Why have a will and how easy it is to make one

Why have a will? How easy and cheap it is to do it

30/11/2017

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

This reality, beyond the pain and sorrow that it generates in all the relatives and loved ones of the deceased person, generates a series of consequences in the patrimonial sphere of the persons that it is necessary to order and resolve, since every human being, when he/she dies, to a greater or lesser extent, has a series of assets, rights and obligations whose ownership must be transferred. Logically, the new ownership of all these assets, rights and obligations must be determined, as this is necessary to ensure legal certainty, the conservation and preservation of such assets, rights and obligations and the value they treasure, as well as the continuation of the activities and legal relationships that derive from such assets and that provide value and wealth to society.

On this basis, the Spanish legislator, being aware of the transcendence that these situations generate in the life and death of persons, has established a set of legal rules that regulate the succession of persons, that is to say, the set of rules that should regulate how the new ownership of the assets, rights and obligations of a person is determined when that person dies. Currently, these rules can be found in Title III of Book III of the Civil Code, which covers a large number of precepts (which in itself denotes the importance of the matter), specifically, Articles 657 to 1,087.

Entering already into the analysis of the above-mentioned regulations, Article 657 of the Civil Code establishes that the right to succeed a person is transmitted from the moment of his death. Thus, when a person dies, a right to succession is generated, that is to say, a right in favor of a person to become the new owner of all the assets, rights and obligations of this deceased person.

The determination of the person or persons to whom it will correspond to acquire these succession rights is set forth in Article 658 of the Civil Code, which establishes that the succession is granted by the will of man manifested in a will, and, in the absence thereof, by disposition of the law. As it can be observed, the legislator has established two main ways to determine to which persons will acquire the succession rights of the deceased person, as follows:

The will, which is the object of analysis in this article, can be defined as the act in which a person determines how his estate is to be distributed at the time of his death. In this case, we can speak of testate succession.
And in the absence of a will, that is, when the deceased person has not granted a will, the succession will be governed by the provisions of the law, that is, the ownership of the estate of the deceased will be attributed to the person or persons that the legal norms establish for this purpose. In this case, it is possible to speak of intestate succession.

What is a will?

Pursuant to Article 667 of the Civil Code, a will is an act by which a person disposes of all or part of his assets after his death. Thus, by means of a will, any person who has the capacity to do so may determine the destination of all of his assets at the time of his death, determining the person or persons who should acquire title to his assets, rights and obligations upon his death.

The testator (i.e., the person making the will) may dispose of his or her property in two ways:

A generic form or called by way of inheritance, i.e., it names one or more persons to succeed him or her universally in the totality of his or her assets and rights.
A specific or so-called bequest form, i.e., it grants ownership of one or more specific assets of the estate to one or more persons on an individual basis.

As main characteristics of the will, it is necessary to highlight:

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That the will is an individual act, that is to say, that each person can only dispose of his will separately, since in accordance with article 669 of the Civil Code, two or more persons cannot make a will jointly, or in the same instrument.

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That it is a very personal act, so that its formation, in whole or in part, may not be left to the discretion of a third party, nor may it be done through a representative. Likewise, neither the appointment of heirs or legatees, nor the designation of the portions that may correspond to each one, may be left to the discretion of a third party (Article 670 of the Civil Code). Thus, the will of each person can only be dictated by himself, without this task or the determination of its content can be delegated to third parties.

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That the will granted with violence, deceit or fraud will be null and void (Article 673 of the Civil Code), that is to say, it will have no validity whatsoever.

Who can make a will?

By virtue of articles 662 and 663 of the Civil Code, all those who are not expressly forbidden by law to testate, being incapacitated to testate, may testate:

Minors under fourteen years of age of either sex.
He who habitually or accidentally is not in his right mind.

From what has been expressed above, it can therefore be affirmed that the legislator grants the capacity to testate to any person over fourteen years of age who is in full exercise of his cognitive and volitional mental capacities, taking into account that in order to assess the capacity of the testator, only the state in which he is at the time of granting the will shall be taken into account (Article 666 of the Civil Code). It is therefore up to the notary himself to assess the testator's capacity.

With regard to persons who are judicially or de facto incapacitated, it is also necessary to take into account that:

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The will made before the mental derangement is valid (Article 664 of the Civil Code).

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When a legally incapacitated person intends to testament, and the incapacitation sentence does not contain an express pronouncement on his capacity to do so, the Notary in question will designate two medical professionals to previously recognize the incapacitated person, and will only authorize the public instrument when these health professionals vouch for his capacity (Article 665 of the Civil Code).

What types of wills are there?

Pursuant to articles 676 and 677 of the Civil Code, there are two major categories of wills:

Common Will: this category includes open wills, closed wills and holographic wills.
Special Will: this category includes military wills, maritime will s and wills made in a foreign country.

Due to their special and unusual character in daily practice, I will leave aside the so-called "special wills", referring to the precepts where their details are regulated: articles 716 to 736 of the Civil Code. On this basis, I will now explain the main characteristics of each of the categories of common wills:

Open will:

The open will is undoubtedly the most commonly used form of will in practice, which must be executed before a Notary Public authorized to act in the place of execution (Article 694 of the Civil Code).

Pursuant to the requirements of Article 695 of the Civil Code, the testator shall express orally or in writing his last will to the Notary, who shall draw up the corresponding deed in accordance therewith. In said deed, the Notary:

It shall state the place, year, month, day and hour in which the will is made and signed.
He shall warn the testator of the right he has to read it for himself, and after that, he shall read it aloud for the testator to state whether its contents are in accordance with his will, and if so, it shall be signed by the testator.
In any case, if the testator declares that he cannot or does not know how to sign, a witness shall sign for him and at his request.
In addition, the Notary must attest that he/she knows the testator or that he/she has duly identified him/her by his/her identity document and must also state in the corresponding deed that, in his/her opinion, the testator has the necessary legal capacity to grant a will (Article 696 of the Civil Code).
Likewise, it is necessary to specify that all these formalities will be carried out in a single act that will begin with the reading of the will, without any interruption being permissible, except that which may be motivated by some passing accident (Article 699 of the Civil Code).
In addition, it is necessary to point out in this regard that, once the corresponding deed has been granted, the authorizing Notary shall be obliged to communicate the same to the General Registry of Last Will and Testament Acts, regulated by Annex II of the Regulations on the Organization and Regime of the Notary Public's Office.
Finally, it is necessary to note that any will granted without respecting these formalities may be declared null and void, which will give rise to the liability of the authorizing Notary for any damages that may arise (Article 705 of the Civil Code).

In this type of will, it should also be specified that, in certain cases, in addition to the testator, the concurrence of witnesses or other persons will be necessary (Articles 697 and 698 of the Civil Code), such as, for example:

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WITNESSES: the concurrence of 2 witnesses will be necessary when the testator declares that he does not know or cannot sign the will; when the testator, although he can sign it, is blind or declares that he does not know or cannot read the will himself; or simply when the testator or the Notary requests it.

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FACULTATIVES: the presence of 2 facultatives who have recognized the incapacitated person and have determined favorably on his capacity to testate will be necessary.

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INTERPRETER: the presence of an interpreter will be necessary when it has been necessary to translate the testator's will into the official language used by the Notary.

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Closed will:

The closed will is a second formula that is rarely used in practice. In accordance with article 706 of the Civil Code, it must be in writing:

In the testator's handwriting with his signature at the end.
Or by any mechanical means or by another person at the request of the testator, with his signature on all the sheets and at the foot of the will.

If the testator does not know how or is unable to sign it, another person shall sign it at his request at the bottom and on all the pages, expressing the cause of impossibility.

Once the document has been drafted in one way or another, the following formalities of article 707 of the Civil Code must be observed, which establishes that:

The document containing the will shall be placed inside a cover (i.e., inside an envelope), closed and sealed, in such a way that the document cannot be removed without tearing the envelope in question.
The testator shall appear before the notary who is to authorize the will, with the document and the envelope indicated, and shall close and seal it on the spot before the notary himself.
In the presence of the Notary, the testator shall state, by himself or by means of an interpreter, that the document he is presenting contains his will, expressing the manner in which it has been drawn up.
Then, the authorizing Notary, on the cover where the testament is kept, will draw up the act of granting, expressing the protocol number and the mark of the seals with which it is closed, and attesting to the knowledge of the testator and that he/she is in his/her opinion with the necessary legal capacity to grant the testament.
Finally, once the minutes have been drawn up and read, they shall be signed by the testator who is able to do so and, if necessary, by the other persons who must be present (such as an interpreter when necessary) and authorized by the Notary with his sign and signature.
In any case, reference to the place, time, day, month and year of the granting shall be expressed in the act to be drawn up and, likewise, the authorizing Notary shall be obliged to communicate said act to the General Registry of Last Will and Testament Acts.
Once the closed will has been authorized, the Notary shall deliver it to the testator, after placing in his protocol an authorized copy of the act of execution (Article 710 of the Civil Code), who may keep it in his possession, entrust its custody to a person he trusts or deposit it in the possession of the authorizing Notary to keep it in his archive (Article 711 of the Civil Code).

Finally, at the time of the testator's death, the procedure will be in accordance with article 712 of the Civil Code:

If the testament is in the testator's possession or in the possession of a trusted person, the person who has it in his possession must present it to the competent Notary within ten days after he has knowledge of the testator's death.
On the other hand, if the closed will has been deposited before the authorizing Notary, the latter must communicate, within ten days after he has proof of the testator's death, the existence of the will to the surviving spouse, to the descendants and ascendants of the testator and, in the absence of these, to the collateral relatives up to the fourth degree. However, in the event that the identity or domicile of these persons is not known, the Notary will publicize the existence of this closed will in accordance with the provisions of the notarial legislation (see in this regard Article 57 of the Notarial Law of May 28, 1862).

With regard to this obligation of delivery and making relatives aware of the existence of the closed will, it is necessary to take into account:

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That failure to comply with this duty shall render the person in question liable for damages (Article 712 of the Civil Code).

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That whoever fraudulently does not present the closed will in his possession within the established term, in addition to the aforementioned liability, as well as those who fraudulently remove the closed will or hide, break or render it useless, will lose all right to the inheritance, all without prejudice to the criminal liability they may have incurred (Article 713 of the Civil Code).

To conclude with the closed will, in case of not observing all the formalities explained for the execution of this type of will, it will be declared null and void, and the Notary who authorized it will be liable for the damages derived from such nullity, if the concurrence of malice, or inexcusable ignorance or negligence is proven. However, in this case of nullity, the will in question could be considered valid in the form of a holographic will (which will be discussed below), if the entire will had been written and signed by the testator and had all the other conditions of this third form of will (Article 715 of the Civil Code).

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Holographic will:

The holographic will is a third type of will, also rarely used in practice nowadays. It may only be granted by persons of legal age, must be written by the testator (in his own handwriting) and signed by him, with expression of the year, month and day in which it is granted (Article 688 of the Civil Code).

Upon the death of the testator, the person in possession of the holographic will (or any other person having an interest in the will as heir, legatee, executor or in any other capacity) must present it before a competent Notary within ten days of becoming aware of said death (Article 690 of the Civil Code), after which, and once the death of the testator has been accredited, the testator's death will be verified in accordance with the notarial legislation (Article 691 of the Civil Code), that is to say, a series of actions will be carried out in order to verify the authenticity and validity of the will.

This procedure, which is regulated in articles 692 and 693 of the Civil Code and in articles 61 to 63 of the Notary Law of May 28, 1862, establishes as its main aspects:

That the competent Notary shall be the one who is competent to act in the place where the deceased had his last domicile or habitual residence, or where the greater part of his patrimony is located.
Upon presentation of the holographic will, the Notary in question shall require the surviving spouse (if any), the descendants and ascendants of the testator and, in the absence of both, the collateral relatives up to the fourth degree, to appear before him on the day and at the time he shall designate. Likewise, the appearance of witnesses will be allowed if the testator has so requested.
On the appointed day, the Notary shall open the holographic will, sign it on all its pages and it shall be examined by the witnesses.
Finally, if the Notary Public considers the authenticity to be justified, he/she will proceed to authorize the notarization act and issue a copy of it to the interested parties, while, on the contrary, if he/she does not consider it justified, he/she will so state, close the act and will not authorize the notarization of the will.

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FINAL CONCLUSION ON THE TYPES OF WILLS: in view of the above, and the special characteristics of the last two types of wills (closed and holographic), the use of the open type of will is recommended, given the greater guarantees of legal certainty offered by its regulation.

Can a will be revoked?

Wills are perfectly revocable, as permitted by Article 737 of the Civil Code, which establishes that all testamentary dispositions are essentially revocable, even if the testator expresses in the will his will or resolution not to revoke them.

Thus, any person who has granted a will, if subsequently, as a consequence of changes in his personal or family circumstances, or simply because of a change of mind, considers it appropriate to grant a new will with different provisions, he may do so without any problem whatsoever. In any case, as it cannot be otherwise, the previous will can only be revoked by a later one if the latter complies with all the necessary solemnities for testamentary purposes (Article 738 of the Civil Code), that is, if the new will is granted with all the necessary requirements for its validity demanded by the Law.

In the matter of revocation of a will, it will be necessary, however, to take into account the following practical nuances:

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The derogatory clauses of future dispositions, that is to say, those clauses in which the testator orders that the revocation of the will shall not be valid (Article 737 of the Civil Code).

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That the previous will is revoked de jure by the subsequent perfect one, if the testator does not express in the latter his will that the former subsists in whole or in part (Article 739 of the Civil Code), so that, if a new valid will is granted and nothing is said with respect to the previous one, it is presumed "iuris et de iure" that the previous one has been revoked. However, the previous will will regain its validity if the testator later revokes the subsequent one, and expressly declares his will that the first one is valid.

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That the revocation of a will will will always produce its effect even if the second will expires due to the incapacity of the heir or legatees named therein, or due to their resignation (Article 740 of the Civil Code), that is to say, if a second will is granted revoking a previous one, and the persons named as heirs or legatees in the latter cannot accept the inheritance due to incapacity or resignation, the first will in which different heirs or legatees have been appointed will not recover its effect.

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Notwithstanding the foregoing regarding the revocation of previous wills, if the testator proceeds to acknowledge a child in such wills, such acknowledgment shall remain valid (Article 741 of the Civil Code).

Who can I name in my will?

Generically, we can speak of capacity to succeed as the aptitude of a person to receive goods, rights and obligations as a consequence of the death of a person. Thus, it is necessary to determine which persons have the capacity to succeed in order to delimit those who can be named as heirs or legatees in a will.

On this basis, and in accordance with articles 744 and 745 of the Civil Code, we can affirm that all those who are not incapacitated by law have the capacity to succeed, and the second precept cited establishes that they are incapable of succeeding:

Aborted babies, understood as those that do not meet the circumstances set forth in Article 30 of the Civil Code (i.e., fetuses that are not born alive once the entire detachment from the mother's womb has taken place).
Associations or corporations not permitted by law.

From a joint interpretation of these two articles, it can therefore be affirmed that all those who are heirs or legatees in a will are eligible to be named as heirs or legatees:

Or living natural persons (this category may include the figures of the unborn child or "nasciturus" and even that of the unborn child or "concepturus " according to the most recent jurisprudential and doctrinal interpretation of the matter).
Or lawful legal entities, i.e., those authorized by the legal system, which under Article 746 of the Civil Code may include the Church, public administrations such as Provincial Councils or City Councils, charitable establishments, associations recognized by law and, in general, any other lawful legal entities.

Having made this approach to the capacity to succeed, it is nevertheless necessary to point out three necessary issues that must be taken into account when making a will:

Interpretation of some dispositions made in a will:
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If the testator disposes of his goods, in whole or in part, for suffrages and pious works for the benefit of his soul (that is, when a religious person bequeaths all or part of his goods in an altruistic way), doing it indeterminately and without specifying its application, the executors will sell said goods and will distribute them giving half to the Diocesan to be destined to the attentions and needs of the Church (that is to say, to the Church whose religion the deceased professed) and the other half to the Civil Governor (extinct figure currently understood as referring to the Public Administration) so that the goods are destined to charitable establishments of the domicile of the deceased (to the Church whose religion the deceased professed), to the Church whose religion the deceased professed) and the other half to the Civil Governor (extinct figure that is understood at the present time to refer to the Public Administration) so that the destinies are destined to charitable establishments of the domicile of the deceased (Article 747 of the Civil Code).
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Dispositions made in favor of a public establishment (i.e., when a public administration is named as heir or legatee) under condition or imposing a lien, will only be valid if the government approves it (Article 748 of the Civil Code).
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The dispositions made in favor of the poor in general, without designation of persons or population, shall be understood to be limited to those of the domicile of the testator at the time of his death, if it does not clearly appear that his last will was otherwise. Likewise, the qualification of the poor and the distribution of the assets will be made by the person designated by the testator, in his absence by the executors, and if there are none, by the Parish Priest, the Mayor and the Municipal Judge, who will resolve by majority the doubts that occur (Article 749 of the Civil Code).
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Provisions made in favor of an uncertain person shall be null and void, unless by some event they may prove to be certain (Article 750 of the Civil Code).
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Provisions made generically in favor of the testator's relatives are understood to be made in favor of the closest relatives in degree (Article 751 of the Civil Code), that is to say, the closest relatives.
Other causes of incapacity to succeed: in addition to the causes of incapacity to succeed mentioned above in Article 745 of the Civil Code, the same establishes a series of additional cases in which an incapacity to succeed will also be appreciated. Specifically:
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Testamentary dispositions made by the testator during his last illness in favor of the priest who confessed him or his relatives within the fourth degree, or of his church, chapter, community or institute will not produce any effect (Article 752 of the Civil Code), as the legislator intended to protect the deceased suffering from a terminal illness from possible manipulation by those who could assist him in his last moments.
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The testamentary disposition in favor of a person who is the testator's guardian or curator will not produce effects either, except when they have been made after the final approval of the accounts or, in the case that he/she does not have to render them, after the extinction of the guardianship or curatorship. However, this limitation will not have effect when the guardian or curator is an ascendant, descendant, sibling or spouse of the testator (Article 753 of the Civil Code).
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Likewise, the testator may not dispose in whole or in part of his inheritance in favor of the Notary who authorizes his will, or of his spouse, relatives or relatives within the fourth degree of kinship, such limitation being extended to the witnesses and other persons before whom the will is granted (Article 754 of the Civil Code).
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Finally, it is also necessary to take into account that a testamentary disposition in favor of an incapable person will be null and void, even if it is disguised under the form of an onerous contract or is made in the name of an interposed person (Article 755 of the Civil Code).
Causes of unworthiness to succeed: Finally, the legislator, mainly in Article 756 of the Civil Code, has established a series of causes of unworthiness that also cause an incapacity to succeed.

In the will, can I leave all my belongings to whomever I want?

When a person considers making a will, he/she should know that the Law establishes a series of rules that determine which specific persons, within their personal or family sphere, have the right or not to inherit.

On this basis, by virtue of article 763 of the Civil Code, it is therefore necessary to differentiate between two main situations, which are:

If the testator has no forced heirs, then he may dispose by will of all his assets or part of them in favor of any person who has the capacity to acquire them. Thus, the person who has no forced heirs, the law does not impose any limitation on them, so that they can bequeath their entire estate to the heirs they deem most appropriate.
If the testator has forced heirs (who will be detailed below, although by way of illustration it is possible to anticipate that they will be descendants, ascendants and spouse of the deceased), who can only dispose of his assets in the manner and with the limitations established by the rules to that effect established in the Civil Code, the contents of which will be detailed below.

Having made this initial differentiation, if we focus our attention on the most common case: the existence of forced heirs, it is necessary to take into account that, as already mentioned, they will not be able to freely dispose of their entire inheritance, since part of it will be reserved for them.

On this basis, in accordance with Article 806 of the Civil Code, it can be stated that this reserved portion is called the reserved portion, which can be defined as the portion of assets that the testator cannot dispose of because the law has reserved it to certain heirs, called forced heirs.

Pursuant to article 807 of the Civil Code, they are forced heirs:

Children and descendants with respect to their parents and ascendants.
In the absence of the above, parents and ascendants with respect to their children and descendants.
The widow or widower in the manner and to the extent established in the Civil Code, as detailed below.

Thus, from what has just been described, three possible situations can be distinguished:

When the testator has children or descendants:

In this case, two thirds of the father's and mother's inheritance will constitute the legitimate portion of the children and descendants, with the remaining third being freely disposable. This means that, for example, any testator who has children or grandchildren, when making a will, will have the right to inherit:

He may freely dispose of only one third of his inheritance.
The remaining two thirds must be attributed to their children or other descendants, taking into account, however, that one of these thirds (the strict legitimate share) must be equally distributed among all of them, while the other third (the improvement) may be assigned to any of them as they consider more convenient (the regulation of the improvement third can be found in articles 823 to 833 of the Civil Code).

When the testator has no children or descendants, but has ascendants:

In this case, and in accordance with Article 809 of the Civil Code, half of the inheritance of their children or descendants will constitute the legitimate share of parents and ascendants. However, if these ascendants concur to the inheritance with the widowed spouse of the deceased, his or her legitimate share will be one third of the inheritance.

When the testator is married:

In this case, Articles 834 to 840 of the Civil Code, which regulate the rights of the widowed spouse, will be applicable. These articles establish that:

When the surviving spouse is not legally separated from the deceased or, in fact, if he/she participates in the inheritance with children or descendants, he/she will have the right to the usufruct of the third destined for improvement.
On the other hand, if there are no descendants, but there are ascendants, the surviving spouse will have the right to the usufruct of half of the inheritance.
Finally, if there are neither descendants nor ascendants, the surviving spouse is entitled to the usufruct of two thirds of the inheritance.

To emphasize as a final conclusion to this question that these rules are based on the common civil legislation, those territories with their own legislation on the matter (foral territories: Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Aragon, Galicia, Basque Country and Navarre) have their special rules in this regard.

Likewise, it must be kept in mind that both in the common civil legislation and in the foral or autonomic laws, the general rule of having to leave a part of the inheritance compulsorily to the forced heirs (known as legitimate) has, as any general rule, its exceptions, the so-called causes of disinheritance (which I explain in the next question).

Is it possible to exclude in a will a forced heir or legitimated heir?

It is only possible to disinherit those whom the Civil Code considers as forced or legitimate heirs (i.e.: descendants, ascendants and spouse). To disinherit does not mean to deprive a person of the status of heir. To disinherit means to deprive of the legitimate rights of the persons to whom the law obliges us to leave a part of our property.

Disinheritance can only be done by making a will (article 849 of the Civil Code) clearly designating the person to be disinherited and the cause of disinheritance. The causes of disinheritance are specified and are regulated in the Civil Code itself:

To disinherit children and descendants (see causes of Article 853 of the Civil Code);
To disinherit parents and ascendants (see causes of Article 854 of the Civil Code);
To disinherit the spouse (see causes of Article 855 of the Civil Code).

In short, the testator must make express mention of the disinheritance in the will itself, detailing the cause of the same, and always within the legally contemplated causes. Its main effect is to leave a forced heir without a legitimate share (e.g., think of the father who disinherits a son due to lack of care or attention during his old age).

What happens if I die without a will?

If a person dies without a will, it will be the law who regulates his or her succession, that is to say, it will be the rules of the law of succession that determine the new ownership of the assets, rights and obligations of the deceased. When the law directly determines who the heirs are, we speak of legal or intestate succession.

The order of intestate succession, that is to say, to which persons and in what order the heirs should be declared, is determined by the provisions of the Civil Code in Articles 930 et seq.

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

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

In any case, to learn more details about intestate succession I recommend to take into account:

on the one hand, the autonomous community regulations (since there are Autonomous Communities with clear differences with respect to the state legislation, as for example in Catalonia where the order of succession is different);
and on the other hand, my article written in this blog specifically on the subject: What happens if I die without a will?

How can I execute a will deed of testament?

In order to execute the deed of testament, the person must simply contact the Notary Office and request that an appointment be assigned for this purpose, on the day and time that is most convenient for him/her.

On the agreed day and time, such person shall appear at the notary's office and shall provide the following necessary documentation:

Your valid National Identity Card or Passport.
In the event that witnesses or medical practitioners are required, they must also provide their respective identity documents or passports.

The testator must also specify and indicate to the notary:

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The identity (name, surname(s) and National Identity Card number) of the person(s) to be designated as heirs or legatees. It is not necessary to provide the identity documents of those designated in the will.

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All the provisions and stipulations that you wish to include in the will, so that they are conveniently included in the drafting of the will.

How much does it cost to execute a will deed?

The will deed does not have a fixed price. In order to calculate the exact cost, several factors must be taken into account:

A fixed minimum amount typical of notarial deeds without amount (€30.05).
A variable amount depending on the length of the deed and the number of copies to be issued. In other words, the number of pages used by the notary to prepare the will deed.
The notary's travel expenses if exceptionally necessary (18 € per hour).
The supplements corresponding to this type of deed, such as: the stamped paper used (€0.15 per page) and the telematic communication to the General Register of Last Will and Testament (€1).
Finally, bear in mind that since it is the provision of a service (even if it is a public service), it is subject to Value Added Tax ( 21% VAT).

In order to have an approximate total cost based on the factors just explained. Assuming that the length of the document is around 3 pages (our typical model), that 1 simple copy is issued and that the notary does not have to travel to sign it, the total cost of the will deed would be approximately 40 euros (VAT included).

Final conclusion:

In practice, making a will before a notary is a very simple procedure and has a very affordable cost. By way of summary and clarification, I can summarize in ten short ideas, what should be taken into account when making a will:

You can always freely choose the person (or persons) to whom to leave your belongings when you die. If you do not choose, it will be the law who will do so on the day of your death. A will only takes effect upon the death of the testator.
The testator's freedom of choice has an important limit: the legitimate rights of certain relatives. That is to say, always a part of the deceased's belongings necessarily corresponds to the children, parents or spouse.
To execute a will you only need to go to the notary with your valid identity card or passport, be over 14 years of age and not be incapacitated.
The Notary communicates the will, once signed, to a General Register of Last Will and Testament. This communication simply consists of recording that you have made a will before a notary. The content of the will is not communicated to the Registry, as it is personal and private.
You can make as many wills as you want during your lifetime. But know that the last will (the one with the most recent date) leaves the previous will without effect.
You can choose the notary you want to make your will. All notaries perform the same function and must charge the same fee for their service.
The approximate cost of a notarial will is around 40 euros (depending on the length of the will and the number of pages used by the Notary to prepare it).
If you find it difficult to travel to the notary's office, the notary can come to your home, residence or hospital. This will only increase the cost of the will by 18 euros over and above the above-mentioned price.
The will is a very personal act and cannot be made through anyone. At the time of signing the will, the testator and the notary must be alone. The purpose is to avoid any interference or intimidation in the will of the testator.
The will is not subject to any tax. It will be the "acceptance of the inheritance" that will take place tomorrow as a result of the testator's death that will oblige those who accept the inheritance to pay taxes because they have been designated as successors precisely in the will.

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.