| The Comments |
Semijubilada said: "Why can't Spain and UK be like the French and stick two fingers up at the EU, not many countries follow directives".
It's not that they follow the directives that is the problem - rather that the directives are ambiguous and open to interpretation by individual members to suit their own needs or xenophobia.
Peteranne said: "looks as though we had better take cash!!"
Cash??? You're asking for trouble - probably get arrested just for thinking about it.
Nationwide flex account is a great idea to enable fee-free withdrawals when in Spain - just don't think about opening one if you are resident in Spain. Again, even walking in to a branch and asking about the merest suggestion of the slightest possibilty of opening one as a non-UK resident is enough to raise suspicions to red-alert level. They practically call out the National Guard if you try doing anything so obviously subversive these days.
Bloody hell, if this is what life is becoming like for normal, law abiding citizens in the United States of Europe, I think I might move to China. Probably have more personal freedom there. 
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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I know, More, I was just illustrating how ridiculously complicated banking has become in general. When I was in the UK a couple of years ago, I thought I'd open an account at Nationwide, just in case I ever want to draw money from the UK while travelling elsewhere, such as France. You'd think I'd just walked in with high explosives strapped around my waist, chanting death to democracy! I'm sure the staff pressed a secret button somewhere alerting security staff to my presence, CCTV cameras zoomed in on me, and forensics dusted the place for my fingerprints after I left. The very idea of a British Citizen, who resides in Spain, wanting to keep some money in the UK and actually be able to access it when in another country without geting fleeced, apparently is deemed highly suspicious.
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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As I told the Lighthouse Temple independant financial advisor guy who we had call the other day, I think keeping cash under the bed isn't such a crazy thing ! 
(Just updating More's blog, latest post is about our experiences with Spanish banking & insuring our Spanish home & contents.)
 This message was last edited by morerosado on 8/10/2008.
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Hi More
we have had a look at the Nationwide account, looks good, think we will be opening one. Hopefully we will get it set up before we come out again.
Thanks very much for the info. 
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Peter & Anne - www.los-montesinos-spain.co.uk
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Hi Peter & Anne, no problem, you're very welcome.
Nationwide use a CARD READER (click blue link) for doing certain things if you opt to use their banking online which we do. They will no doubt tell you about it when you go to open the account but ask anyway. If you want to check your account online whilst in Spain you will need to take the card reader to Spain with you. It's a form of added security. It's needed for certain transactions. It's like a tiny calculator.
We also have a Nationwide credit card as we can check online about that too.
STOP PRESS : My OH has just told me the card reader's aren't being used just yet but ask, as if they start using them & you haven't had one, you'll be stuck.
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Good morning all,
I have just telephoned the Torrevieja branch of Banco Halifax and
spoke to a very nice helpfull girl.I asked her about this new law about the
freezing of the bank accounts by the police and she said all anyone needs
to do is ring the bank and give her your account number she will then tell
you if your account is on the FROZEN list. She also said they WOULD NOT
frreze an account straight away but if they have anything from the police
about an account being frozen they would inform you first and allow you
up to 10-14 days to contact them to get it sorted. The telephone no of
the Torrevieja branch which they gave to me when we opened our
account with them is (0034) 966 709 644. HOPE THIS HELPS.
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GYPSY
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Hi,
Forgot to say that freezing an account is only if you WERE non-resident and are NOW resident
BUT have not informed the bank of this.She checked our account and we are okay.
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GYPSY
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Good morning Gypsy, I have further news too, from Banco Halifax in Guardamar from the same person I emailed previously, namely Thomas Robyns.
I asked this ..................
Dear Thomas
We live (as non residents) at ** urb just outside Guardamar & we have an owners forum. Someone has just posted that Banco Halifax are saying this below, which contradicts what you told me after I asked specific questions, so I would appreciate having one answer which is correct, as it's very confusing.
"On visiting the Banco Halifax we were told that if you hold a non resident bank account these are in the process of being frozen over the next few months by the police if you do not go the the National Police and register, again at a small charge as a non resident. This has made front page news in the CB News today so you can read it for yourselves online. The only information that differs from the paper to what the bank told us is, the paper reports that when the account is frozen they cannot pay your direct debits (so then you could be cut off if utilities present for payment). The bank told us that they would continue to pay all direct debits but it would not be able to allow transfers of money into the account. Of course that would mean that unless you had enough money in the account to pay all of the direct debits that were presented you would be cut off anyway!! Also just as a reminder if you go below €600 in a Banco Halifax account you are charged.
Please advise further.
Thomas Robyns replied "The information I provided you with is the correct one."
So Banco Halifax are contradicting themselves surely ?  I'm going to email Thomas again telling him what Gypsy has said, giving him our account number now.
This message was last edited by morerosado on 8/11/2008.
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Not that it's any consolation, but Halifax (UK) are great at contradicting themselves too when it comes to handling non-resident accounts.
A couple of years ago when I was dealing by phone with a problem, my branch manager told me it was costing him personally to call me back to help with my problem, as the phones in the branch had a block on international calls and he was going out to a call box "as a favour" to call me!!!!!!!
I questioned why a branch was even allowed to hold non-resident accounts for customers living overseas, if they were unable to contact them. I'm happy to report that Halifax subsequently changed their policy on international calls from branches, and lifted the block.
I won't let the b*stards get the better of me!
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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I don't like dealing on the phone because no one can prove what was said. (Well, I can't, the bank might record calls).
I get it all on email, correct or not. The guy is presumably checking out all our details I sent before replying & I've requested an interview Sept 2nd if our a/c is at risk.
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As long as you record the date and time and name of the person you spoke to it's usually enough - they hate it when you remind them that at the start of the call they played you a recording stating that they record calls! The chances of them actually checking the recordings (if in fact they even exist) are so remote, that they'll believe whatever you tell them was said, after you mention this point!
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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With a letter or emails there's no doubt as to what was said though.
It's like someone on our community asked verbally, of the then President, if they could have that confounded car port & say they were given permission. Nothing was put in writing. Later on the President claimed (after she was backed into a corner) she had certainly not given permission, just that she had no problem herself but it wasn't up to her, she had to confer with her committee. She forgot I collared her about the car port not being permitted the morning after it was erected & she told me she HAD said they could have it. It expressly said in our community rules they weren't permitted ! I've had it with senile Presidents. Our community has had two who just loved the idea of wearing the president's hat but couldn't sort anything out. Write everything down, it's the only way to prove what went on. They've not learnt from all of this. People pop round to see our President to ask if they can have a, b, c & she says it's ok with her & it should be ok with committee & if they don't hear then assume it's ok. How to run a community 
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 The sooner you move over permanently and take the reigns the better!
I agree absolutely, it's always best to get everything in writing. But, when arguing with a bank (or other call centre based customer service department) and they say "we only have your word on that etc.etc.", it's immensely satisfying to reply, "oh no, please check the recordings you (claim to) make of all calls, and you'll find I'm right". They go very quiet then. That's usually the point where I start talking about the cost of calls I want reimbursed!!!
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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As I said I'd sent all our details to Thomas Robyns at Guardamar's Banco Halifax & this is the outcome. (I have copied my mail to him ... taking personal stuff out, of course ..... so you understand his mail back). At least this will allay Banco Halifax non resident's clients fears.
Good morning Thomas
Whilst I hate to keep asking questions on this I, & many others, are still very much concerned as it seems conflicting advice/information is coming from different Banco Halifax branches in the area.
A friend who is in Spain just now & has a non resident's current a/c with your Torrevieja branch just told me .........
"I have just telephoned the Torrevieja branch of Banco Halifax and spoke to a very nice helpful girl. I asked her about this new law about the freezing of the bank accounts by the police and she said all anyone needs to do is ring the bank and give her your account number, she will then tell you if your account is on the FROZEN list. She also said they WOULD NOT freeze an account straight away but if they have anything from the police about an account being frozen they would inform you first and allow you up to 10-14 days to contact them to get it sorted. Freezing an account is only if you WERE non-resident and are NOW resident."
So, Thomas, to clarify our personal situation I'm giving you the following details for you to be able to check our account please.
Basic current joint a/c : X X X X X X
Names on account : X X X X X
We opened the a/c through your European Banking Dept, Halifax, UK, by post as we were in the UK.
Both non residents declarations were signed 27th September, 2006.
NB: We had rung your European Banking Dept, Halifax, UK to ask how to fill the non residents declaration form with regard to the NIF (not NIE) details the form asked for (we did have our NIE numbers at the time & told the woman that we had) but she told us just to give our passport numbers so we just gave passport numbers.We'll be really annoyed if we were advised wrongly & should've put our NIE's on the forms !!
As we had been actively encouraged by many to sign on The Padron at Guardamar town hall (we have our property on X X X X X) we signed on The Padron 14th June 2006 even though we were & still are non residents. (I understand that this is not possible now, you need to be residents).
NB: Do you think that because we are on Guardamar Padron we are considered to be residents ????? We are certainly NOT !
FYI : Our NIE numbers are..
MY NAME + NIE Number went here
HUSBAND'S NAME + NIE Number went here
(We had our NIE's long before completing on our property April 2005)
Please find out if our account is at threat of being frozen. If it is at threat (maybe because we signed on the Padron ??) we shall be in Spain next month & will come into the bank September 2nd so if there's a problem, please make an appointment for my husband & I to be seen mid morning by someone who will sort all this out for us.
Thank you.
Regards
From Thomas Robyns 12/08/2008 08:55:29
Good morning,
All the details my colleague explained to your friend are correct.
I can assure you that the non residents accounts won't be frozen.
The non residents just have to fill in a form every two years to show their address in the UK.
Your account won't be frozen because you never applied for the residency. The fact that you registered on the padron and that you have NIE numbers are not converting you into residents.
On the form that you filled in that is correct that we put your passport and not your NIE's (only for residents).
No worries about your account being frozen, feel free to come to the branch in September for more information.
Best regards
Thomas Robyns
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DON'T MISS IN MY PREVIOUS POST !  This message was last edited by morerosado on 8/12/2008.
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Hi more help again people at are site in do juan have got letters to say that there banks a/c is going to be closed by 15 september and need to fill a form in and get it sign by the police what form is it they are asking bye irene
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Irene, you really have to go back to the beginning of this thread and read through it. It's got a bit off topic  but it was originally about just this issue.
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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If I've understood you correctly then other people on your urbanisation have received notification from their bank that their Non Resident account will be closed by a certain date?
They need to contact their Bank to find out what they need to do.
There are only a couple of people who have been caught up in this scenario. As far as we know you have to take a form to the local police station to register the fact that you are non-resident. What you have to take with you to prove that you are non resident no one knows.
So far no one has posted who has completed the registering scenario to tell us what to do if and when it happens to us.
A couple of questions you could ask the people effected by this which hopefully will help others who may be in the same boat.
How long have they held a non-resident account in Spain?
Have they ever signed a declaration at the Bank?
Who do they bank with? This message was last edited by semijubilada on 8/14/2008.
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I have the misfortune to not only work for a government agency but in a contact centre for a government agency, and I can assure you that our calls at least are recorded. It' s a good idea to keep a record of date, time and name etc. but as long as you don't withold your number the call can be traced by this. I have to do this if a customer makes a complaint against a member of staff, and we really do listen to them.
Regards, poppyseed.
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Poppyseed
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