THE year was 2012. Owners of tourist apartments on “UtopiaIsland” were closely monitoring the legal situation regarding the rental of their properties to tourists following years of systematic persecution by the tourist authorities. Fear and uncertainty was rife. Everyone agreed that something had to be done about the “unfair” and “monopolistic” laws restricting how properties [...]
THIS is a kind of dictionary connected to the purchase of a property in theCanary Islands. You can find a lot of information on the internet relating to this subject but sometimes, although the facts are correct, there are many things to bear in mind. Normally, there are lots of legal steps to be carried [...]
I HAVE received numerous emails since my last column, and this one caught my eye especially. That’s because the situation has been happening all over theIslandthanks to the perilous financial predicament many of you are experiencing. Dear Mariano, I bought a property in 2007, with a mortgage, in Fuerteventura. It is not my family home. [...]
In previous columns, I have spoken about the Spanish Inheritance Tax and its exemption within the Canary Island Autonomous Community (from 2008) for residents. The Canarian Government has now reinstated the Inheritance Tax and Gift Tax, so it is a good time to remind you just what these taxes are, and how they are regulated. [...]
IN these days of austerity, more and more people are handing in the keys to their homes to the banks which lent them the money to purchase them. The name in Spanish is “Dación en Pago” (lieu of payment), which means cancellation of the debt. The debtor provides a service to the creditor, substituting the [...]
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s Conservative leader, has publicly congratulated French Socialist Francois Hollande, following his successful bid for the presidency. His message, issued by the Prime Minister’s office, states his belief that a, “Fruitful, bilateral and European relationship will develop, which will be to the advantage of the Spanish-French friendship.” Rajoy, whose spending cuts [...]
I AM returning to the Tourism Law regarding letting agreements, having received many emails from people concerned about the matter of (fines and penalties etc. I have most of them, and have found that there is a common pattern in all of them. I have chosen one email which, I consider, would be helpful for [...]
THE Iberia pilot’s strike action, threatened to continue until July, has been called off, following the government’s agreement to act as mediator between the pilots and carrier – forcing them into compulsory arbitration as a means to ending the conflict between them. The pilots’ union, Sepla, immediately agreed to the arbitration order. The dispute centres [...]
I HAVE received several emails from readers in recent weeks, and I have picked out a couple, complete with answers, to share with you. Dear Mariano, I have read your article in Canarian Weekly, dated 13/01/12, regarding the lettings law, and I would like to know what happens when a landlord does not want to [...]
WE are back to the topic of Tourism Law, and the fines imposed on some landlords letting out their properties illegally. An interesting search by Canarian Weekly has uncovered lots of information about landlords who have been fined because they have not been registered with the Tourist Board of the Canarian Government. Over the course [...]
