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Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby JonDavis » Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:17 pm

Hi,
My name is Jon. I live in the UK.
My father owns a property in Lo Crispin but is currently living in the UK.
He hasn't been to Lo Crispin for a year because of the pandemic.
Unfortunately he has developed signs of dementia over the last few months. His neighbour in Lo Crispin used to help him run the property but unfortunately he can't help anymore.

He also has a car and bank accounts in Spain.

I haven't been able to visit Dad in the UK until recently because of the virus either.

I am sure that routine bills on the property and the car are due. Like the Spanish equivalent of Council Tax and his vehicle tax.
I have never been to Lo Crispin and have no idea which body collects property taxes ..or car tax. He can't remember!!

I want to help him sort out all the bills he should pay - especially the taxes!
We can't check the post at the property so need to try and sort everything out from the UK.

I have Power Of Attorney in the UK but don't imagine it's applicable in Spain.

Any advice gratefully received. Thank you.

Jon
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby DTR » Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:29 pm

I'd contact SGM Abogados in Benijófar. Explain your situation and get some proper legal advice.
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby djw » Thu Jul 15, 2021 3:38 pm

Yes I would contact a solicitor as recommended but your father like ourselves may pay by direct debit so these bills may already been paid. Our solicitor has poa for us Which we thought was a good idea but this had to be done in front of a notary.

Hope you get sorted as it must be a difficult time.
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby Curious » Fri Jul 16, 2021 12:50 am

I second SGM Abogados in Benijófar, they are excellent. Given your difficult circumstances they may well find a way round the POA situation and arrange at their end if that is your wish, and I’d possible legally. Be prepared for a lot of emails going back and forth with documents to fill in, sign and return. Silvia (SMG) is very experienced and I’m sure she will help all she can. Your father will have direct debits set up via his bank account but can you access this online to view for yourself? Council tax (Suma) and car tax is taken automatically but when the car is on the road again it will need an ITV (MOT). Does your father have payments into the bank account regularly to cover the bills? If someone is to look after the property you have the logistics of finding someone suitable and keys to hand over. Does your father have any friends nearby you could contact as you may need to fly over and they could help with the practicalities such as finding your way round the area, solicitors, banks etc. I hope you get sorted as it must be quite daunting. Good luck!
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby Curious » Fri Jul 16, 2021 7:38 am

PS to my previous comments. Your father should have a Spanish will. He would have been encouraged to have one on purchasing the property. This would help with proof of identification, ownership and next of kin. If you can’t find a copy of it I believe the original would be kept in Madrid or somewhere central where the solicitor could access. This might help towards getting POA either for yourself of putting in the hands of your chosen Spanish solicitor.
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby Ericc » Fri Jul 16, 2021 8:13 am

I would third SGM Abogados, have good experience with them.
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby RJC » Fri Jul 16, 2021 8:30 am

In all likelihood your father would have had a Spanish Solicitor and quite possibly with POA.
Question is who is the solicitor?
Your father's bank may well know. The solicitor may well have been appointed at the time of house purchase.
The solicitor's stamp will be on the house deeds.
You may well need to get hold of a copy from some official body.
Good luck.
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby JonDavis » Fri Jul 16, 2021 2:03 pm

Thanks very much everybody for your suggestions and taking time to reply.

Dad is showing signs of dementia. His short term memory has deteriorated noticeably over the past year.
He is now needs help with computers and IT. He is still living independently but obviously needs support.
I haven't been able to visit him until recently because of the virus.

When I did visit he explained to me that he was worried about the Spanish place. He concerns were that he wasn't sure if his "council tax" etc was up to date. He mentioned to me that he need to pay a fee to cover refuse collections. Property insurance and utilies too? When asked how these bills were normally paid he drew a blank!

As far as his car he says it needs to be continually taxed tested and insured (obviously Spanish equivalents). The car is behind locked gates but he says it still needs to be done.

Unfortunately it seems that all paperwork relating to the property and car are in Lo Crispin. So we don't have a paper trail to follow in the UK.
He does have a Spanish Will and Solicitors. He can't remember the name of the firm. He doesn't know if he did a Spanish POA when he made the will.

So the first thing I did was to log him into his email account. He hadn't logged in for months.

His Insurance brokers had contacted him to say the DD for his renewal had failed. He emailed them and they've sent him a renewal quote. So that will be paid from the UK. So that's sorted for a while.

Because the DD failed for the car insurance I guess other DDs will have failed too.

He did mention the name SUMA for local taxes but I had no clue about it so grateful to have that explained. Thanks.

He says he has accounts with Sabadell. He couldn't tell me their name but recognised it when we saw promotional emails from them. His browser had saved the first stage of his login details for online banking so I'm sure I will be able to help him view the accounts online.

My sister thinks he mentioned the name of the Solicitors in an email to her a few years ago. Sh'es ghave a hunt over the weekend. I'm going to ask his UK Solicitor if he knows? Worth a shot.

My sister is a joint account holder on his UK accounts so we can pay all bills from the UK even if we haven't untangled the Sabadell Accounts.

His neighbour used to look after the house for Dad. He sorted the gardener, pool cleaners, charged his car battery etc. Unfortunately he died. His son still lives nearby and holds they keys. He used to connunicate with my sister but quite understandably doesn't want to take on the role his father had. I don't want to pester him too much in case he refuses to even hold they keys.

My Dad can't tell me the name of the garage who he uses and do the ITV annually for him. He says he could take me there though!! He wants me to try and contact them to see if they will collect the car do then test and take it back to the house afterwards. I'm not sure if that's wise? Especially if I don't know who they are. Will he get in trouble if the car is on private driveway without a valid ITV. I've looked online to see if the Spanish do a SORN like the UK and it seems to be a bit more complicated!

So I'm going to help him try and access the Sabadell accounts.
Then help him to contact SUMA to pay taxes if due. He sensibly wants to tackle the urgent things that may get him in trouble with the authorities.

Anyway. Thanks again for your inputs. It really helps.
Wishing you all a safe and happy weekend.

Jon
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby RJC » Fri Jul 16, 2021 3:43 pm

There are a number of companies that offer key holding services.
If you can get the keys from your neighbours son, I would suggest that you appoint someone to look after the property.
Merry Maids and Quesda Housesitters come to mind.
I would recommend Judith of Quesada Housesitters. She is well spoken of on Talkquesada.
She can be readily contacted on What's App
Her phone number is 633 595 508 plus Spanish dialling code
She may also be able to locate correspondence with the solicitor - that's up to you!
https://www.quesadahousesitters.com/
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Re: Some Advice Sought Re Property and Car Taxes

Postby Curious » Fri Jul 16, 2021 6:41 pm

There are 3 Suma bills a year, council tax, basura (waste as in bin collection) taken twice a year and car (road fund licence). If you can access Sabadell online you will see if and when they have been paid. If there are no funds available I think it would be easier to use a solicitor to sort the outstanding and future bills. Also there will be a standing charge for water and electricity which would be taken by DD if there are funds. The car would only be illegal if it was on the road. It’s perfectly fine sitting on the drive. Would your father consider selling and staying in the UK? It might not be what he wants to hear but perhaps a better option rather than trying to deal with organising bill payments through solicitors and a key holding service for the property. Are you confident that once restrictions are lifted that he could organise his flight back, arrange transport to Lo Crispin and look after himself, food,shopping, finances once there? I hope you don’t feel I’m prying but my thoughts are that he could be quite vulnerable if there is no help on hand. Supermarkets, banks, solicitors and utility providers are a good car ride away.
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