CERTIFICATE OF ANTIQUITY

WHAT IS IT?

The certificate of antiquity (“certificado de antigüedad” or “certificado de existencia” in Spanish) is a document issued by the competent technician according to R.D. 2/2008 of 20th June. It certifies that all construction works are completed and meet the minimum requirements of the Technical Building Code (CTE).

WHY DO I NEED IT?

Very often, due to economical and technical factors, the developer doesn’t declare the completion of construction work. Therefore, this is the only valid official document for the notary to deed a new construction work. Also, if you have made some modifications to your home while not having a municipal licence and have been denounced for that, it is possible to avoid the demolition after a 4-year administrative silence period has ended.

WHEN DO I NEED IT?

When you’re about to register your home in the Municipal Property Registry. Also, if you want to apply for a mortgage or request a bank guarantee, this document perfectly reflects the current condition of your property.

VALIDITY AND SCOPE

Once the certificate is issued and signed by a competent technician and approved by a corresponding professional association, generally it doesn’t have an expiration date. But every time you make any changes called “major works”, it is mandatory to prove their compliance with the Technical Building Code (CTE) by the certificate of antiquity.

I GOT A FINE. WHAT DO I DO?

If the City Hall fined you for the works without a municipal licence or for not having complied with the current municipal regulations, there’s always a possibility to reclaim by having the certificate of antiquity. To legalize the modifications, you can show that they are older than 4 years.

HOW CAN I OBTAIN IT?

To obtain the certificate of antiquity, you need to contact a qualified and officially registered professional. This technician will visit your property, collect the required information and make some photos. It’s very important to set the date of the last renovation or modification to be able to declare the age of your property or its modification.

CONTENTS OF THE CERTIFICATE

The certificate of antiquity, or the completion certificate, contains the following:

• Responsible declaration of a competent technician according to current regulations.
• Photographic report on the property as well as orthophotos (aerial images) of the plot of land.
• Detailed measurements with drawings.
• The certificate must be approved by a professional association.

I ALREADY HAVE IT. WHAT’S NEXT?

It’s not enough to just have the certificate. To register or legalize your property, it is necessary to come to the notary and to sign the deed of the completion of works. You also have to pay professional fees and registration fees when modifying the deed according to extended metres. The professionals of “AROSTEC – Architecture & Engineering” offer all kinds of advisory and processing services. Contact our official certifying company and we’ll answer any questions.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The “ARCOSTEC” professional team offers the best prices and personalized services in the Torrevieja, Vega Baja and Orihuela Costa areas. Our prices are competitive and adjusted to each client’s needs. Ask us for your free quote as we guarantee the BEST PRICE!

HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE?

“ARCOSTEC – Architecture & Engineering” GUARANTEES that the certificate of antiquity will be obtained within a maximum period of 48 hours.

If your property was constructed or modified without the corresponding licence, it is still possible to “legalize” these changes with the help of the certificate of antiquity, and thus avoid being fined. To do this, you need to obtain the certificate of antiquity and present it to the notary proving that the last modification is older than 4 years. We should note that as of 21st August 2014, this limitation is 15 years, so all newly constructed buildings not declared before this date will exhaust the possibility of legalization. The deadline is 31st December 2015.

In “ARCOSTEC” we have specialists in managing and processing technical reports related to urban planning and legalization of buildings. Please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’ll answer you in less than 24 hours.

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