# Visit by policía local



## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

I’m the sort of person that feels guilty even if I’m not. 

Heard a car tooting and the dogs were barking so popped down to the gate to see who was here, confronted by a local police officer. He was visiting all the Extranjeros to make sure they were either on or off the Padron. He simply took my NIE not interested in my husbands and we had a pleasant chat about the weather, asked me to take a photocopy of my NIE to the Ayuntamiento when I can.

I suspect they’re getting their ducks in a row re Money from governement


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> I’m the sort of person that feels guilty even if I’m not.
> 
> Heard a car tooting and the dogs were barking so popped down to the gate to see who was here, confronted by a local police officer. He was visiting all the Extranjeros to make sure they were either on or off the Padron. He simply took my NIE not interested in my husbands and we had a pleasant chat about the weather, asked me to take a photocopy of my NIE to the Ayuntamiento when I can.
> 
> I suspect they’re getting their ducks in a row re Money from governement


This goes on all over the place all the time.

In my area they send out letters to anyone who has been on the padrón for 5 years without any changes of info., & ask them to go in to confirm that they are still at that address. 

I personally know people who have had a 'visit' & been told to sort out their resident registration within 2 weeks, or padrón, or both, or leave the country & prove that they don't actually live in Spain.

Not non-EU - Brits - & dating back to before the referendum.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

You´re honoured, a personal visit! We didn't get that kind of service, but several years ago now I did get a letter, hand delivered by a Town Hall employee, to ask me to visit the office to renew my details on the padrón as it was more than five years since we'd first registered. As we updated our details with our new address after we moved last year, we shouldn't have to do it again for another four years.

I know what you mean about feeling apprehensive about a visit from the police, even if you've done nothing wrong. A couple of years ago I got a knock on the door to find a Policia Local officer standing there - he wanted to know if we had a key to a house at the bottom of our street which was owned by some British people as a holiday home. They'd gone home leaving a gazebo up on the roof terrace, and in high winds it had come adrift and was hanging perilously over the street. We didn't have a key, only knew the houseowners to say hello to, so could only suggest that he ask the old Spanish man next door if he could go through his house and climb over the wall between the two roof terraces, so that's what happened.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

One of our policia local guys came to tell Sandra she should renew Padron six weeks ago.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Megsmum said:


> I’m the sort of person that feels guilty even if I’m not.
> 
> Heard a car tooting and the dogs were barking so popped down to the gate to see who was here, confronted by a local police officer. He was visiting all the Extranjeros to make sure they were either on or off the Padron. He simply took my NIE not interested in my husbands and we had a pleasant chat about the weather, asked me to take a photocopy of my NIE to the Ayuntamiento when I can.
> 
> ...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> I’m the sort of person that feels guilty even if I’m not.
> 
> Heard a car tooting and the dogs were barking so popped down to the gate to see who was here, confronted by a local police officer. He was visiting all the Extranjeros to make sure they were either on or off the Padron. He simply took my NIE not interested in my husbands and we had a pleasant chat about the weather, asked me to take a photocopy of my NIE to the Ayuntamiento when I can.
> 
> I suspect they’re getting their ducks in a row re Money from governement


Weird that they are using the local police to do this, not very efficient use of resources (unless he was briefed to have a look out for something else at the same time) and doubly weird that he didn't want your husband to go to the town hall. Again not very efficient. Probably best if you both go down.
Town halls are required to check up on foreigners on the padron now, well as Xabia says for a few years now, but I get notification through the post, or at least I have the once that they have checked up since this came in


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Weird that they are using the local police to do this, not very efficient use of resources (unless he was briefed to have a look out for something else at the same time) and doubly weird that he didn't want your husband to go to the town hall. Again not very efficient. Probably best if you both go down.
> Town halls are required to check up on foreigners on the padron now, well as Xabia says for a few years now, but I get notification through the post, or at least I have the once that they have checked up since this came in


I don’t think so, our village has less than 1500 inhabitants and I’d suggest that rather than sitting in the office he’s offering a public service. Not much goes on around here, even if we are parked in the wrong place , he’ll find us and ask us to move car! However we will both go tomorrow morning, but having phone our neighbors (8KM) away! They only wanted her husbands NIE not hers, but I’ll take both our NIEs and Passports just in case






> Be careful about your spelling or Baldi the schoolmaster will be along


Sometimes this IPad keyboard has a mind of its own! Besides which, it’s a forum not a spelling bee:tongue1:


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

It was funny when we went along to change our address on the padrón last year. Because the house is in my name, I had to sign a form to confirm that I was allowing my husband to register at my address (didn't happen when I bought the old house, but rules have obviously changed). The funcionario and I had a good laugh when I asked what would happen if I refused, and he said "your husband will be in the street!".


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> This goes on all over the place all the time.
> 
> In my area they send out letters to anyone who has been on the padrón for 5 years without any changes of info., & ask them to go in to confirm that they are still at that address.
> 
> ...




I don't think they have the power to evict EU citizens out of Spain- unless they have been convicted of certain offences, but certain!y not for failing to be registered


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## Chica22 (Feb 26, 2010)

I too had a visit a few weeks ago to my house from the local police to sign a letter to confirm I still lived at the same address, the letter had my NIE number on it. This is the first time in 13 years that they have come to the house, although in the first 5 or 6 years of living here we seemed to be forever going to the Town Hall for an up to date padron, for buying a car etc., so maybe that up dated their system. They didn’t ask for clarification for OH, but he is a Spanish National. Interestingly they did ask if I was registered with the Extranjeros office as Resident, but didn’t ask to see evidence to prove this!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Rabbitcat said:


> I don't think they have the power to evict EU citizens out of Spain- unless they have been convicted of certain offences, but certain!y not for failing to be registered


You're right they don't.

The inference was 'Get registered as living here, or stop living here & prove that you don't'. 

They did get a return visit to check that their paperwork was properly in order a few weeks later.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> You're right they don't.
> 
> The inference was 'Get registered as living here, or stop living here & prove that you don't'.
> Here as in Xàbia, not Spain I presume, because as Rabbit said they can't be deported
> ...


+++


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Exactly Mr Wesky

Of course people must obey the rules but the consequences for not are sometimes exaggerated


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Well, we went to Ayuntamiento this morning, only my NIE needed. All done, it’s for the checking of Padron.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

I always thought the Police calling round was a myth, one of those stories you hear in a bar. Is it only foreigners they are targeting? I am sure many Spaniards move around and don't bother to register. A long time ago we had to sign on the Padron as we were not able to buy a car although we shouldn't have done. This was in the GIL era when even those with a holiday home were encouraged to do so.

Strange that the Police deal with it, would make sense for a council official to visit. Imagine the Guardian headline if the Police were knocking on foreigners doors in the UK


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> +++


Here as in Spain/Jávea/at that address/wherever - but resident, & yes, the threat was a fine.


In the case of one couple living here, they frantically ran around getting registered etc.

I had to smile wryly to myself when the questions from them appeared on a FB group. I had had a conversation with them a couple of years previously about having to register etc., only to be told that they had no intention of ever doing so - mainly for 'tax reasons'


Another couple (also had been asking questions on FB for the same reason) suddenly returned to the UK & weren't seen for another year, though I hear that they are living here again.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Isobella said:


> I always thought the Police calling round was a myth, one of those stories you hear in a bar. Is it only foreigners they are targeting? I am sure many Spaniards move around and don't bother to register. A long time ago we had to sign on the Padron as we were not able to buy a car although we shouldn't have done. This was in the GIL era when even those with a holiday home were encouraged to do so.
> 
> Strange that the Police deal with it, would make sense for a council official to visit. Imagine the Guardian headline if the Police were knocking on foreigners doors in the UK


No, it was everyone who hadn’t updated, I personally, don’t think it’s that strange that the local police do it. We are a tiny community, if he’s not doing that today he’s sat in an office doing nothing, we are not exactly a hotbed of activity. When we went up, he was in the Ayuntamiento, taking photocopies of NIEs not only foreigners. 

Without getting in a tit for tat scenario, even major towns in the UK don’t have police stations any more , so they’re unable to deal with crime let alone registration. In my own old village in U.K. the nearest police station was 13 miles away, in that town the police station is only open mon-Friday 10-2 the other local town is appointment only. 
So yes, I think any newspaper worth it’s salt be it telegraph or express would be apoplectic


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Megsmum said:


> No, it was everyone who hadn’t updated, I personally, don’t think it’s that strange that the local police do it. We are a tiny community, if he’s not doing that today he’s sat in an office doing nothing, we are not exactly a hotbed of activity. When we went up, he was in the Ayuntamiento, taking photocopies of NIEs not only foreigners.
> 
> :


Yes, I was thinking of Andalucia, especially the Costas.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Rabbitcat said:


> Exactly Mr Wesky


Ms.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> Here as in Spain/Jávea/at that address/wherever


Well, if I understand correctly, they are wrong and a complaint could be made against them, couldn't it?
This just leads to more confusion!


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

There are two different issues here, ones never registered and in Megsmum's case just updating.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Well, if I understand correctly, they are wrong and a complaint could be made against them, couldn't it?
> This just leads to more confusion!


Why could there be a complaint against them? Do you mean the police?


The police asked to see resident reg certs as is their right. It all followed on from there. The one family registered as resident, the other apparently decided that they'd rather leave!

That's just two that I remember, but at the time, the police had been doing a lot of door-knocking on certain urbs, as part of a push to remind residents to go on the padrón &/or confirm their continued presence at that address. Lots had ignored the letters asking them to go into the OAC to confirm that they still lived at that address. 

One urb in particular is well known for having almost no-one living there, yet every night almost every house is lit up...

They asked people if they lived there. If the answer was yes, then they were reminded to go on the padron. If there was no record of them being registered as resident they were reminded that it's a requirement. There were follow up visits a few weeks later.


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## Chica22 (Feb 26, 2010)

Isobella said:


> I always thought the Police calling round was a myth, one of those stories you hear in a bar. Is it only foreigners they are targeting? I am sure many Spaniards move around and don't bother to register. A long time ago we had to sign on the Padron as we were not able to buy a car although we shouldn't have done. This was in the GIL era when even those with a holiday home were encouraged to do so.
> 
> Strange that the Police deal with it, would make sense for a council official to visit. Imagine the Guardian headline if the Police were knocking on foreigners doors in the UK



Our local police are based in the Town Hall and have, for many years, drove around the Town checking that householders have building licences if carrying out building work. So perhaps checking the padron list is another duty!! Must only be foreigners that they are targeting as my Spanish OH has never received a visit!! Actually I hope they continue with this service......saved me the journey of having to go to the Town Hall with a file full of documents


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Chica22 said:


> Our local police are based in the Town Hall and have, for many years, drove around the Town checking that householders have building licences if carrying out building work. So perhaps checking the padron list is another duty!! Must only be foreigners that they are targeting as my Spanish OH has never received a visit!! Actually I hope they continue with this service......saved me the journey of having to go to the Town Hall with a file full of documents


Yep - the policía local have a lot of duties which might seem odd to those not living here.

When my kids used to get the school bus, you had live a certain distance away from the school in order to qualify, & if you lived more than 3km away, you also qualified for free lunches.

A local police officer would knock at your door to confirm that the kids lived there, then on his scooter, measure the distance from your door to the school! 



They do tend to focus on foreigners with the padrón issue. Many leave the country & don't come off the padrón, or don't realise that they're supposed to update when they move, or someone moves in or out for whatever reason. 

Non-EU are supposed to update their info every 2 years iirc. Many/most town halls will also chase up EU citizens every 5 year.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Isobella said:


> Strange that the Police deal with it, would make sense for a council official to visit. Imagine the Guardian headline if the Police were knocking on foreigners doors in the UK


I always thought that the Policía Local were "council officials." In my local town they operate from the Ayuntamiento and carry out many functions that, in the UK, a local council employee would do ... even down to the "lollipop lady" duties of seeing children across the road as they leave school. They also check paperwork for building control, street markets, bar tables on pavements, and many more jobs that a council official would perform in the UK. And, yes, in my area they also call on foreigners to encourage padron registration. I bet there are hundreds of British bureaucrats who would love to wear a uniform and carry a gun!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

The Skipper said:


> I always thought that the Policía Local were "council officials." In my local town they operate from the Ayuntamiento and carry out many functions that, in the UK, a local council employee would do ... even down to the "lollipop lady" duties of seeing children across the road as they leave school. They also check paperwork for building control, street markets, bar tables on pavements, and many more jobs that a council official would perform in the UK. And, yes, in my area they also call on foreigners to encourage padron registration. I bet there are hundreds of British bureaucrats who would love to wear a uniform and carry a gun!


Exactly.

They are in fact employed by the ayuntamiento. 

They do all that where I live, too.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Chica22 said:


> Our local police are based in the Town Hall and have, for many years, drove around the Town checking that householders have building licences if carrying out building work. So perhaps checking the padron list is another duty!! Must only be foreigners that they are targeting as my Spanish OH has never received a visit!! Actually I hope they continue with this service......saved me the journey of having to go to the Town Hall with a file full of documents


Local Police are actually employed by the town hall which is why I don't really think they should be called 'Police'. 

They do all the minor jobs for the town hall like being 'lolipop men/ladies' at zebra crossings.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Chica22 said:


> Our local police are based in the Town Hall and have, for many years, drove around the Town checking that householders have building licences if carrying out building work. So perhaps checking the padron list is another duty!! Must only be foreigners that they are targeting as my Spanish OH has never received a visit!! Actually I hope they continue with this service......saved me the journey of having to go to the Town Hall with a file full of documents


They were definitely targeting everyone, not just foreigners, I saw the list. We actually live 8 KM outside the village in the campo and we have very few foreigners in the area as a whole. 

I like the fact that they do this, a) they’re working and not just pen pushing ,b) we get to know each other. We have a regular drive past by the guardia Civil probably monthly. They drove past, toot, give us thumbs up we return the gesture. We flagged them down if we have seen stray horses or cows etc let them know. As I say this is a very small rural Community.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> Why could there be a complaint against them? Do you mean the police?
> 
> 
> The police asked to see resident reg certs as is their right. It all followed on from there. The one family registered as resident, the other apparently decided that they'd rather leave!


Sorry, I didn't realise that what I had written was confusing.
Yes, of course I was referring to the police. If this really did happen, as you said in an earlier post


> I personally know people who have had a 'visit' & been told to sort out their resident registration within 2 weeks, or padrón, or both, or leave the country & prove that they don't actually live in Spain.


Then the police were out of order and a complaint could be made against them.
The whole thing of foreigners not signing on the register is silly. Registering only makes their situation and the local authorities situation better, but if the people in authority can't get it right either then it makes the situation farcical


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Sorry, I didn't realise that what I had written was confusing.
> Yes, of course I was referring to the police. If this really did happen, as you said in an earlier post
> Then the police were out of order and a complaint could be made against them.
> The whole thing of foreigners not signing on the register is silly. Registering only makes their situation and the local authorities situation better, but if the people in authority can't get it right either then it makes the situation farcical


I'm still not understanding what is wrong with the police telling them to get their paperwork in order, as per current laws? 
They'd already been living here for years without doing so. 

The law requires it, the police informed them of the fact, & said that they'd be back in a couple of weeks to check & that they could be fined for not complying with the law. 

I agree. The whole idea of not registering is daft, but some people just seem to think it's easier not to. 

One of the couples would be entitled to free healthcare if they had registered when they should have. They've been here since before April 2012. As it stands they had to pay for private healthcare in order to register.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> I'm still not understanding what is wrong with the police telling them to get their paperwork in order, as per current laws?
> They'd already been living here for years without doing so.
> 
> The law requires it, the police informed them of the fact, & said that they'd be back in a couple of weeks to check & that they could be fined for not complying with the law.
> ...


OMG. I'm glad we don't usually have this communication problem xabia!
The problem is not the police asking for the documents as that is what we are required to have under Spanish law. The problem imo is that the police have told people they cannot live in Xàbia or Spain if they don't have this documentation which is not entirely true. Nobody from the UK is deported for not having the required paperwork, are they? There are fines and people are possibly chucked out if they commit crimes on top of not having papers in order I believe...


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

The local Policia came around to deliver my letter to say I need to re-sign on the padron and then a week later he came back to deliver the wife's letter. He just had a friendly chat really, he knew the last owners and such.

They did the same in Belgium after you registered to check your IDs except their coppers aren't as friendly.

The other morning the Policia was out the front when we left and wondered what he was doing, turns out he was taking photos of one of the neighbours who are building a wall. My guess is without a license. Funny thing is he was standing right next to another house which has just finished works that are all illegal which didn't seem to bother him.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> OMG. I'm glad we don't usually have this communication problem xabia!
> The problem is not the police asking for the documents as that is what we are required to have under Spanish law. The problem imo is that the police have told people they cannot live in Xàbia or Spain if they don't have this documentation which is not entirely true. Nobody from the UK is deported for not having the required paperwork, are they? There are fines and people are possibly chucked out if they commit crimes on top of not having papers in order I believe...


We don't usually do we?!

They were told that if they don't live here (Spain / Jávea ) then they needed to prove that they don't. That's pretty standard if it is suspected that someone lives here without having registered.

At no point were they threatened with deportation as far as I'm aware, & I don't think I said that they were. Although I did report what I was told (bearing in mind I wasn't there, but one of the women involved told me herself), which was that they were told that they shouldn't be living here without being registered.

When I wrote


> sort out their resident registration within 2 weeks, or padrón, or both, or leave the country & prove that they don't actually live in Spain.


I was paraphrasing for the sake of brevity. (shan't do that again)

They were informed of possible fines.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

The Skipper said:


> I always thought that the Policía Local were "council officials." In my local town they operate from the Ayuntamiento and carry out many functions that, in the UK, a local council employee would do ... even down to the "lollipop lady" duties of seeing children across the road as they leave school. They also check paperwork for building control, street markets, bar tables on pavements, and many more jobs that a council official would perform in the UK. And, yes, in my area they also call on foreigners to encourage padron registration. I bet there are hundreds of British bureaucrats who would love to wear a uniform and carry a gun!


It seems strange to me, bit like a throw back to Franco days. Separation of powers etc. Didn't happen when we had alterations in San Pedro de Alcantara, we just had a visit from a Ayuntamiento guy in a pullover. Unless he was in plain clothes

Have seen police at school crossings in UK but is probably when the crossing person hadn't turned up.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

We had a phone call from the Town Hall asking us to visit and re-register as our five years was up. They told us we needed NIEs, passports, birth certificates (translated into Spanish) and proof of address. We didn't think that was entirely necessary so we just took our NIEs. They looked at us and said sign here which we did and that was it. Nothing else required. That was 6 weeks ago. Monday this week we got the same call saying we were no longer registered on the Padron. We told them we were and that we had been in so he said hold on and came back and said he was looking at a file which was out of date and we were on the Padron and thank you very much!!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Isobella said:


> Megsmum said:
> 
> 
> > I’m the sort of person that feels guilty even if I’m not.
> ...


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I suspect that there is a certain amount of checking related to Brexit so that the ayuntamientos are aware of just who they have living within their jurisdiction. We haven't seen anything of that nature yet but then we have contact with the Policia Local, one of whom lives a few doors away as do a couple of Guardia Civil, and SWMBO teaches the children of a couple of the Ayuntamiento's employees.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> Isobella said:
> 
> 
> > The sort of inane comment one expects from people who live in or near Worthing, especially those who voted for Brexit. The easiet way to deal with them is to put them on the 'ignore' list.
> ...


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I recokon you are all very fortunate to have such efficient Ayuntamientos. I went to ours with an English couple recently to help them go on the padrón. We were told there was already someone registered at that address, and they couldn't change it unless she came in personally and de-registered. She moved to the US over ten years ago!

I refused to take no for an answer so they did some sort of workaround. I think the three of them are now officially cohabiting...


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> I recokon you are all very fortunate to have such efficient Ayuntamientos. I went to ours with an English couple recently to help them go on the padrón. Wee were told there was already someone registered at that address, and they couldn't change it unless she came in personally and de-registered. She moved to the US over ten years ago!
> 
> I refused to take no for an answer so they did some sort of workaround. I think the three of them are now officially cohabiting...


Ours certainly seems to have tightened up their procedures - and introduced some helpful new services - since we first came here. When trying to help an acquaintance who had moved here to register on the padrón last year, armed with a copy of her rental contract as well as all the other documents required, we were informed that it could not be accepted unless the rental contract was registered with the Land Registry. That was a surprise to me.

It always used to annoy me that one could not pay for minor things like building licence application fees at the Ayuntamiento (or rather, the Oficina de Atención al Cuidadano, which is in a separate building with a very modern set-up, a great improvement from having to negotiate the rabbit warren of rooms within the Ayuntamiento itself to find who dealt with what), but had to make an additional visit to a bank to do that. Now, they can be paid at the OAC as long as it is with a credit or debit card, they don't accept cash. I could even have paid the plus valia due on my house sale that way, but unfortunately the amount was over the transaction limit on my card so it wouldn't work.

The system for reporting faults such as broken street lights, illegally dumped rubbish, etc. on our Ayuntamiento's website also works very well, and uses Google Maps to pinpoint the location of the problem.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> Isobella said:
> 
> 
> > The sort of inane comment one expects from people who live in or near Worthing, especially those who voted for Brexit. The easiet way to deal with them is to put them on the 'ignore' list.
> ...


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