17/4/2024

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HERE'S NO PLACE TO LIVE!

Top 20 community of neighbors queries

In this article you will find

I use as title for my new blog article the famous TV series that we all, sooner or later, have seen some chapter. Undoubtedly, most people (including myself) live in condominiums. That is, we do not live alone in a building, we live with other people, the famous neighbors.

In my daily work as a Notary Public, I can observe how, in the context of the many and varied real estate transactions that are formalized in my office, the truth is that it is very common for citizens, when acquiring or owning a property over time, to ask me many questions about common and everyday situations that occur in this type of shared property regimes.

Thus, and in view of the recurrence of this kind of queries, I have considered that it may be useful for citizens to make a compilation of these most common doubts and their legal response, so that, in an easy and simple way, anyone interested in this matter can find a legal answer to their question, always through a plain and simple language intended for the general public outside the world of law.

What is this community of owners?

In practice, in the vast majority of cities and urban centers, given the scarcity of land, people's dwellings are organized in multi-family housing buildings, i.e., constructions where there is a group of independent apartments, which serve as housing for a group of different people, and which have a set of common elements (such as a lobby, a staircase, an elevator, a community pool, a community garden, etc.) as a common nexus.

Thus, on this basis, when a multi-family housing building is constructed (in most cases, a block of apartments), in order to organize the relationships between the different owners of these independent apartments, the law has created a specific legal regime, known as horizontal property.

In Spain, this specific regulation can be found in the Spanish Horizontal Property Law (HERE you can consult it).
In the Catalan sphere, its specific regulation can be found in articles 553-1 and following of Book V of the Civil Code of Catalonia (HERE you can consult them).

Thus, through this legal regime of horizontal property, a community regime is regulated that allows the owners of the different apartments to exercise their property rights exclusively over the private elements (i.e., the apartment they have purchased) and in community with the other owners over the common elements.

On this basis, each owner of each individual apartment will be able to enjoy it (living in that apartment, renting it to a third party to obtain a benefit, ceding its use to a child, etc.), while, for their part, it will also entitle them to use the common elements of the building (such as the community staircase, the elevator, if any, a community swimming pool, a community garden, or a community gym, among others), based on the rules to be established.

Likewise, as is logical, the different owners of the apartments that make up the horizontal property will also have obligations, both from an economic point of view (such as covering the ordinary maintenance expenses of the building, i.e., electricity, elevator maintenance, building damage insurance, pool maintenance, etc.), and from the point of view of the use of these common spaces (abiding by the rules that, for example, are determined in relation to the use of a community pool, a community gymnasium, or a community garden).

Finally, it should be noted that this horizontal property regime, in accordance with the law, can only be created through the granting of a public deed of horizontal division (which is normally granted by the developer who builds the apartment building, prior to its sale) and its registration in the Property Registry.

It is therefore in this deed of horizontal division where the community of owners is created, where the different floors (private elements) are described, as well as the common elements that make it up, as well as the basic rules that will govern its operation, which are called bylaws.

What is the key element that defines the participation of each neighbor in the community of owners?

The participation of each neighbor in the community of owners is determined by what is called its participation quota, that is, a percentage that corresponds to each neighbor owner in relation to the total value of the property and, therefore, of the common elements.

In practice, the participation quota of each apartment is fixed in the deed of incorporation by the builder who builds the property and, for its concrete determination, the size of each apartment (i.e., its surface area) is usually used as a reference.

<ejemplo>Así pues, por ejemplo, si tenemos un edificio formado por 5 pisos, 2 de ellos con 70 metros cuadrados, y los 3 restantes, de 120 metros cuadrados cada uno, utilizando el criterio antes indicado del tamaño, tendremos como resultado que cada piso tiene la siguiente cuota de participación:<ejemplo>

‍Floor1 (70 square meters): 14%.
‍Floor 2 (70 square meters): 14%
‍Floor 3 (120 square meters): 24%
‍Floor 4 (120 square meters): 24%
‍Floor 5 (120 square meters): 24%

The participation quota, as we shall see, is very important, above all because it serves as a module to fix the participation in the charges, the benefits, the management and the government of the community and the rights of the owners in case of extinction of the regime and, likewise, it establishes the distribution of the expenses and the distribution of the income, unless otherwise agreed.

<ejemplo>Siguiendo nuestro ejemplo anterior, si la comunidad de propietarios, tras analizar sus necesidades de gasto para atender a los gastos ordinarios de mantenimiento de la comunidad (mantenimiento de ascensor, limpieza de escalera, seguros de daños, etc.), determinan que estos, en conjunto, ascienden a 1.000 euros al mes, estos no se repartirán de manera proporcional o igualitaria entre los 5 propietarios que conforman la comunidad, sino que su reparto se realizará en función de su cuota de participación, cosa que implica que, cada vecino en concreto, deberá pagar los siguientes importes:<ejemplo>

Apartment 1 (14% fee): 140 euros / month
Floor 2 (14% fee): 140 euros / month
Floor 3 (24% share): 240 euros / month
Floor 4 (24% share): 240 euros / month
Apartment 5 (24% share): 240 euros / month

As we can see, the participation quota of an apartment in the community of owners is a very important element to take into account, because depending on it, our obligations to the community will be greater or lesser.

In any case, the law also determines that the participation quotas can be modified by unanimous agreement of the owners or, if this is not possible, by means of the judicial authority or an extrajudicial conflict resolution procedure.

What is it, how is it determined and what is the purpose of the monthly homeowners' association fee?

As we have just seen, the communities of owners have a set of elements of common use whose ordinary maintenance and management is necessary from an economic point of view(here we include, for example, among others, the cost of the maintenance of the elevator, of the door of the community parking lot, of the cleaning of the staircase, of the insurance of damages of the building, the electricity and water of the staircase, the maintenance of other "extra" common elements, such as swimming pools, gardens, etc.).

Based on this need, each community of owners, based on its fixed cost structure, will determine an annual budget and, in view of this, the contribution corresponding to each owner based on his participation quota. In any case, this contribution must be fixed by a resolution of the owners' meeting.

This determines that each neighboring owner, on a monthly (or quarterly) basis, must pay a bill for community expenses, to cover the maintenance and management of these common elements.

<ejemplo>Rescatando nuestro ejemplo anterior, como hemos visto, en esa comunidad con 5 pisos y unos gastos comunes totales de 1.000 euros al mes, los 2 pisos de 70 metros cuadrados (con una cuota de participación del 14%), pagarán 140 euros al mes, mientras que, los otros 3 pisos de 120 metros (con una cuota de participación del 24%), pagarán 240 euros al mes.<ejemplo>

In practice, when a new neighbor acquires a property, he/she must communicate his/her bank details to the property manager so that, from that moment on, he/she will receive the corresponding receipt with the monthly expenses of the community of owners.

What happens when there is a delinquent neighbor?

As we have just seen, in a community of owners, each neighbor, on a monthly basis (or with the agreed periodicity), must pay a bill to cover the common expenses of the community to which he/she belongs.

That said, the truth is that, on occasion, a neighbor may not pay these community bills, in which case, he/she becomes a "delinquent neighbor".

In these cases, the law determines that the community of owners has the right to claim from that neighbor all the amounts due for the non-payment of those common expenses, through a judicial process that will follow the procedures of the special payment order trial regulated by the procedural legislation (specifically, in articles 812 and following of the Law of Civil Procedure, which you can consult HERE), being its main characteristic the simplicity of the procedure and the possibility of processing the same without the need to resort to a lawyer and solicitor (which, of course, reduces and facilitates the cost of the claim for the community).

A certificate of non-payment of the common expenses, issued by the person acting as secretary of the community with the approval of the president, will be sufficient to file the claim. This certificate must state the existence of the debt and its amount, the statement that the debt is payable and that it corresponds exactly with the accounts approved by the owners' meeting as recorded in the corresponding minutes book, as well as the extrajudicial payment request made to the debtor.

Also, in relation to the debts of the defaulting neighbor, the following additional aspects must be taken into account, in accordance with the Catalan civil legislation:

The claims of the community against the owners for the common expenses corresponding to the overdue part of the current year and the 4 immediately preceding years, counted from January 1 to December 31, have preference of collection over the private element, with the priority determined by law.
These debts accrue interest from the moment the corresponding payment is due and is not paid.
‍Theprivative elements are affected with real character and are liable for the payment of the amounts owed by the owners, as well as the previous owners, due to the common expenses, corresponding to the overdue part of the current year and the four immediately preceding years, counted from January 1 to December 31, so that, if the delinquent owner has no other assets with which to meet that debt, the community, if applicable, could proceed against that property to achieve recovery of the amounts owed to it.

Finally, it should also be noted that, in accordance with article 553-24 of the Civil Code of Catalonia, the defaulting neighbor will not have the right to vote at the owners' meeting.

What should be taken into account in relation to the monthly community fee when selling an apartment?

When an apartment subject to a horizontal property regime is sold, it is logical that when formalizing the transaction, the payment status of the owner in relation to the community of owners must be taken into account and addressed, otherwise, this could lead to unpleasant surprises for the buyer.

Thus, the law, being foresighted in this aspect, determines that the selling party of an apartment subject to a horizontal property regime, when formalizing the sale of its property, is obliged to declare whether or not it is up to date with the payment of its obligations to the community of owners (including both ordinary and extraordinary expenses, as well as the contributions to the reserve fund).

To this effect, the Catalan Civil Code obliges the seller, when the sale is formalized, to provide a certificate regarding the state of his debts with the community, issued by the secretary, which must also include the common expenses, ordinary and extraordinary, and the contributions to the reserve fund approved but pending maturity.

The need to provide this document at the notary's office at the time of formalizing the sale of the apartment is very important, since without this document the public deed cannot be granted, unless the parties expressly waive them (which is certainly not recommended at all to buyers, as this can lead to very unpleasant surprises in the form of high outstanding debts).

At this point, the most usual thing, when selling an apartment, is that the seller is up to date with the payment of his obligations with the community, so that, if this is stated in the certificate, this will not cause any more problems.

Therefore, once the sale has been formalized, the buyer must inform the administrator of the property, together with his bank account number, so that from that moment on, the new receipts will be sent to his bank account.

However, in those cases where debts exist, the range of options is wider, as the parties will have to negotiate and reach an agreement, for example:

That the seller settles these debts prior to the sale, otherwise the sale will not be concluded.
That the seller settles these debts, but at a later time than the formalization of the sale (assuming the buyer the risk that this may entail, in the event of a possible default, since in such case, the buyer will be obliged to assume these debts and, subsequently, if applicable, claim them from the seller through the corresponding legal proceedings).
Agree that it is the buyer who assumes these debts, but deducting the amount from the initially agreed purchase price.

In any case, in the event that there are debts, it will be necessary to take into account additional provisions established by law, such as the fact that the transferor is liable for the debt owed to the community at the time of the transfer, as well as the real condition of the property to the payment of the existing debts, which we have already mentioned in the previous question.

Should there be an emergency fund in homeowners' associations to cover unforeseen expenses?

In fact, the law obliges the communities to have "emergency savings" to be able to meet unforeseen expenses (such as a breakdown of a common element that is not covered by the community insurance), which the law calls reserve funds.

Thus, in accordance with the Civil Code of Catalonia, all homeowners' associations must include in their budget an amount of not less than 5% of the common expenses destined to the constitution of a reserve fund, for the purpose of meeting unforeseen community expenses of an urgent nature or, with the authorization of the owners' meeting, to meet extraordinary works of conservation, repair, rehabilitation, installation of new common services and security, as well as for those that are required in accordance with special regulations.

The ownership of this reserve fund belongs to all the owners and the fund remains assigned to the community without any owner having the right to claim its return at the time of the disposal of the private element.

The law also requires that the reserve fund must be shown in separate accounts and must be deposited in a special bank account in the name of the community, so that the administrators can only use it, with the authorization of the presidency or the owners' meeting, for the aforementioned purposes.

Finally, it should also be noted that the remainder of each year's reserve fund is accumulated in the following year's fund.

What are the rules governing the organization and coexistence in a homeowners' association and how can I consult them?

The basic and fundamental rule that regulates the operation of the community is its bylaws.

These, in accordance with the law, shall regulate the fundamental aspects of the organization and functioning of the community, such as:

The destination, use and exploitation of the private and common elements.
The limitations of use and other charges of the private elements.
The exercise of rights and the fulfillment of obligations.
The application of expenses and income and the distribution of charges and benefits.
The governing bodies complementary to those established by this code and their competencies.
The form of management and administration of the community.

Likewise, the law also allows, in a subsidiary manner, the creation of additional internal regulations, which are called internal rules and regulations, in which the internal rules relating to the relations of coexistence and good neighborliness among the owners and the use of the elements of common use and of the facilities will be detailed.

The statutes of the community of owners are usually included in the deed of incorporation of the horizontal property regime, so that, if any neighbor wishes to consult them, he only has to go to it or, if necessary, request a copy from the property manager.

Thus, by way of example, in the community's Bylaws, we can find rules related to:

The bodies that will make up the community, its operation and administration (for example, whether or not a property manager will be hired).
The form and frequency of payment of installments (monthly, quarterly, annual, etc.).
Accesses to the building.
The rules and schedules for the use of common elements (such as a swimming pool, a community patio, a gymnasium, a multi-purpose room, etc.).
Limitations, if any, on the establishment of economic activities in the apartments comprising the community of owners.
The possibility, or not, of modifying common elements of private use, such as the enclosure of balconies or terraces, the placement of commercial signs, clotheslines, barbecues, etc.
The destination of the parking spaces in the garage (only for parking of vehicles or, if applicable, for other additional purposes).
The possibility of segregating and/or dividing, or not, a private element.
Rules of use and limitations on terraces and balconies.
Ways of resolving conflicts between neighbors (such as, for example, submission to mediation before the property manager).

How is the homeowners' association organized?

The community of owners is organized, fundamentally, on the basis of three key figures, that is:

The presidency of the community.
The community secretariat.
The owners' meeting.

The following are the general characteristics of these figures:

The office of president and secretary are unipersonal.

The office of the presidency must be held by an owner, while the secretariat, if so agreed, may be held by an owner or by the person outside the community who assumes the functions of administration (i.e., normally, a property manager).

The officers are appointed by the owners' meeting, to which they are accountable for their actions.

Positions are eligible for re-election, and last for one year, although they are understood to be extended until the ordinary meeting following the expiration of the term for which they were appointed is held.

The exercise of the offices is mandatory (i.e., if the board appoints you on a rotating basis, it is mandatory to perform the same). However, the owners' meeting may consider the allegation of well-founded reasons for excusal.

The appointment is made, in the absence of candidates, on a rotating basis or by drawing lots among the persons who have not held office.

The positions are not remunerated, unless they are held by persons outside the community, in which case they may be remunerated (of course, when a professional such as a property manager is hired, he/she will want to charge a fee for this work).

In the designation of positions, there shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, origin or beliefs or for any other reason.

In view of the general rules on the election and term of these offices, the competencies of each of them should now be analyzed.

First, as regards the presidency, in accordance with the law, it is responsible for the following functions:

To call and chair the meetings of the owners' meeting.
Represent the community judicially and extrajudicially.
To make the resolutions public, if applicable.
To ensure the proper functioning of the community and the fulfillment of the duties of the secretary and the administrator.
Any other functions established by law.
Likewise, the owners' meeting may appoint a vice-president, who exercises the functions of the presidency in the event of the death, impossibility, absence or incapacity of its holder. He may also exercise the functions expressly delegated to him by the presidency.

Secondly, as regards the secretary, the law determines that he/she is responsible for taking the minutes of the meetings, making the notifications, issuing the certificates, as well as the custody of the documentation of the community (such as notices, communications, powers of attorney, accounting, etc.).

Thirdly, it is necessary to point out that, in the event that an administrator is appointed, he/she will be responsible for the management of the ordinary affairs of the community, exercising the following functions:

To take the convenient measures and do the necessary acts to preserve the assets and the proper functioning of the community services.
Ensure that the owners comply with their obligations and give them the pertinent warnings.
Prepare the annual accounts for the previous year and the budget.
Execute the resolutions of the owners' meeting and make the corresponding collections and payments.
To decide on the execution of urgent conservation and repair works, of which it shall immediately report to the presidency.
To pay, with the authorization of the president, expenses of an emergency nature that may be charged to the reserve fund.
Any other functions expressly delegated to it by the Board of Owners or attributed to it by law.

Fourthly and lastly, as regards the powers of the owners' meeting, it should be pointed out that the latter, made up of all the owners of private elements, is the supreme body of the community, which has all the powers not expressly attributed to other bodies and, as a minimum, the following:

The appointment and removal of persons who are to hold or hold office in the community.
The modification of the incorporation title.
Approval and modification of the bylaws and internal regulations.
Approval of budgets and annual accounts.
Approval of the execution of non-budgeted ordinary repairs and extraordinary repairs and improvements, their amount and the imposition of assessments for their financing.
The establishment or modification of the general criteria for setting or modifying quotas.
Voluntary termination of the regime.

How do homeowners' meetings work?

In accordance with the law, the owners' meeting must ordinarily meet once a year to deal with the following key points:

Approve the accounts and budget for the year.
To elect the persons who are to hold office (president, secretary and, if applicable, administrator).
To deal with any other matter of interest to the community (repair or improvement works, revision of coexistence rules, etc.).

In addition, on an extraordinary basis, the owners' meeting can and must also meet when deemed convenient by the president and when requested by at least one fourth of the owners or those representing one fourth of the participation quotas.

That said, as regards the notice of the meeting, it must be issued by the presidency of the community, which, unless the bylaws expressly state otherwise, must be sent at least eight calendar days in advance. Regarding the means of publicity of the same:

It must be sent to the address communicated by the owner to the secretariat. It may be sent by post or e-mail, or by other means of communication, provided that the authenticity of the communication and its contents is guaranteed. If the owner has not communicated any address, it must be sent to the apartment of which he/she is the owner.
In addition, the announcement of the summons must be published with the same advance notice on the community bulletin board or in a visible place provided for this purpose, since this announcement produces the effect of effective notification when the personal notification has not been successful.

However, in the case of extraordinary meetings to deal with urgent matters, it is only necessary that the owners have been informed of the notices, summons and notifications prior to the date on which the meeting is to be held.

With regard to its content, the notice of the meeting of the meeting of the owners' meeting must clearly and in detail express:

The agenda (i.e., the business to be transacted).
The day, place and time of the meeting.
The list of the owners with outstanding debts with the community due to the community fees, who will have voice but no voting rights.
The documentation related to the matters to be discussed.

Having said this, with regard to the right of attendance, it is necessary to indicate that the owners of the apartments or premises that make up the community have the right to attend the owners' meetings, which may be attended either personally or represented by a third party (provided that this is accredited).

At the date and time set, the owners' meeting shall be validly constituted regardless of the number of owners attending and the number of quotas of which they are the owners or representatives.

Once the meeting has commenced, the items on the agenda will be discussed, so that, once the discussion of each item has been completed, the corresponding votes will be taken, with the owners having the right to vote, as already indicated, if they have no outstanding debts with the community when the meeting is held.

Finally, at the conclusion of the meeting, the secretary of the community must draw up the minutes, which must be authorized, with the signatures of the secretary and the president, within 5 days from the day after the meeting. The minutes of the meeting must contain at least the following information:

The date and place of the meeting, the ordinary or extraordinary nature of the meeting and the name of the person who called the meeting.
Agenda.
Indication of the person who presided over the meeting and the person who acted as secretary.
The list of persons who have attended in person or by proxy and, if applicable, those who have delegated.
The resolutions adopted, the participants in each vote and their respective quotas, as well as the results of the votes, indicating those who voted in favor, those who voted against and those who abstained.

In any case, it should also be noted that, in exceptional cases (for example, when a conflictive meeting with sensitive matters to be dealt with is foreseen), the president may require a notary to take minutes of the resolutions of the meeting when he considers it pertinent and must do so, in any case, when there is a written request presented, at least five days before the date of the meeting, by a quarter of the owners or by less if they represent a quarter of the quotas.

Finally, the minutes must be sent to all owners within ten days from the day after the owners' meeting.

What majorities are needed to pass resolutions at the owners' meeting?

In a community of owners, as we have seen, the meeting of owners is the supreme body of the community, where the most relevant decisions for the community are adopted.

That said, we now need to know what majorities are needed to approve the agreements, that is, how many neighbors must vote in favor of a proposal for it to be considered validly approved.

In this regard, it is necessary to point out that the law establishes three types of majorities that may be required, depending on the type of agreement to be adopted, which are:

Agreements by simple majority.
Unanimous agreement.
Agreements by qualified majority.

We will now analyze each of them.

‍

A.- AGREEMENTS BY SIMPLE MAJORITY

The adoption of resolutions in the meeting of owners by simple majority is, ordinarily, the general regime for the adoption of resolutions, i.e., this majority will be necessary to adopt any resolution for which the law does not require a specific majority.

In order to compute this simple majority, the votes of the owners who have participated in each vote shall be taken into account, which must represent, at the same time, the simple majority of the total of their participation quotas.

<ejemplo>Así pues, por ejemplo, en una comunidad de propietarios formada por 5 vecinos (con la misma cuota de participación), donde se convoca la junta de vecinos extraordinaria para decidir si se instala una rampa para facilitar el acceso a una persona con movilidad reducida, si acuden a la misma tres de ellos, votando dos de ellos a favor y uno en contra, el acuerdo se entenderá aprobado, al haberse alcanzado esa mayoría simple que exige la ley (dos votos a favor frente a uno).<ejemplo>

Likewise, the law expressly states that, in any case, this simple majority shall be required to adopt the following resolutions:

The execution of works or the establishment of services that have the purpose of eliminating architectural barriers or the installation of elevators, even if the agreement entails the modification of the incorporation title and the bylaws or even if the works or services affect the structure or the external configuration.
The innovations required for the habitability, accessibility, safety of the property or energy or water efficiency according to its nature and characteristics, even if the agreement entails the modification of the incorporation title and bylaws or affects the structure or exterior configuration.
The execution of works to install common infrastructures or equipment for the purpose of improving the mobility of users, to connect broadband telecommunications services or to individualize the metering of water, gas or electricity consumption or for the general installation of recharging points for electric vehicles even if the agreement entails the modification of the articles of incorporation and bylaws.
The execution of works to install common infrastructures or equipment in order to improve energy or water efficiency, as well as to install renewable energy systems and their auxiliary elements for common use in common elements, even if the agreement entails the modification of the incorporation title and bylaws or affects the structure or exterior configuration.
The execution of works to install infrastructures or equipment with the purpose of improving energy or water efficiency, as well as to install renewable energy systems of particular utility in common elements, at the request of the interested owners, even if they affect the structure or the exterior configuration. The adopted agreement includes, if the existing installation allows it, the access of other owners as long as they pay the amount that would have corresponded to them when the installation was made, duly updated, as well as the cost of the necessary adaptation to have access. The owners who wish to have access to the pre-existing installations must previously communicate it to the presidency or to the administration of the community.
Participation in the generation of renewable energies shared with other homeowners' communities, in the aggregation of demand, as well as in local or citizen energy communities, and in the exercise of the rights derived from this participation, even if the agreement entails the modification of the incorporation title and bylaws.
Financing contracts to meet the expenses arising from the execution of the works or installations provided for in the preceding paragraphs.
The rules of the internal regulations.
The agreement to submit to mediation any matter pertaining to the horizontal property regime.

‍

B.- UNANIMOUS AGREEMENTS

Secondly, the Catalan Civil Code specifies a set of decisions that, given their relevance, will require the unanimity of the owners, that is to say, that they all agree with the measure and vote in favor of it.

Thus, the favorable vote of all owners entitled to vote is required for:

Modify the participation quotas.
Unlink an attachment.
To link the exclusive use of patios, gardens, terraces, roofs of the property or other common elements to one or more private elements.
To assign free of charge the use of common elements that have a common use.
To constitute a right of over-elevation, sub-building and building on the property.
Extinguish the horizontal property regime, simple or complex, and convert it into a different type of community.
Agree on the integration in a complex horizontal property.
Submit to arbitration any question relating to the condominium regime, unless there is a contrary statutory provision.

In these cases, as we see, given the importance of the decision, the law requires that all neighbors agree with the measure.

<ejemplo>Así pues, por ejemplo, si en el seno de una comunidad de propietarios de un bloque de pisos que tiene una terraza comunitaria en la azotea del edificio (la cual, en la práctica, nadie utiliza salvo el vecino de la última planta, dada su proximidad), se plantea la posibilidad de ceder el uso exclusivo de dicha terraza a ese vecino de la última planta. Pues en tal caso, al tratarse de un elemento comunitario, se requerirá que todos los vecinos estén de acuerdo, de modo que, sólo con que un vecino votara en contra, la medida ya no se podría adoptar.<ejemplo>

Likewise, it is necessary to specify that in these cases, the decision shall also be deemed approved if, although not all the neighbors have attended the meeting, all the owners who have participated in the vote have voted in favor, and after that, within a period of one month from the notification of the resolution, no other owner has objected by means of a letter sent to the secretary's office by any reliable means.

‍

C.- AGREEMENTS BY QUALIFIED MAJORITY

Thirdly and lastly, the Catalan Civil Code specifies a set of cases in which a qualified majority is required, specifically, the favorable vote of four-fifths of the owners with voting rights, who must represent at the same time four-fifths of the participation quotas.

Specifically, this qualified majority shall be required for:

To amend the articles of incorporation and bylaws, unless there is a legal provision to the contrary.
Adopt agreements regarding physical innovations in the property, if they affect its structure or exterior configuration, as well as those related to the construction of swimming pools and recreational facilities.
To disaffect a common element.
To constitute, alienate, encumber and divide a private element of common benefit.
Agreeing to special expense quotas, or an increase in the participation in the common expenses corresponding to a private element due to the disproportionate use of common elements or services, in accordance with the provisions of article 553-45.4.
To agree on the voluntary extinction of the horizontal property regime by parcels.
The onerous transfer of the use and lease of common elements that have a common use for a term of more than fifteen years.
Financing contracts with a repayment term of more than fifteen years.

In these cases, it must also be taken into account that the law specifies that the resolution shall also be deemed approved when a simple majority of the owners and of the quotas participating in the vote have voted in favor of the resolution and, within one month from the notification of the resolution, the qualified majority is reached, counting as a favorable vote the position of the absent owners who, within said period, have not opposed the resolution by means of a letter sent to the secretary's office by any reliable means.

<ejemplo>Así pues, siguiendo nuestro ejemplo, en una comunidad de propietarios formada por 5 vecinos, donde se convoca la junta de vecinos extraordinaria para decidir si se instala una piscina en el jardín comunitario, si acuden a la misma los 5 vecinos, para la válida adopción del acuerdo se requerirá que voten a favor 4 de ellos.<ejemplo>

Lastly, and in relation to the exercise of voting rights, the following additional matters should be taken into account:

Resolutions may only be adopted on matters included in the agenda.
For the calculation of majorities, the votes and quotas of the owners who have participated in the voting of each of the items on the agenda, either in person, by proxy or by delegation of vote, are computed.
In cases where an apartment or premises belongs to several owners, these jointly have a single indivisible vote by virtue of the ownership of said private element.
For the sole purpose of legal standing to challenge the resolutions and the exemption from payment of expenses for new installations or common services, the owners who have not participated in the vote may oppose the resolution by means of a letter sent to the secretary's office, by any reliable means, within one month after they have been notified of the resolution. If after one month they have not sent the letter of opposition, it is considered that they adhere to the agreement.

Are the resolutions adopted by the owners' meeting binding?

Indeed, the resolutions adopted by the meeting are binding and binding on all owners, including dissenters (i.e., those who voted against), and are enforceable from the moment they are adopted, unless the bylaws provide otherwise.

<ejemplo>Siguiendo nuestro ejemplo anterior de esa comunidad que ha adoptado la decisión de instalar una piscina con 4 votos a favor frente 1 en contra, desde ese momento, las obras de construcción de la misma ya pueden comenzar y, en su caso, la derrama o gasto extraordinario que se hubiere aprobado a tal efecto será exigible a todos los vecinos (incluso los que hubieren votado en contra).<ejemplo>

That said, the law also establishes special rules in relation to the binding nature of the agreements and the assumption of the economic burdens derived therefrom. Thus:

Firstly, it should be pointed out that dissenting owners are not obliged to pay the expenses arising from new installations or new common services that are not required by law if the total value of the agreed expenditure is greater than one fourth of the current annual budget of the community, after deducting subsidies or public aid and the costs derived from obtaining the necessary credit from financial institutions.

In such a case, the owners can only benefit from the new facilities or services if they pay for the execution and maintenance costs with the corresponding update by applying the general consumer price index.

Secondly, to specify that the expenses originated by the suppression of architectural barriers or the installation of elevators and those necessary to guarantee the accessibility and habitability of the building are to be paid by all the owners if they derive from an agreement of the meeting.

Thirdly, it should be pointed out that the expenses arising from the installation of common infrastructures or equipment with the purpose of improving energy or water efficiency, as well as the installation of renewable energy systems for common use in common elements, are to be paid by all the owners if they derive from the agreement of the meeting.

In this case, the dissenting owners, in any case, are obliged if the total value of the agreed expenditure does not exceed three quarters of the current annual budget of the community for ordinary common expenses, after deducting any subsidies or public aid that may correspond to them in this respect.

Finally, it should be pointed out that the law clearly specifies that owners who, without just cause, oppose the necessary actions or works required by the competent authority or delay them are individually liable for the penalties imposed administratively.

Can the resolutions of the owners' meeting be challenged?

Of course, the agreements of the owners' meeting can be challenged judicially, in the following cases:

If they are contrary to the laws, the articles of incorporation or the bylaws.
If, given the circumstances, they imply an abuse of rights.
If they are contrary to the interests of the community or are seriously detrimental to one of the owners.

Having said this, it is necessary to specify that the owners who have voted against, the absentees who have opposed and those who have been illegitimately deprived of the right to vote are entitled to challenge an agreement.

In any case, in order to be able to exercise the action of challenge before the competent court, it is necessary to be up to date with the payment of the debts with the community that are due at the time of the adoption of the agreement to be challenged or to have deposited the amount thereof.

Finally, it should be noted that the law sets a time limit for challenging the agreements, i.e., the following:

One year in the event of agreements contrary to the law, the articles of incorporation or the bylaws.
Three months in the event that they are contrary to the interests of the community or seriously detrimental to one of the owners.

<ejemplo>Así pues, por ejemplo, si la comunidad de propietarios realiza una votación para desafectar la vivienda del portero y proceder a su venta, adoptándose el acuerdo con una mayoría simple (y no cualificada de 4/5 como exige la ley), y aún así, la comunidad de propietarios pretende seguir adelante con la operación, el o los vecinos que hubieren votado en contra, tendrán derecho a impugnar ese acuerdo para que no se lleve a cabo.<ejemplo>

Who pays for extraordinary community expenses and how are they paid?

In accordance with the law, the community must maintain the common elements of the property, so that it complies with the structural, habitability, accessibility, watertightness, safety and energy or water efficiency conditions, according to the regulations in force, and must keep the services and installations in proper working order.

As a consequence, the owners have to assume the necessary conservation and repair works.

<ejemplo>Así pues, por ejemplo, si se rompe un ascensor de una escalera, una fachada sufre desperfectos, el parking del edificio tiene goteras, etc., en todos estos casos, la comunidad deberá afrontar las obras de reparación pertinentes para que esos elementos comunes puedan cumplir su función sin problema alguno.<ejemplo>

Thus, in the event of a breakdown or breakage of any common element, the community of owners must proceed to its repair or replacement, charged to the common funds of the same. In the event that the community has "savings", either from surpluses of its ordinary quotas, or thanks to the reserve fund (which we have already commented in another question), its payment will be made based on them, while, if these were not sufficient, the community will have to approve an extraordinary expense (or spill), which will have to be assumed by all the neighbors based on their participation quota.

In case of non-payment of this extraordinary expense, the neighbor who is the protagonist of the non-payment will become a "delinquent" neighbor, in which case the community may claim the debt through the legal channels that we have also analyzed in another previous question.

If I do not use the elevator or another common element, can I ask the community to pay less fee?

In accordance with the Catalan Civil Code, and as already mentioned, the owners must pay the common expenses in proportion to their participation quota or in accordance with the special provisions established by the articles of incorporation, the bylaws or the resolutions of the meeting, so that, in principle, the lack of use and enjoyment of specific common elements does not exempt them from the obligation to pay the expenses deriving from their maintenance.

<ejemplo>Así pues, por ejemplo, si un vecino del bajo no usa el ascensor, no puede en principio exigir a la comunidad pagar menos dinero de cuota mensual de mantenimiento de gastos ordinarios, amparándose en que él no hace uso de ese elemento común. Lo mismo sucedería con, por ejemplo, una comunidad de propietarios que tiene piscina, donde un vecino alega que no la utiliza nunca.<ejemplo>

However, the law leaves the door open to the possibility that, if so agreed by the neighbors in a specific provision of the bylaws, a reduction of the contribution of a specific neighbor in the event of lack of use and enjoyment of a common element may be agreed upon.

Finally, it should also be pointed out that, on the other hand, the title of incorporation may also establish an increase in the share of the common expenses corresponding to a specific private element, in the case of particularly intensive use or enjoyment of common elements or services as a consequence of the exercise of business or professional activities in the apartment or premises. This increase can also be agreed by the owners' meeting but, in neither of the two cases, the increase can be more than double the amount that would correspond to the quota.

<ejemplo>Así pues, por ejemplo, si en un bloque de pisos, en la planta primera hay una academia de idiomas que genera un elevado uso del ascensor (cientos de alumnos que suben y bajan a todas horas), se puede llagar a pactar que ese propietario de la academia pague una cuota de gastos comunes más elevada a la comunidad, a la vista del uso intensivo que se hace del ascensor por su parte.<ejemplo>

Can the community of owners have debts?

Of course, homeowners' associations may incur debts, especially in the event that they have to face very high extraordinary expenses and do not have the necessary funds to do so(for example, the renovation of a complete façade of the building, for the financing of which a loan from a financial institution is required).

In these cases, the debts contracted by reason of the community are the responsibility of the credits and common funds of the owners and the private elements of common benefit and, subsidiarily, the owners of the private elements are responsible in proportion to their share of participation.

Can tourist dwellings be prohibited in a community of owners?

In effect, the law, and also the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, allow the communities of owners, to establish a prohibition in their statutes to prevent that, in the dwellings of the building, tourist apartments can be installed. Thus, if this prohibition is duly approved with the required majorities, no neighbor will be able to establish a tourist or vacation home in his apartment.

However, it is important to know that this prohibition cannot be retroactive, that is to say, that it will not affect the tourist apartments that already existed in the property before the valid adoption of the community agreement.

Can two apartments be joined into one in a community of owners?

Indeed, it is possible that, if a person acquires two adjoining apartments in a multi-family building, he or she may consider joining them to create a much larger dwelling.

From a legal point of view, this type of operation is known as a grouping of properties, where, in addition to carrying out the corresponding physical works to join the two dwellings, it will be necessary to grant a public deed and register it in the Land Registry.

In order to formalize this operation, unless the bylaws provide otherwise, the corresponding resolution of the Board of Owners will be required, as well as an administrative license authorizing said union.

What can I do if a neighbor bothers me with noise or odors?

Indeed, on certain occasions, noise or odors coming from a neighboring apartment can cause serious damage to the habitability of a dwelling and to the physical and mental health of the people who live there, without the latter having to endure this situation.

The Catalan Civil Code regulates this type of situation through the figure of illegitimate immissions, establishing that the immissions of smoke, noise, gases, vapors, odor, heat, tremor, electromagnetic waves and light and other similar produced by illegitimate acts of neighbors and that cause damage to the property or to the persons living therein are prohibited and generate liability for the damage caused.

Thus, if any neighbor, by means of any of these activities(for example, loud music, strong smells from an illegal "dark kitchen", etc.), constantly carries out these immissions that cause damage to a property or its inhabitants, the affected neighbor will have the right to demand the cessation of such activity, so that, if this requirement is not met, he/she will have the right to resort to the courts to obtain its cessation as well as the corresponding compensation for the damage caused.

Can the janitor's apartment be sold?

Indeed, there are estates where, since their construction, a dwelling was reserved for the residence of the janitor of the estate. However, at present, this figure is more and more in disuse, so that, on having dispensed with this worker, the existence of this housing loses its raison d'être, so that many communities of owners, in this situation, consider the sale of the same one.

In these cases, legally, we are facing an operation known as disaffection of a common element, that is, to change the "qualification" of common element to private element of that dwelling previously destined to the janitor, in order to be able to sell it later on.

These operations, from a legal point of view, are complex, since:

In the Catalan case, it requires a meeting resolution adopted by a qualified majority of 4/5.
It requires the determination of the participation quota of the new private element and the reallocation of the new quota of the rest of the private elements.
In the event that any of the private elements of the property is encumbered with a mortgage right (the most probable and usual), the consent of said creditors will be required so that the mortgage charge does not also fall on the new private element, this being, in practice, the aspect that most complicates the operation.

For these operations, homeowners' associations are advised to seek the advice of an expert lawyer, otherwise this can be a major impediment.

In a new construction community, what happens if construction defects are detected?

Likewise, in new construction communities, it is very common that, once all the apartments have been sold, construction defects begin to appear, not only in private elements (i.e., in the different apartments), but also in common elements(for example, leaks in the community staircase, in the community parking lot, dampness in the façade, etc.).

In these cases, of course, these construction defects can also be claimed by the community of owners against all the construction agents involved in said real estate development, for which, most likely, the community of owners will need to hire a lawyer to defend their rights, as well as a technical expert who can accredit in a report the existence of the damages, their origin, and the amount of their repair.

In any case, HERE is attached an article from our blog with much more detail on these construction defects in new construction, typologies, time limit for claiming, etc., which undoubtedly may be of interest in these cases.

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In the hope that this article will be useful to all owners of a property subject to a condominium or community property regime, the Jesús Benavides Notary team remains at your disposal to assist you in everything you may need in this regard.

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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