A year of owning in La Mata from abroad
A Belgian couple, a flat by the sea and a home in Ghent. What owning in Torrevieja asks of people who do not live here, season by season.
Marc and Sofie live in Ghent. Last spring they bought a flat in La Mata for the months when Belgium turns grey. They are an imaginary couple, but their year is a real one: it shows what owning from abroad asks of you, one season at a time.
Spring brought the number. Before the notary would sign, each of them needed a NIE. As Belgians living in Belgium they were non-residents, so they asked for the bare number, on form EX-15, with the reservation contract as the reason. They applied through the Spanish consulate for their area rather than fly out for an appointment.
Signing day brought a power of attorney. Marc could not take leave that week, so he signed a poder notarial in Belgium, with an apostille and a sworn translation. Sofie signed the escritura, the deed, in person; their lawyer signed for Marc.
Summer brought the bills. Power and water went into their names, with the NIE on each contract. The comunidad de propietarios, the owners’ association of the building, sent its first request for fees. A Spanish bank account, opened with the same numbers, now pays it all while they are away.
Autumn brought the letters. The IBI, the yearly municipal tax on the flat, arrived with their NIE printed on it. Their tax adviser reminded them that owners who live abroad also file Spanish returns as non-residents, whether or not they let the flat. They chose not to let it, which kept one set of rules off their table.
Winter brought the question. After a long January in La Mata, Sofie asked whether they should simply move. For Belgians, it would mean the padrón with the Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja and, after three months, an EX-18 each for their green certificates; policia.es lists EU residence at the comisaría on Calle Arquitecto Larramendi. Their NIEs would be printed on the certificates, unchanged. Tax residence would be another talk with the adviser.
They have not decided yet. But the year showed them where the number sits in their lives: on the deed, the bills, the tax letters and, one day perhaps, a residence certificate. Owning from abroad is mostly calm, as long as the NIE is in order and the post is read.