruct is awarded to a third party, on the basis of an acceptance of inheritance of a person deceased in 2022.

In this case, the DG recalls the basic principle of operation of the Registry, i.e., prior in tempore, potior in iure, so that what arrives first at the Registry and is registered (usufruct of 2022 presented on February 3, 2023), prevails over the other rights (in this case, a usufruct constituted in private document in 1986 and presented for registration on February 9, 2023 on the basis of a deed of elevation to public deed).

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7.- TABLE OF REGULATIONS ON NATIONALITY AND MARITAL STATUS

Attached (HERE) an interesting document that includes a table of regulations on nationality and civil status, where we can find links to regulations and Resolutions of the General Directorate on various matters such as Civil Registry, certifications, economic regime of marriage, etc.

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8.- NATIONALITY OATH. VARIOUS ISSUES TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

Attached (HERE) Circular of the DG regarding the competence of the specific Civil Registry where to formalize the declaration of option of the Spanish nationality, as well as the oath or promise. In the same one it is established that the competence will correspond to the Civil Registry Office of the applicant's domicile.

Also attached (HERE) Circular of the General Director of Legal Security and Public Faith, which determines the inappropriateness of granting certificates of oath of nationality when indications are detected that the applicant has performed acts incompatible with good civic conduct (such as, for example, the fact that the applicant is incarcerated in a penitentiary center).

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9.- JUDICIAL CHALLENGE OF NEGATIVE QUALIFICATIONS. SERVICE TO WHICH WE CAN RESORT AS A NOTARY'S OFFICE.

Attached (HERE) an informative document of the General Council of Notaries, through which, a service available to Notaries, to be able to appeal judicially those negative ratings (or also Resolutions of the DGSJFP) that may involve a corporate interest for Notaries.

Thus, in the event that the employee encounters a negative rating that he/she considers may affect the Notary's office as a whole, he/she may raise this possibility with the Notary, which may be requested through the channels indicated in the attached document.

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10.- THE ADVISABLE ACT OF MANIFESTATIONS PRIOR TO THE GRANTING OF A DEED IN WHICH A PERSON WITH DISABILITY INTERVENES.

The informative circular 3/2021, of September 27th of the Permanent Commission of the General Council of Notariesproposes that prior to the execution of a deed in which persons with disabilities are involved, a record of manifestations should be drawn up in which the circumstances that may influence the execution of the legal transaction in question should be recorded. The aforementioned record may include, among other circumstances:

Statements by the person with a disability himself/herself, for example, the statement of that person recognizing that he/she is selling for a price below market price for a specific need or convenience, or the reasons for which he/she renounces a specific inheritance.
Statements of persons assisting the disabled person in the exercise of his or her capacity. For example, the declaration of the de facto guardian, lawyer, incidental companion, etc., stating that he/she has recommended the disabled person to grant a deed of sale because it is necessary for his/her future support and maintenance, or to settle outstanding debts.

This act is an essential complement to the notarial capacity judgment, and provides clarity and security for future disputes and possible claims. It is recommended that the person requesting the record be the person with a disability or his or her assistant.

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11.- THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF REAL TITLE IS CREATED.

Royal Decree 609/2023, of July 11, 2023, creating the Central Registry of Real Estate Titles. Royal Decree 609/2023, of July 11, 2023, which creates the Central Registry of Real Estate Titles.. This registry must be consulted by all parties obliged by law to control money laundering, including notaries. However, until the data is uploaded to this registry, for which 9 months are given, the Royal Decree establishes that the traditional sources must continue to be used (Database of the Beneficial Ownership through Signo).

July 2023

1.- NEW PAID LEAVE OF 15 CALENDAR DAYS FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERS

Royal Decree-Law 5/2023 is published in the BOE and enters into force (HERE you can consult it), by virtue of which, a paid leave of 15 calendar days is recognized for the fact of constituting (and registering) as a stable couple. All stable couples that are constituted from now on can be informed about it, so that they can enjoy this new leave.

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2.- NEW REGULATION OF STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS OF COMMERCIAL COMPANIES

The aforementioned Royal Decree-Law 5/2023 (HERE you can consult it) has repealed the former Law 3/2009, of April 3, 2009, on structural modifications of commercial companies (transformation, merger, spin-off, global assignment of assets and liabilities, etc.). Thus, from now on, the new legal regime for structural modifications can be found in the aforementioned Royal Decree-Law 5/2023. To be taken into account when any officer prepares one of these operations (he/she should consult the new regulation and adapt the legal quotations to the new regulatory text).

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3.- FOREIGNERS' DIVORCE DECREES, WITH ADJUDICATION OF REAL ESTATE, MUST BE REGISTERED IN THE CENTRAL CIVIL REGISTRY.

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of June 13, 2023 (BOE of July 10, 2023).. According to it, and by way of summary, the DG determines that, in case of divorce (OF FOREIGNERS whose marriage is not registered in the Spanish Civil Registry), if in the sentence a property is awarded to one of the ex-spouses, in order to register it in the Property Registry, it is necessary that, previously, this divorce sentence is registered in the Central Civil Registry.

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4.- REGISTRATION OF PROPERTY AND PRIOR IN TEMPORE. SOMETIMES YES, SOMETIMES NO, WHAT IS FILED LATER HAS PRIORITY OVER DOCUMENTS FILED EARLIER.

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of June 15, 2023 (BOE of July 10, 2023).. According to it, and as a summary, the DG solves a curious case:

CV + PH is signed and submitted for registration, qualified with remediable defects.
A correction is presented, and being the entry in force (that is to say, not yet registered the VC + PH), an order of the AEAT enters in the Property Registry with a prohibition to dispose, due to tax debts.
The Registrar negatively qualifies the CV + PH (filed before the writ) on the grounds of public order.
The Notary appealed and the DG agreed with him, determining that if this order comes from an administrative procedure where the civil validity of the legal transaction is not questioned (remember, tax debts), the negative qualification does not proceed, since the CV + PH have been presented before in the Registry (prior in tempore potior in iure).
However, the DG reminds us that if the injunction had been issued in the context of criminal proceedings where the validity of the business is questioned (for example, an alleged fraud in the VC), the suspension of the registration would be appropriate (even if the injunction was subsequent), for reasons of general interest / public order.

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5.- NOTHING CAN BE REGISTERED IN FAVOR OF A COMPANY WITH A REVOKED CIF.

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of June 16, 2023 (BOE of July 10, 2023).. According to it, and by way of summary, the DG determines that, in the context of a sale and purchase, if the acquiring company has the CIF revoked, the acquisition cannot be registered in its favor. It is important to take into account and always remember, when a company is involved, to consult the existing database on the subject.

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6.- IT IS POSSIBLE TO REDUCE CAPITAL STOCK BELOW 3,000 EUROS IN AN EXISTING COMPANY

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of June 13, 2023 (BOE of July 10, 2023).. According to it, and by way of summary, the DG solves the following curious case:

3,000, executes a capital reduction, as a result of which, its resulting capital stock figure falls below 3,000 euros.
The Registrar suspends the registration as he considers that this figure is below the legal minimum, as he considers that SLs of less than 3,000 euros of capital are only possible at the time of incorporation.
The DG revokes the qualification of the Registrar, considering that it is possible to execute a capital reduction in an SL whose result is a share capital of less than 3,000 euros.

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CAPITAL STOCK INCREASE AND PREEMPTIVE SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS. TIME MUST BE RESPECTED

As a result of a transaction formalized at the Notary's office, it is recalled that in the context of a capital increase of a corporation, the shareholders' pre-emptive right to capital increases arises from the moment of publication of the offer for subscription of the new shares in the Official Gazette of the Commercial Registry, or from the written communication to each of the shareholders. Such subscription may be made by the shareholders within the period established by the Shareholders' Meeting, which may not be less than one month from the publication or communication.

Therefore, these deadlines must be taken into account and respected when formalizing this type of transaction (so that it is not possible for the subscription of the new shares to be carried out at the same Meeting of the resolution, unless all the shareholders have attended the meeting).

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8.- CIVIL LIABILITY OF THE NOTARY. VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS KIND OF MISTAKES.

Attached is a link to an interesting doctrinal article (HERE) in which the civil liability of the Notary Public is analyzed. Of special interest, there is a section with details of specific cases (for example, omission of charges, insufficient powers of attorney, lack of information regarding the tax effects of the granting, etc.).

It is strongly recommended that all employees of the Notary's Office read the article and these specific cases to avoid making these types of errors and the liability associated with them.

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9.- CIVIL REGISTRATION AND OATH OF NATIONALITY AND NOTARIZED MARRIAGES. IMPORTANT ISSUES TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

Attached is a document from the General Directorate of Legal Security and Public Faith (see PDF attached to this email) which clarifies several issues related, above all, to the documentation to be submitted by the interested parties in the acts of nationality oath and in the marriage proceedings before a Notary Public, as well as aspects related to the procedure to be taken into account in both grants of nationality and marriage.

June 2023

1.- ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION. NOTICE OF MEETING. THE CLAUSE IN THE BYLAWS THAT ALLOWS THE NOTICE OF THE MEETING TO BE SENT TO THE SHAREHOLDERS BY ORDINARY MAIL (WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT) IS NOT VALID:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of May 10, 2023 (BOE of June 1, 2023).. According to them, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us that (in the framework of the incorporation of an SL), the statutory clause that allows the meeting notice to be sent to the shareholders by ordinary mail (without acknowledgement of receipt) is not admissible, since for the notice to be valid, it is necessary that the system of transmission allows verification of the receipt of the notice by the addressee.

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2.- IN THE DEED OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SALE OF MORTGAGED PROPERTY IT IS NECESSARY THE RELIABLE NOTIFICATION OF THE EXECUTION TO THE HOLDERS OF SUBSEQUENT CHARGES:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP, dated May 11, 2023 (BOE of June 1, 2023). Case of extrajudicial foreclosure of mortgaged property, in a notary's office, where there is a resolutory condition subsequent to the mortgage in favor of a company. The company is notified of the foreclosure proceedings by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt, but the delivery is negative, after which the deed is granted. The DG, aligning itself with the thesis of the Registrar, does not accept this, since it considers that when the extrajudicial foreclosure of a mortgaged property is formalized by means of a deed, it is necessary to notify reliably the procedure to all the holders of charges or rights subsequent to the mortgage being foreclosed, so that if it is decided to send the notification of the procedure by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt, and its delivery to the addressee is negative, it is appropriate to make a personal notification, by the Notary, by means of a deed of notification (art. 202 Notarial Regulations).

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3.- RECTIFICATION OF MORE THAN 10% OF THE LAND AREA. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO REGISTER IT "LITTLE BY LITTLE":

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP, dated May 12, 2023 (BOE of June 1, 2023). A deed is granted for the rectification of the size of the property, by the "simplified way" of article 201.3 of the Mortgage Law(for differences that do not exceed 10%), but when analyzing the square meters stated in the registry and the meters declared now (from 9,403 to 10,377), it is appreciated that the difference is higher than 10%. The Registrar suspends registration and subsequently, the Notary presents a deed of correction where it is requested to register only the excess of capacity up to 10%. The Registrar qualifies again negatively, and the DG, aligning with the Registrar, confirms that this is not possible, since it is not possible to register "little by little" or "by parts" a rectification of capacity, so that if the same is higher than 10%, the ordinary procedure of article 201.1 of the Mortgage Law must be used, and not the simplified procedure of article 201.3.

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4.- MINUTATION OF "MINOR CONCEPTS". WHAT CAN BE CHARGED AND WHAT CANNOT:

Interesting entry from the blog "justitonotario" (HERE) which analyzes a Resolution of the Directorate General of January 3, 2023 (the full text can be consulted in a link of the aforementioned blog), which resolves an appeal by a private individual against the minutes of a Notary of a deed of sale. By way of summary, it determines that:

What is witnessed and what is not? It is the Notary who decides.
Mercantile Registry Report: Not applicable.
Actual Holder Consultation: Yes.
Blank sides of checks: correct.
Incorporation to the copy of a folio for the consignment of notes: correct.
Diligences: Must be on record in order to be minutable.
Simple copies and agreement of assumption of expenses by the buyer: If the buyer assumes the expenses, this includes the copies necessary to comply with the obligations of communication of the formalized business.
Number of simple electronic copies: 2 (for communications to Cadastre and City Hall, respectively).
Number of simple paper copies: 3 (to liquidate ITP, "plusvalía" and various formalities, respectively).
At the moment of indicating the number of copies desired by the grantors: At the time of signing.
What can we consider as testimonies? The transcription of the data of the intervening company; the elaboration of the necessary card to be able to carry out the telematic liquidation; the testimony by request of registry information; the consultation of Real Titularity; the simple note of the Registry; the receipt of the IBI; the descriptive and graphic cadastral certification (to the margin of the extra-land registry management also minutable); the checks that accredit the means of payment; the certificate of debts of the community; the label of the Energetic Certification or the whole certificate and respecting what is needed according to the cases; the proof of reception of the Town hall of the communication of the article 110.6.b) and the verification of CSV`s.
Security seal: Yes, it is minuted.
Note from the Registry: It can be a supplement (in the margin of the testimony).

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5.- IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE 2 THINGS AT THE SAME TIME. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE A MEMBER (NATURAL PERSON) OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF A COMPANY AND, AT THE SAME TIME, ALSO BE A NATURAL PERSON REPRESENTING A COMPANY THAT HOLDS THE POSITION OF MEMBER OF THE SAME BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of May 23, 2023 (BOE of June 16, 2023).. According to them, and by way of summary, the DG determines that, in a 3-member board of directors, it is not possible for the same natural person to hold the position of member of the board and, at the same time, the position of natural person representing a company that is also a member of said board, since this would imply that, de facto, a single person would have the right of veto for the adoption, or not, of any agreement, in addition to being able to generate situations susceptible to conflict of interest. In any case, if the board had more than 3 members, the issue would be more debatable and the specific case would have to be analyzed in order to reach a conclusion in this respect.

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6.- SALE OF REAL ESTATE BY A COMPANY REPRESENTED BY AN ADMINISTRATOR WITH HIS POSITION NOT REGISTERED IN THE MERCANTILE REGISTRY. IT IS POSSIBLE IF THE NOTARIAL JUDGMENT OF SUFFICIENCY IS WELL DONE:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of May 9, 2023 (BOE of May 29, 2023).. According to them, and by way of summary, the DG reiterates its already consolidated doctrine and determines that, in a case of an SL selling a property, represented in the sale by its administrator, without the position still registered, it is possible to formalize the operation if the notarial judgment of sufficiency is made in the correct way . In particular, the deed should contain all the circumstances foreseen by the law in order to understand the appointment of the administrator as valid:

The resolution of the duly called General Meeting.
Acceptance of appointment,
The notification or consent, as the case may be, of the holders of the previous registered offices.

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AMENDMENT OF THE COMMERCIAL REGISTRY REGULATIONS IN ORDER TO ADAPT THEM TO THE EUROPEAN UNION REGULATIONS ON DIGITAL PROCESSES.

HERE you can consult the aforementioned reform of the Mercantile Registry Regulations, published in the Official State Gazette of June 14. Based on the same, as key aspects:

The assignment of a Unique European Identifier (EUID) to all capital companies and branches is foreseen, allowing them to be unequivocally identified through a system of interconnection of all EU commercial registries.
The possibility of creating and closing branches telematically/online is foreseen.
Its entry into force is delayed by one year, counting from the publication in the Official State Gazette of Law 11/2023 (i.e., May 9, 2024).

May 2023

1.- WAIVER OF INHERITANCE OF MINORS AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST. ASPECTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT:

Attached is the Resolution of the DG of Law, Legal Entities and Mediation of the Generalitat de Catalunya, dated February 20, 2023 (DOGC of March 2, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us that in the renunciation of an inheritance in favor of minors, the general rule is that it must be formalized in a public deed by the parents, with judicial authorization (art. 236-27 CCCat) or, alternatively, by the two closest relatives (art. 236-30 CCCat). In case of conflict of interest of one of the parents, the renunciation is made by the other parent with the consent of the two relatives. If the conflict of interest affects one of the two relatives, he/she must abstain or, if necessary, the successive relative must be called upon to substitute him/her.

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2.- LAND REGISTRY. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO REQUEST SIMPLE NOTES NEITHER BY EMAIL NOR BY MEANS OF A DOCUMENT PRESENTED BY TELEMATIC WAY:

Attached are the Resolutions of the DGSJFP of March 27, 2023 (BOE of April 18, 2023) and of March 28, 2023 (BOE of April 18, 2023). According to them, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us that simple notes cannot be requested either by email or by means of a request submitted in a document through the Registry's telematic document filing system. The ordinary way is through the telematic portal of Registradores.org or via Telefax in the case of continuous notes from the Notary's office.

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3.- ASSIGNMENT OF PROPERTY IN EXCHANGE FOR A LIFE ANNUITY SECURED BY A CONDITION PRECEDENT AND A REAL RIGHT OF MORTGAGE. YOU CANNOT MORTGAGE WHAT DOES NOT YET BELONG TO YOU:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of March 28, 2023 (BOE of April 18, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us that you cannot mortgage what is not yet yours. An assignment of a property in exchange for an annuity is formalized in a public deed. Assignor (elderly person), assigns the property to a third party (assignee), in exchange for an annuity. The assignment is formalized with a suspensive condition, so that the transfer of ownership will take place when the assignee party proves that it has paid the agreed pension in full (it is understood that upon the death of the assignor). Likewise (to guarantee that those obliged to pay the pension will pay it), the assignee constitutes a mortgage on said property, in favor of the assignor, as an additional guarantee for the payment of the life annuity. The registration of the mortgage is denied since the condition precedent has not yet been fulfilled, so that the assignees have not yet acquired title to the real estate (condition precedent pending fulfillment) and, therefore, cannot mortgage something that does not yet belong to them.

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4.- MORTGAGE AND DOMICILE FOR NOTIFICATION PURPOSES. IT CANNOT BE A FOREIGN DOMICILE:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of March 30, 2023 (BOE of April 18, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us that when formalizing a real right of mortgage, the deed must contain an address of the debtor for the purpose of notifications and requirements, which must be located in Spain, so that it is not admissible to indicate an address of the debtor abroad, for these purposes.

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5.- DEED OF EXTINCTION OF STABLE COUPLE AND DISSOLUTION OF CONDOMINIUM (APARTMENT IN COMMON). IT CAN BE GRANTED WITH MINOR CHILDREN IF COVENANTS THAT AFFECT THE CHILDREN ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE DEED:

I attach the Resolution of the DG of Law, Legal Entities and Mediation of the Generalitat de Catalunya, dated April 19, 2023 (DOGC of April 24, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG determines that when there is a stable couple with children and with a house in common, when the stable couple is extinguished by cessation of the cohabitation, although there are those minor children, they can formalize the extinction of the stable couple in the deed and agree in the same one the dissolution of the condominium of the property that they had in common. However, this will only be possible if the deed of termination of the stable partnership does not include measures that affect the children, such as an agreement, a parentality plan, an alimony, or a visitation regime (in which case, logically, it would require judicial authorization).

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6.- DEED OF MATERIAL DIVISION OF A PRIVATE ELEMENT OF A PROPERTY SUBJECT TO THE HORIZONTAL PROPERTY REGIME ONLY A SIMPLE MAJORITY IS REQUIRED:

I attach the Resolution of the DG de Dret, Entitats Jurídiques i Mediació de la Generalitat de Catalunya, dated May 5, 2023 (DOGC of May 15, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG determines that in the case of an old building with a "singular" horizontal division (divided into 4 entities, one of which includes 13 apartments susceptible of individualized use), if the bylaws do not expressly allow it, then the building's bylaws must be modified, if the bylaws do not expressly allow it (in which case no agreement of the Meeting would be required) it is possible to formalize a material division of this entity that includes those 13 floors, in order to create 13 independent registry properties, being only necessary a resolution of the Meeting approved by simple majority (that is, it would not be necessary an agreement with qualified majorities of 4/5).

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7.- DEED OF RECTIFICATION OF ERROR (OF SURFACE) IN THE DESCRIPTION OF A PROPERTY (PRIVATE ELEMENT) SUBJECT TO HORIZONTAL PROPERTY REGIME. IT IS NOT REQUIRED DECLARATION OF NEW OLD WORK BY THE COMMUNITY OF PROPRIETORS:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP, dated April 18, 2023 (BOE of May 8, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG resolves a case in which an overground floor, registered with a useful surface of 47.51 meters, is rectified to 97 meters (since in fact that was the real and correct surface), by means of a deed granted by the registered owner of that property, based on a cadastral and graphic certification and an architect's report (that accredit that it is an error and that that floor has that surface from the moment of the construction), as well as by means of an agreement of Meeting (adopted by unanimity) that consents to this rectification. In this case, the DG confirms that this deed is sufficient to register the modification of the surface of the apartment, without the need of a deed of declaration of old new construction, by the community of owners, where the description of such element is rectified.

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8.- WHEN IN A SUCCESSION THERE IS A RIGHT OF TRANSMISSION, EYE THAT THE CONCURRENCE OF ALL THE INTERESTED PARTIES IN THE INHERITANCE IS REQUIRED FOR THE DELIVERY OF A LEGACY:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of April 19, 2023 (BOE of May 8, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG reminds that, within the framework of the right of transfer, and based on article 1006 of the Civil Code, any operation tending to divide the inheritance to which the transferor is called must be granted by all the interested parties in the succession of the latter (including their legitimated beneficiaries). This is a case in which two deceased persons, in their will, name as heirs their six children (with vulgar substitution in favor of their respective descendants) and, also, order in favor of three of their children legacies of some real estate. Subsequently, one of these children dies, leaving a widow and three children (grandchildren of the first deceased). A deed of delivery of the bequest is granted by the heirs instituted (children of the deceased couple) and also by the transmitting heirs (grandchildren), but the widowed spouse of the deceased son does not intervene, something that the DG interprets that it is indeed necessary, since she is interested in the succession.

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9.- IT WILL SOON BE POSSIBLE TO GRANT DEEDS TELEMATICALLY:

Attached is a link to the article recently published in El Periódico (HERE) where the novelties derived from Law 11/2023 are succinctly explained. Based on the same, in short (at the end of November expires the vacatio legis of 6 months), it will be possible to grant certain public documents telematically, that is to say, without the physical presence of the client in the Notary's office. As more news on the practical implementation of the measure becomes available, the staff will be duly informed.

April 2023

1.- CLIENTS CAN IDENTIFY THEMSELVES BEFORE A NOTARY BY MEANS OF THE VALID DRIVING LICENSE OF THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN:

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of January 16, 2023 (BOE of February 14, 2023). According to this Resolution, and by way of summary, the DG allows an appearing party to identify himself before a Notary Public by means of a valid Spanish driving license, although this resource must be used in a subsidiary or supplementary manner. This means that, ordinarily, in any case, the identification of Spaniards must be made by means of Passport or DNI. However, in a subsidiary manner, the driving license may also be accepted, since it is an official document issued by a public authority, with photograph and signature, which has identification effects.

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2.- THE CONSENT OF THE NEW OWNERS OF A PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A HORIZONTAL PROPERTY REGIME IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO RECORD IN THE PROPERTY REGISTRY AGREEMENTS ADOPTED PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY THAT HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED.

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of January 31, 2023 (BOE of February 20, 2023).. According to it, and by way of summary, the DG recalls that, as a general rule, if a community of owners adopts an agreement subject to registration in the Land Registry, and subsequently, before such agreement is registered, there are changes of ownership in private elements, in order to achieve the registration of such agreement, the new owners must give their consent. However, in this specific case, being an inheritance, the DG applies the principle of universal succession (article 661 Cc) and allows the registration of the agreement.

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3.- IN THE CONTEXT OF AN INHERITANCE, THE SEPARATION OF A MARRIAGE MUST BE RELIABLY PROVEN IN ORDER TO DEPRIVE THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF HIS OR HER INHERITANCE RIGHTS TO THE RESERVED PORTION OF THE ESTATE.

I attach the Resolution of the DGSJFP of January 24, 2023 (BOE of February 14, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us that, in the context of an acceptance of inheritance, in order to formalize the same without the surviving legitimate spouse (as a result of the spouses being separated), it is necessary to prove the separation (by mutual agreement in public deed / judicial resolution of separation or divorce / by ratification of the spouse who does not participate in the partition).

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4.- PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE ADEQUACY TRIAL WHEN A PREVENTIVE POWER OF ATTORNEY IS USED IN ANTICIPATION OF LOSS OF CAPACITY.

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of November 4, 2022 (BOE of December 2, 2022). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG determines that in order to be able to use a preventive power of attorney in anticipation of loss of capacity (of the type that only takes effect once the loss of capacity is accredited, not before) a generic sufficiency judgment is not enough as in any kind of power of attorney, but additional requirements will be demanded, namely: a current medical certificate will be required, with indication of date, author, object and an express judgment of the Notary that the principal is in the support situation described for the power of attorney to take effect (and even, in case of doubt, an expert report may be required, which will be assessed in a separate notarial act or, where appropriate, adding the appearance of the principal to assess in situ his situation of need).

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5.- JUDICIAL DECISIONS AFFECTING THE CAPACITY OF THE PERSON MUST BE REGISTERED IN THE CIVIL REGISTRY SO THAT THE ACTS DERIVED THEREFROM HAVE ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY REGISTRY.

Attached is the Resolution of the DGSJFP of January 3, 2023 (BOE of February 9, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us that the court decision affecting the capacity of a person, in addition to being final, must be registered in the Civil Registry. Without this requirement, the act carried out by the representative will not be able to access the Property Registry.

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6.- WHEN THE ECONOMIC REGIME OF THE MARRIAGE IS INDICATED IN A DEED, IT MUST BE DETAILED WHETHER IT IS LEGAL OR CONVENTIONAL.

I attach the Resolution of the DGSJFP of December 20, 2022 (BOE of February 3, 2023). According to it, and by way of summary, the DG reminds us that when indicating the economic regime of the marriage, it is necessary to determine in the deed if such economic-marital regime is legal or agreed (since in case of being agreed, specific rules of management and disposition may have been foreseen, different from the generic ones foreseen in the legal regime of the Code). In addition, if it is an agreed or conventional regime, it must be accredited to the notary by means of the exhibition of the authentic document from which the conventional economic regime results (marriage contracts) with the data of inscription in the competent Civil Registry. It can also be accredited with the certification of marriage of the Civil Registry in whose margin must be noted the granting of the marriage contracts in which the referred conventional matrimonial property regime is agreed, the day of the granting, the authorizing notary and the number of protocol.

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7.- NEED FOR THE NOTARY TO EXPRESSLY STATE IN THE NOTARIAL SUFFICIENCY JUDGMENT THE CAVEAT OF SELF-CONTRACTING AND/OR CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

Attached resolution of the DGSJFP of March 9, 2023 (B.O.E. March 27, 2023). In this interesting resolution the DG reiterates once again its doctrine regarding the notarial sufficiency and self-contracting trial, in the sense that precautions must be taken when in the presence of a legal business granted by an attorney-in-fact who in turn intervenes in his own name and right as a party with interests opposed to those of his attorney-in-fact. In the case presented to us in the resolution, the Registrar suspends the registration of a donation in which the donor acts in turn as attorney-in-fact of the donee, without expressly stating in the deed of donation that the power of attorney granted by the donee expressly avoids the figure of self-contracting and/or conflict of interests. The administrative center recalls its already very reiterated doctrine that article 98 of Law 24/2001 exclusively attributes the judgment of sufficiency of the alleged representation to the notary, without the registrar being able to require for his qualification that the document from which the representation is derived be exhibited, accompanied or transcribed. However, when the figure of self-contracting is involved, it is not enough for the notary to state in the deed the notary's judgment of sufficiency, but it will also be necessary for him to clearly state that the authentic document from which the representation (power of attorney) results contemplates the caveat of self-contracting".

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8.- APPLICABLE LAW IN MATTERS OF MATRIMONIAL PROPERTY REGIMES WITH INTERNATIONAL ELEMENTS

8.1.- LAW APPLICABLE TO THE MATRIMONIAL PROPERTY REGIME:

EU Regulation 2016/1103 (HERE) applies, applicable to all marriages entered into as of June 2019, which is universally applicable (it allows to apply even non-EU country laws).
The Regulation (art. 22) allows the spouses to choose the law applicable to their matrimonial property regime between that of the place of celebration or that of the nationality of either spouse.
Validity of the agreement: Subject to the formal requirements of each country (consequently, in Spain, a public deed will be required).
‍In theabsence of an agreement, the applicable law shall be (art. 26): That of the first habitual residence after marriage, that of the common nationality or that of the closest bond.
‍Alsoapplicable to "registered partnerships": stable couples registered in a public registry.

8.2.- LAW APPLICABLE TO THE DIVORCE:

EU Regulation 1259/2010 (HERE) on applicable divorce law is applicable, which is also universally applicable (even non-EU laws can be applied).
The Regulation (art. 5) allows the spouses to choose the law applicable to divorce between the law of the place of habitual residence, the law of the last place of habitual residence, the law of the State of which one of the spouses is a national at the time of conclusion of the agreement or the law of the forum.
Validity of the agreement: Subject to the formal requirements of each country (in Spain, public deed of covenants in anticipation of rupture).
‍Inthe absence of an agreement, the criteria of Article 8 of the Regulations shall apply.

Jesus Benavides Lima

Notary of Barcelona

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Intestate succession: What happens if I die without a will?

What is intestate succession?

Who has the right to succeed the deceased in intestate succession?

What is the right of representation?

What should I do if I believe I am entitled to inherit from a relative who has died without a will?

Who can request the notarial act of declaration of intestate heirs?

Is there any deadline to process the declaration of intestate heirs?

Which Notary is competent to process the act of declaration of intestate heirs?

How can I request and initiate a declaration of intestate succession?

How long does it take to process the Intestate Declaration of Inheritance?

How much does it cost to grant a declaration of intestate succession?

Where can I find the current and valid regulations on the subject?

Final conclusion:

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

July 2023

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

Will

Other articles that might interest you

Intestate succession: What happens if I die without a will?

What is intestate succession?

Who has the right to succeed the deceased in intestate succession?

What is the right of representation?

What should I do if I believe I am entitled to inherit from a relative who has died without a will?

Who can request the notarial act of declaration of intestate heirs?

Is there any deadline to process the declaration of intestate heirs?

Which Notary is competent to process the act of declaration of intestate heirs?

How can I request and initiate a declaration of intestate succession?

How long does it take to process the Intestate Declaration of Inheritance?

How much does it cost to grant a declaration of intestate succession?

Where can I find the current and valid regulations on the subject?

Final conclusion:

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

July 2023

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

Will

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