police stopping uk cars at malaga airport

Maybe I've missed the answer to this question.  Apologies, if I have.  But, if your UK car is found to be ilegal in Spain because you haven't had it fitted with a Spanish number plate (and gone through all the necessary processes to do so) what, exactly, ARE the consequences! Car towed away never to be seen again?  A fine, along with a given time to make the car legal?

For the past 10 years at least, Brits have been buying Spanish property, bringing their Uk cars over to Spain and 'neglecting' to have them fitted with Spanish number plates and very little was done about this until now.  Is this any reflection on the fact that a) thousands of us have now pulled out of Spain and stopped spending our money there and we are now 'target practice' b) the Spanish are looking at as many ways as possible to try and get some money back into their system and fine payments is definitely one of them.

Just a (very cynical) thought...brought about by the fact that the Spanish appear to be very hot on the law when it comes to easy (foreign and other) targets.  However, when it comes to the law where corrupt and fraudulent dealings within the Spanish construction/legal system are concerned....aha! This is a different matter!

In reply to maddiemack it all depends on the mood of the officer of the law who stops the illegal vehicle. Options open to him are i) have the car towed, crushed and a large fine, ii) impound the car and  after fine paid  the owner is given a few days to reregister it on Spanish plates, iii) a large fine or for the lucky ones just told to get it plated within a couple of weeks. Some or all of the above. However the MOST IMPORTANT thing is that if the vehicle is illegal then the insurance is invalid. Try explaining to the family of the person you have injured why you are not going to pay them what the Judge has ordered you to pay.

You are correct that over the last few years now that there is less money circulating then the system needs to find additional ways of filling their coffers. It is not only foreign cars that are being checked as they are cracking down, at last, on the indiginous population to make certain they have everything in order, which sometimes is not the case.  You might be cynical but don't get paranoid as the police are after everyone who is breaking the law,( I hope) but have limited manpower and time as they must have their siestas

Don't forget that what to us Brits is corruption to a Spaniard its just  normal practice.

Also are the 'GRUA '  costs to be paid   150e  and the ' POUND ' parking charge 15e per day.

These charges must be paid before the release of the impounded vehicle.

It can sometimes take up to 3 MONTHS before the Guardia will alow any collection.as they

may require proof of re-reg and  ' ITV ' arrangements. -  they are in no hurry !!

Last year when I paid a visit  to our local pound  there was a large % of  Brit /foreign cars

which had been the target - many for minor parking errors -  or so I was informed.

Hi to both maddiemack & steone.

There's muchas truth in what you both say - the Spanish Police/Law are, shall we say, a tad inconsistent - certainly if it infringes on their siesta time.

But when I first came to Spain in 2003, I noticed (because I have that sort of mind) that when we  visited especially Torrievieja, the number of Brit cars on UK plates was mind boggling.  The number of cars with out-of-date, or even no road tax discs, was equally mind numbing.         The same when we visited friends who lived in Cuidad Quesada - the ratio of cars on Brit plates vis a vis RHD cars with Spanish plates, was aournd 95%.    

But in, I think late 2005, the Police had a rush of blood to the head: went into overdrive and conducted a real purge - on later visits the ratio had completely reversed.         Having conducted a drastic, and effective purge, perhaps zeroing on illegal cars has gone back to the bottom of their list of "things to do"?

Trying to be fair and impartial, it is much more easy for the police to enforce illegal vehicles/using a mobile when driving/not having flak jackets in the care etc than it is for the Spanish legal system to pursue bent or negligent solicitors, or theiving developers..

Anyway, just who does one use to nail a solicitor who's fraudulently misapplied a client's money?       These boys know the law: they also know just how long and costly any sort of action to pursue them is.

Sad though it is, sometimes, one has simply to bite the bullet, and learn a very expensive lesson.

Well said Finkies

Last time I was stopped driving a Spanish hire car  The police said I was speeding ( I know I wasn't speeding ) They demanded100 Euros or NO CAR  I managed to get them down to 70 Euros, which presumably they just pocketed

It's a nightmare with the police in Spain they set up road blocks all over the place to try to intimidate tourist, which works for them

From my point of view it's not the money they demand, because I am a very wealthy lottery winner, it's the principle particularly when you know they are picking on you for no real reason.

I loved Spain and was there many years and despite my lottery win, I would have stayed longer. However, because of their antics I've decided to travel elsewhere and in my opinion it's Spain's loss. See what you've done Mr Police men, you're not helping Spain's economy. 

Hi papa,

If I was a very wealthy lottery winner, I would have said take the ****** car, and phoned for a taxi - or slipped the Guardia C, a few euros and got them to take me to Journey's End.

Cannot blame the boys-in-green too harshly, they're paid peanuts, and if you pay cacahuates, then you get monos.  I'd probably be tempted to do the same.

Having said that, I've been here for 8 years, and I've never (touch wood) had a problem with any of the Forces - in fact I've found them curiously friendly.    Perhaps it's because I'm not only built like a deformed gorilla: as handsome, but am as eloquent.

Grunt!

Hi johnzx,

When I first came over to Spain, I had the quintessential Brit attitude of totally ignroing their speed limits - I worked on the basis of whilst I probably would get nailed for speeding in UK, Spain didn't have the technology or the manpower to be as efficient/nauseas as the UK police.

So I happily took advantage of the freedom of being able to blast along at (I am now embarrassed to say) speeds that I could only previously drive at in Germany.

However, with old age, common sense, and the realisation that I was being stupid (and taking advantage of Spain's lack of speed control) I now potter along at the exact legal limits.

And yes, you're quite correct - I'm in the minority: I've been passed by people on mobility scooters, Nuns in wheelchairs, and on one occasion, Ye Gods, an empty skip lorry rocketed past me when I was doing a legal 130. 

If I speed, and am stopped, then I'll hold up my hand and say "Lo siento amigo" (and blame the wife for not monitoring me) cuanto?"

And Yes, I'd rather the dinero went into their pocket and be put to good use, than go to the Ayuntamiento, and be used for building another airport/bailing out another inefficient bank.

Hi Finkies

Yes I could have let the police have the hire car However I'ts my own hire company so I wouldn't have achieved anything apart from more aggro

You missed an ideal opportunity, papa, you could have reported a stolen car to another bunch of the Guardia C - and offered €500 reward to them if they found it.

At least it would have caused some intense arguing between them,

Hand it in on a legal basis, or hand it back and trouser €500.

Bit of a no-brainer.

I like it Finkies !

Love to have  do something on that scale

However as you can imagine when you are with family in top of the range Merc and on route to meet friends from a cruise ship for lunch and faced with the Guardia who have guns and no thoughts for anyone bar themselves, I've learned it's best to play ball and give in to them. As I said earlier taking money from me dosen't really hurt. I do however feel it for other people who are being terrorised in the same way and can ill afford to give in to the fines and sharp practise the Guardia use.

But, as I have said they will be the losers in the end and sadly they are letting their own country down big time! Spain as a beautifull, interesting country used to be magic for all types and I wish there was an answer to the current problems but, afraid to say it is probably too late. Spain is in great danger now with thousands of expats and tourist, being aware of these expesive traps, deciding to give the country a wide berth.

Ah, that's where you slipped up, papa.

Ever since the Spanish learned that there was value in Land (for building ridiculously over-priced, and illegal  casas to flog to the unsuspecting foreigners) their wildest dreams were of trading in their 4-leg-drive donkey for a 4-wheel-drive Merc.

So to those who hadn't achieved their life's ambition, the next best thing was to fleece the ones who had - even more joy if they were non-Spanish.

When you drive a 1953 Ford Anglia (like wot I do) the Police know you're skint (so not worth mugging) and there's no value in the car (so not worth confiscating) and as the brakes are so crap, even if you do do an emergency stop when they flag you down, you're 2 miles up the road before you come to a halt, and they can't be bothered to leg it up to you.

Bluy Blitish, and you'll be much more safe from them.

Ha Ha Finkies  I like it !

Have to go now, have a plane to catch !

look after your banger   I miss mine !

Hi Roberto,

Yeah, my apologies, I was guilty of transgressing & straying from the point.

In mitigation, it was probably the exhilaration of actually overtaking an invalid carriage.

Sorry again. 

Haven't read the whole thread as there were quite a few responses, so I am not sure if any body mentioned that Spain isn't unique in that it is illegal to drive on foreign plates if you spend more than 6 months in the country.

I returned to the UK in 2009, taking a car that was only a year old with me, and had to re-register onto UK plates after 6 months.

If you drive for an extended period on foreign plates you also won't be fully insured. I was advised that the cover afforded by your UK insurance is less than 3rd party cover.

Do the right thing and re-register your vehicle, or sell it in the UK and buy one on Spanish plates.

Hi SJG,

There have been well-documented instances of the Police in UK actually confiscating UK cars on Spanish plates, when the owners have returned for a brief holiday or to visit family - the owners were obviously English. therefore fair game.

If one condems the Guardia C, they should try debating the legalities with some of the UK Police - especially in Lincolnshire (the equivalent of motorist's Hell) - they snatch the cars, and one has to prove the point by producing ferry tickets etc, before they're prepared to accept that the owners are entirely legal - and you "may" have your vehice returned.

It is a great pity that they're not quite as pro-active when it comes to foreign lorries (especially eastern european ones) which enter the country grossly overloaded beyond their tare weight: beyond their use-by date: where the drivers happlily break every speed limit (knowing that the enforcements office is simply going to bin the photographic proof) and drive until they actually fall asleep at the wheel.

So if the Guardia Civil are actually attempting to enforce their laws, more power to their elbow, says I.   I have seen more Spanish vehicles pulled in by the GC, than foreign ones.    I reckon that they're simply conscientious coppers trying to do their job.

I agree finkies, if one wants to reside, retire, work or otherwise in a foreign country then there is no point complaining when you get caught erring on the wrong side of the law.

If more people were complying with local legislation during the ten years that I resided in Spain then I, and many others I guess, could well have been still living/ working permanently on the CDS and "living the dream".