Did you lost the title deed of your house in Spain?
If you have lost the title deed of your property you can always get another copy from the Notary where it is on file permanently. Ask the notary for a second original copy.
It may occur that it was a long time ago, and you don’t even remember where you signed it. In that case it is important to know two things:
1.- That the title that proves the property belongs to you is the inscription of the Property Register, and not the deed itself, so depending on what you need, with a Nota Simple Registral (simple registry note) may well be enough for your purpose.
2.- The second original copy may take more time and cost more money than the Nota Simple Registral.
The Property Register and the Simple Note
You may know that in Spain, the piece of paper which truly demonstrates that you are the registered owner of the property with an incontestable title is the “Inscripción” in the “Registro de la Propiedad”, from the property registry office. This office tracks and registers any liens, charges or mortgages against the property. However, do keep in mind that some taxes are not listed on this document.
If you just need to show that you are the owner of a property, a ‘nota simple’ from the ‘Registro de la Propiedad’ is what you really need. You need only to go to the Property Register to where the property belongs (if you don’t know where that is, do not fret, we will give you a solution for this case later) and ask for a Simple Note. It is fast (usually less than 48 hour turnaround time) and cheap (10€ approximately). This paper will show the mortgages and burdens related to that property that have been incorporated in the register as well as the ownership of the property and the details of the notary where the deed was signed.
Land Registrars
For your convenience, the Simple Note can also be requested on the official website of the association of Land Registrars (www.registradores.org.) This is an easy option with a very important advantage: You don’t need to know the registration number of the property (which is in the stamp of the deed once it is registered and if you don’t have the deed, you likely won’t have this number on hand). On the Registrars website, you will be able to get it by introducing your DNI, NIE or CIF number (the one belonging to the of the owner of the property).
Once you receive this simple note (generally in two business days for a cost of about 30€), you will see on it the exact date of the purchase, the name of the notary and the place where you signed it. So, if you need to ask for a second original copy of the deed now you know where you should ask for it.
How do i get the deed to my house?
In some cases, it may be that the notary where you signed title deeds does not exists anymore (because the notary has retired or passed away for example). You must know that all the deeds and protocols of this notary must be preserved and kept by another working notary and these documents are never lost. So, now you should find out who this notary is. If your city is not very big, it is faster to request it from a nearby notary (usually they will be able to tell you who keeps the protocols of the previous notary in less than a minute). If you live in a big city, you can ask the bank where you signed your mortgage (usually with a simple search on a computer they will be able to find it out) or you can also ask the chamber of notaries (this, of course is the safest solution albeit perhaps not the fastest one).
By Massimo Filippa
Information given is offered for information purposes, excluding the company and the author from all responsibility, and does not constitute an official publication nor will it be legally binding. We always recommend checking with your lawyer or adviser.
Massimo Filippa
