Buying in Limaria

[andrea]

Having read so much about illegal building on land which is not officially urbanised, does anyone know if properties in Limaria are definitely being built on legal urban land. I am concerned that we are putting too much faith in lawyers to do all the checking as it appears that in the past, even with what appear to be full sets of papers, buyers have not been fully aware of what they have bought, and are now in the predicament of having a property they can not sell in the future. We are in the process of buying but I am running scared at present.

[sterling]

Hi Andrea,
I dont know about the building in Limaria but what i would say is. Use a lawyer from outside the area, that way you can be sure they have nothing to gain from your purchase and you will get good independant advice and all the appropriate checks done properly.
Good luck

[deemart]

Or buy one to reform in or on the edge of a village where there is not such an issue

[beau]

Go to a Spanish bank and apply for a mortgage (even if you don´t need one) on the property - no bank will lend on an illegal property. This will give you a definitive answer. Also using a solicitor from outside this area. Don´t pay anymore money until you have proof of legality either through your solicitor in Mojacar !! or the bank. Good luck

[digifidd]

Sorry Beau, but I cant agree with you totally. We were granted a mortgage and have subsequently found out our property is illegal. We were told by 3 or 4 banks before we signed that everything was fine re the paperwork and we'd be granted a mortgage.

However, we did get our mortgage through the local branch, ie Albox, of the bank. May be if we had used a branch outside of Albox, and a solicitor outside of Albox, then we would have found out the state of play earlier and not one year after we signed at notary or six months after we had got the mortgage.

May be procedures are tighter now, but dont rely on the rule that the Spanish banks wont lend on an illegal property - we were told that back in 2005. I think if the seller banks in the town or branch you are seeking a mortgage, conflicts of interest could occur....maybe?! Everyone knows everyone after all.

[Olè]

"illegal" here varies between properties.

Some might not have had - permissions (building licences), no utilities (water & Electric contracts), may be built on rustic land - thus not segregated and therefore cannot be registered on the catastral.

First occupation licences are hard to come by so just have to be make sure you have a good solicitor.

[Red]

Lawyers are not doing the same job here as in the UK, they only facilitate your purchase, they do not do all the proper searches that a UK lawyer would do.