[Anonymous]

Hi there,

I wonder if someone could help me with a question I have about a property purchase we are proceeding with on the Canary Islands please?

We are buying a house on La Palma, but the descriptions on the Escritura and Catastral documents don’t match: the Escritura says that the house sits on 943 square metres of land, but the Catastral says 678 square metres. We have had the land surveyed by a local “technico” who has calculated it as being about 715 square metres,

We were told by the estate agent that the extra land had been made into a road which has now been acquired by the ayuntamiento, and this has been reflected on the updated Catastral document.

Do you think this is a problem? If so, should we ensure that the documents are brought into line by the vendors before we sign the contract of sale? I understand this might be a lengthy process, so would it be a problem (and maybe a big expense too) if we have to correct these documents ourselves after the sale goes through?

I’d be grateful for any advice. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Thogg,

When in doubt, go with the Catastre information. It’s usually more reliable.

If you are happy with the property at the smaller size then it shouldn’t be a problem. Just get the deeds updated when you go to see the notary to sign the deeds. The vendor should pay all the costs associated with updating the deeds.

Check with a lawyer.

[Arthur Stuttard]

It’s a common problem in the Canaries. The documents only indicate the area, not the measurements. You get what is physically within the boundary walls. Probably better leaving things as they are – you pay tax on what is on the Catastral!

[Author]

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