Bigyin wrote on Sep 4^th, 2009 at 9:30pm:

Can we clear up exactly what a "Epadraments" is and what (if any) other names it goes by. ?  When we moved in, we went to the local town hall with our NIE's and escatura (spelling ?) etc and were issued with a piece of paper that was needed for paying our council tax.  We got registered with BASE and started paying our taxes.  A couple of years later, we got a letter from the Hacienda saying we weren't properly registered on the Land Registry computer system and had to take all our documents up to Tarragona.  My Catalan being zero, I asked the solicitor who did our conveyancing to sort it for me.  He had to get copies of certificates from two offices in Amposta and the total bill came to just under €300.  I'm assuming that we're now completely above board. I recently applied for my Certificado de Residencia for which I needed my "Padron" and then discovered that they only last for three months. Furthermore, when I asked about getting a name change on our electricity bills, I was told I need to go to the "Comarcal" ? in Amposta who told me I'd need to get inspected by an architect which would cost about €800.  Happlily, the previous owner had the same P/O box as the one we took over so guess what ?  I still get my bills in the post but in the name of the previous owner (you ain't seen me right !!!)  Flippin' minefield or what. !! The frustrating thing is that despite exhaustive serches, I've never found a complete list in laymen's terms of exactly what documentation and procedures etc., you need to be legal here.

Hi Bigyin
Its basically a money making machine for catalan solicitors gestors architects and any other hangers on that tell you total B o ll o cks just to put the fear of god into you so that you will pay like a bleeting sheep they must laugh all the the way to the bank, in england if you were a romanian a bangladeshi or a dutchman they would translate all the paperwork into your native language and help you through every step of the way and probably pay some of your bills on the way but not here Ohhhh Nooo Not Here and Yes Tony I don't Like It and will eventually piss off somewhere else and stop moanin