Many expats end up with problems over utility and community bills. The main utility bills are telephone and internet services often supplied by Telefonica and electricity bills supplied by Sevilliana Endessa.

If previous owners or tenants of a property have left outstanding bills, the utilities companies will try to get you to pay them or threaten to cut you off. Let them cut you off and then go and initiate a new contract as the bills are owed by the person they are addressed to and they are not owed by the owners or tenants of the property per se.

When starting a new contract you will need to produce a number of documents at a Telefonica or Endessa office. Red Tape consultants can accompany you to translate and to ensure you have all the correct documents and check that your new contract is correct and that bills will be paid by direct debit via the bank account of your choice.

Community fees are payable monthly, by direct debit, to the account of the administrador (administrator). Frequently expats do not pay these bills and the results can be that there is an embargo placed on your property so you are unable to sell it until the bills, and interest, have been settled. Those who don’t pay are generally in dispute with the president and administrador over some aspect of how the community is being run and over work not done i.e. re-painting of the exteriors of buildings, poor maintenance etc.

If you have a community dispute Red Tape can help you sort it out but not paying community fees only leads to problems for you. Indeed your community can take you to court and even have your property sold at auction. You have no choice but to abide by the rules of your community and if that includes not keeping a dog, and you do, then the community can have an injunction issued against you preventing you entering your own property for up to 2 years. It is essential to check out your community rules before moving in.

Let Red Tape tie up a solution today

Contact: Jose Ensenat on 661 341 568 or at jose@redtape.es