Spanish Property Dictionary

Below you will find a list of commonly used terms when buying Off Plan Properties in Spain.

• Abogado (Abogada):
  lawyer, attorney or solicitor
• Administrador de Fincas:
  licensed property administrator
• API (Agente de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria):
  association of estate agents
• Arbitrio sobre el incremento del valor de los terrenos:
  municipal tax on property sales
• Aval:
  bank guarantee or endorsement
• Boletin Oficial:
  official state record where laws are published
• Catastro:
  land office as related to measurements and physical descriptions of property
• Certificado Catastral:
  Catastral certificate describing lands and buildings
• Comunidad de Propietarios:
  community of property owners
• Declaracion de Obra Nueva:
  declaration of new construction
• Escritura de Compraventa:
  sales contract
• Escritura Publica:
  registered title deed
• Expediente de Dominio:
  to establish title
• Finca:
  any plot of land or property
• Gestor:
  licensed administrator in Spanish procedures
• GIPE (Gestor y lntermediario de Propiedades y Edificios):
  association of estate agents as related to mortgage
• Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles (IBI):
  annual property tax
• Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales (ITP):
  property transfer tax
• Jurado de Expropiaciones:
  special tribunal in cases of forced purchase
• Justiprecio:
  legislation of fair price in cases of forcible purchase
• Ley de Costas:
  act to protect the coastline
• Ley de Tasas:
  law of public fees
• Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes (MOPT):
  ministry of public works and transport
• Nota Simple:
  certificate of registration from property registry
• Nueva Construccion:
  new property in Spain
• Oficina Liquidadora:
  tax office assigning property values
• Plan General de Ordenacion Urbana (PGOU):
  town development plan
• Plan Parcial:
  plan of building plots in an urbanisation
• Plus Valia:
  municipal tax on property sales
• Poder:
  power of attorney
• Pre Contract:
  contract previous to signing the public contract before a notary
• Registro de la Propiedad:
  property registry
• Reposesion:
  repossessed property
• Sobre Plano:
  Off Plan Property
• Subasta:
  auction
• Subasteros:
  professional auction buyers
• Topografo:
  surveyor of property
• Urbanismo:
  town planning department
• Valor Catastral:
  assessed value of property for tax purposes