community fee

Community fees are exactly what they say they are. They are charges levied by the community administrators for such things as keeping roads, paths, gardens tidy - decorating an apartment urbanisation, pool maintenance if it is a community pool etc - basically all costs incurred on a community whether it be gated or otherwise.

Council Tax/Rates (IBI) is another thing althogether and pays for the works of the local Town Hall - or does it pay for them to go on glorified piss ups.

Hi,

Suma or IBI is the Spanish equivalent to our council taxes, this is paid in September and it does have penalty charges if not paid late. 

Non Residents also pay Patrimonia/Renta tax yearly the former is a tax because this is not your main residence ( it can also be called wealth tax) and Renta is a nominal sum which everyone has to pay whether they are renting their homes out or not.  Too many were renting and not declaring so we all now loose out.  I pay this tax in May but others pay it later.

Community Fees are paid by everyone living on a community to pay for all communial items, swimming pools, lighting, cleaning of communial areas etc.  Some communities pay fees quaterly or half yearly while others pay yearly.  It will mainly depend of the amount.

The only other fee to pay is for Basura collection, in Costa Blanca we pay this on our Aqua bill along with sewage.  Other areas may be different.

If buying a new property then the Suma is paid in arrears and it can sometimes be as long a 4 years before you get a bill.

Hope that information helps.  There are a couple of books which are very helpful in explaining everything in more detail, buying a house in Spain and You and the Law in Spain. 

If you type "community fees" into the search forums bit you'll find loads of info on this & communities.

 For example ... Community charges..... non-payers....direct action?

Community Charges

How does a Community Work?

etc

I, too, can recommend the two books that semi spoke of, as we bought these ( must haves)

Buying a Home in Spain & Living & Working in Spain both by David Hampshire. Excellent to refer to for so much, a must have. They are by Survival books.

Read part of Living & Working in Spain  .. First of all, click on this link 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Living-Working-Spain/dp/1905303033/ref=pd_sim_b_1/203-1534082-4437559

then click on actual book or you can just click here >>>> Search inside this book  then just keep clicking on book to see index & some pages to get your interest. Gives you great insight into what's inside.

There is a link to read part of Buying a Home in Spain ..  click on this link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buying-Home-Spain-David-Hampshire/dp/1901130193/ref=pd_sbs_b_4/203-1534082-4437559 then click on actual book as before.

 If you buy both books together from Amazon you'll pay £19.54 plus P&P which is a great price. About four years ago same books cost us £11.95 & £12.95

Hi gerloo,

Looks like Derby's emptying pretty rapidly. We left Allestree for the Costa del Sol last November.

Ken&Jenny

Semijubilada wrote: "...............it does have penalty charges if not paid late."

  So, we pay less if we do pay it late?!

Hi Bluefox, taking away a property is not an idle threat...........in fact is the recourse from the law...but it has to be sanctioned by the courts. An embargo can be put on a property which means that an owner cannot use it or sell it until the arrears ( and considerable costs ) are paid and / or the property can be sold to pay the debt.

This is probably the end of a long..long........drawn out court case where many 'games' can be played by the owner in debt ( as has happened on our urb......lots of non appearences by the debtor and then the leaving of his representative lawyer cos of a bounced cheque !!).......but eventually you will see the light and the debtior will be sentenced even in his / her absence.

THEN all you have to do is get the money !! The property can be sold..........however, in our case, the debtor actually sold his property and lied saying there was no debts, and the buyer used the same solicitor and did not retain the usual 5% so the new owner is liable for fees. As you can imagine the situation is fraught !!

Spanish courts give debtors every chance to pay, which can be fustrating if you are on the other end, but they will take away prpoerty.