i saw that program,what an arrogant tw*t he was,smarmy get,he wouldnt give a straight answer,annie robinson got stuck right into him though, we need her in catalunya she would sort the b***ers out over here,maybe things would start to get sorted out ,or even somebody like her who wont take all the bulls*it given out to all the incoming investors, because that is really what we are,

Well its up to the Forum to try!!

Any reputable estate agent will have a copy of the Esquitura for any prospective purchase, (the title deeds)!! If they don't say Vivienda somewhere then you can't live on the property!! It was only meant to visit on a weekend basis to tend the crops!! If the Estate agent doesn't have a copy of the Esquitura then they are not operating as a true authorized representative for the property and walk away!!

If it says the building is an Almacen then that is what it is, a barn with no windows No bathroom No bedroom No Toilet No Kitchen and no you can't live there. and you won't get permissions to change the function of the building to a vivienda!!

If there isn't any building on a piece of rustic land, then you certainly won't get any permissions to build one, and will not be allowed to put a log cabin nor a shed nor a static caravan nor a towable caravan on the land, you might be allowed a tent but only temporarily

If there is no electric, then it is highly unlikely that you will ever get electricity, other than solar, if an estate agent tells you that there is electricity "nearby", then start to worry, even if the local Alcalde approves electricity it can cost you a fortune and you will have to negotiate with every one of your neighbours to get poles across their land

If there is no water then it is very costly to have it shipped in, and if you were used to England where it rains a lot then don't expect to collect too much even through the short rainy season

As Nigel Says if you choose to ignore advice then be it on your own heads, but don't start bleating when it all goes wrong.

Spain is a tough place and they don't tolerate fools, but if you are stupid they will turn a blind eye especially where money is involved!!

Sorry to be negative but thats the best way to approach buying anything here, never trust anyone and get a solicitor and ask the right questions and above all do lots and lots of research!!

If you do buy somewhere and do manage to get permissions to reform and employ a builder never pay anything until the job is finished to your satisfaction!!

How many people have paid up front only to have the builder dissappear, Be Honest Now!!

And as Nigel says forget your sentiments about the property the wonderful views the tranquility and take off those rose tinted specs and smell the chicken manure and count the flies before you get totally in the shit and lose all your money

hazelnut, tell that to a certain estate agent that has been operating in the ebro valley area for the last few years! i think quite a few people would have liked to have been told the truth before parting with their hard earned cash! if you are used to to dealing with honest people most of the time it is easy to get caught out when you are dealing with a fast talker who is used to bending the truth!

I know what you mean Nigel. I tried to warn a couple a few years back. They were about to buy land but had only given their deposit but could have pulled out and saved some of their money. I knew I wouldn't get anywhere but at least I tried. They were a really nice couple and I didn't want to see then swindled. Only a week after they bought the land I bumped into them and they were very upset. They had found out that a wind turbine was going to be placed right in the middle of it. They were trying to get legal advice but basically they had just wasted their life savings. Even without the turbine they would not have been able to live on the land, not even in a wooden cabin as they seemed to think. If you are even contemplating buying rural land in Catalunya or other parts of Spain please, please do all you can to check out your facts. Don't just blindly believe what you are told by the people who will profit from the sale. Check with the local government offices before you even consider handing over a deposit.

Remember other parts of Spain could also end up with similar restrictions so please double check your facts. The law can change.

If their are any so called Estate Agents currently misleading people ( and I don't include you all in this, there are some reputable ones then please be aware that the net is closing in on you. It will only be a matter of time before a 'customer' tapes your conversations with them and passes them on to the authorities. You are not immune from prosecution, your assets could be seized and you could end up learning the language better than you ever thought you could, with free daily instruction inside the largest hotel in Tarragona ( clink, clink, and that is not ice in your drink )

Interestingly the Spanish Ambassador to the UK on Watchdog the other night is Catalan.  I dropped him an email to let him know what I thought of his statement:

"Hundreds of thousands of British citizens own properties in Spain. The great majority of them have no problems and happily enjoy their homes. The cases mentioned in the BBC programme "Watchdog" are very regrettable, but rather exceptional."

I'm sure he'll never read it let alone have the grace to respond but it was worth a shot.  His name is Carles Casajuana i Palet and the closest I could get to his email is:
embespuk@mail.maec.es

...and another thing....Nick Clegg met with the muppet who "runs" this country last night:
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/Hay/combatir/deficit/pasos/firmes/c...

I doubt they did much apart from massage ego's but you can email Nick on:
cleggn@parliament.uk

Hi gyronut44 I have not done 20 posts so presume I cannot receive PMs but I did read somewhere that at least 90% of appeals fail in the Spanish Courts so we decided to stop our appeal and save some money.  Just going to wait and see what happens.  I believe there is an Election in Catalunya in October and we hope if there is a change in government it may be of benefit to all of us with illegal builds.