We purchased two old terraced Spanish cottages 7 years ago and whilst we remained the owners of both one water meter was considered sufficient for the two terraced properties.
When we sold one of them about two months ago our problems began.
The lawyer transferred the water contract to the new owner and we started to share the water with just one meter. This was obviously undersirable for us and unacceptable for the new proprietor.
A visit to the water companies offices revealed that we would need:
- a licence
- a boletin
- a bank account number
The last option was no problem but a licence. What kind of licence? Where do you get one? The answer to the second question turned out to be the town hall.
Remember we had lived in both properties for 7 years. However, we would need a “Licencia de primer ocupacion”. A form was needed to be filled in and an application fee of €30 was paid. The form also required details of any improvements done to the property and a declaration was made of €4,500 (an arbitrary figure we thought truthful). We needed to pay a further €165 for a percentage of this as a tax or duty or something.
For both payments you go first to the bank and return with the receipts to the town hall (this is presumably to prevent corruption). This was completed over the next two days owing to fiestas, town hall and bank opening hours.
I returned to the UK in late September 2009 after the secreatry of the town hall had been given photos of the inside and outside of the property and supportive documentation to include (some for good measure):
- a copy of the escritura
- copies of NIFS
- copies of passports
- copy of nota simple
- copy of catastral
- copy of floor plans
These, he said, would enable him to process the application, possibly without the need for a visit from the architect and would be ready for collection on my return in two weeks time.
Needless to say the licence was not available on my return and I would need to have a visit from the architect. Bear in mind that the new occupier is now in residence. The architect is extremely busy and only visits the town on a Thursday.
Two or three weeks later he arrived unannounced with a policeman in tow.
Whilst standing in the lounge the architect seemed disoriented as he looked firstly at the plans then at the entrance hallway. He then turned to the photographs and with my help we identified each of the rooms from the photos and he was DONE!!!
A further two weeks later after regular visits to the Town Hall the licence was secured. A week later another policeman arrived with another copy.
So we finally had the licence and in the interim had found out from the plumber that a “boletin” could be acquired from some office in Almeria. We could collect one ourselves or his son was going to the offices himself in a day or two. We handed over €65 for the boletin and waited a week for its return. We were also advised to buy a door for the future meter enclosure (a further €35)
Now the simple bit. Take the licence, the “boletin” and the bank account details to the water boards offices and make an application for a new meter to be installed.
We will get our inspector to view the site before proceeding they said.
You guessed it a further two weeks later he arrived and completed his very own little report of which we were given a copy. The report made mention of some 15 meters of piping being required for the installation. This was baffling as the exisiting pipe had a tee piece AFTER the existing meter and this, in our opinion, could be removed and placed BEFORE the new meter. We even uncovered the source of the pipe ourselves in readiness.
In the UK, for example, it is customary for the water meter to be attached to the house and a stop cock in the street. This allows the water board to cut off bad bill payers. The burying of the pipe in the plaza was not to provide a similar stop cock. The door on the new meter housing has a key which the user is given and no facility is made for the water board to cut you off.
After a further week with no further activity a visit to the water boards office told us that the engineers had come on the one day we were out and had reported that the area had not been prepared for the installtion and a further inspection visit would be arranged to discuss what needed to be done.
Another week of waiting before the inspector revealed that a tee piece was NOT the answer and a new pipe would have to be laid from the exisiting meter location all the way (15m) to the plaza where a connection could be made underground. This work was not the responsibility of the water board and a different contractor would be required to complete this work before any meter could be fitted.
As you can expect more delay whilst the contractors were contacted and the trench dug, pipe laid, meter housing with door built and underground connection in the plaza to the main pipe. Two men for 6 hours one day and 4 hours for one man the following day.
We now await the final stage in this saga – the fitting of the water meter.
NEED I SAY MORE.