As most of you are aware, the subject of holiday rentals in the Canary Islands has been a hot (and sore) topic these past few years due to the fact that it was not properly regulated and in spite of this, the Canarian Government issued elevated fines to those who chose to let their properties out on a short-term basis. Back in May, a decree was hurriedly approved under Decreto 113/2015, 22nd May, and this has created a mix of emotions; relief because progress has been made in regulating this industry and anger because of some of the extremely confusing prohibitions included in this decree.
It has been a tough few months what with tax season but now that it is behind us here at the office, I can return my attention to Canary Bloggers as it has been pretty much abandoned lately. So much has been happening, regulations that have gone unnoticed in recent years are being discovered so plenty of reading and research is going on at the moment.
Well, this article brings what will hopefully be the start of great news for motorists in Spain. As we all know, Trafico engineers laws to their convenience and not always to the benefit of road users. Some of their campaigns are viewed as an easy way to earn a fast buck than actually creating road safety awareness. Anyway, the point of this article is that AEA, Automovilistas Europeos Asociados or European Motorists Associates has fought and won a long 5 year battle against traffic regulations established in 2010 in Madrid in which agents fine motorists without actually informing them on the spot of their alleged violation, rather, surprised road users receive the dreaded and familiar looking notification by post advising them of their “crime” way after time and the AEA has declared this type of action as completely illegal. According to the Supreme Court, agents must stop the offender at the time the offense has been committed as long as conditions and traffic safety allow it. If it is deemed impossible to detain the offender, the agent must fill in a detailed report explaining what impeded them from taking action.
Before making the enormous decision to uproot your current life and making the move towards a better life abroad, there are so many considerations to bear in mind. Will I be able to adapt to a new culture and way of thinking? Where will I live? How will I support myself? Can I afford to move back if it doesn’t work out for me? What if I become seriously ill?
Due to sheer volume of questions, complaints and exclaims of absolute shock, this article will discuss the increase of traffic fines issued over recent months. Even though some of them seem like pretty obvious offences, people fall for them time and time again either out of unfortunate timing, lapse in attention or simply not knowing they were breaking any regulations. It won’t come as a surprise to know that approximately 50% of all fines issued are for speeding but take a look at the Top Ten ridiculous traffic fines to be avoided:
Property rental is a booming business on the island with many people subsidising their income by renting out any additional properties they may own, however, as with most matters, there are many legalities that the majority are not aware of and we are going to tackle one that is almost unheard of. Even though most contracts are drafted on regular A4 paper, some of you may have noticed upon signing your contract that stamped paper has been used but may not have really questioned the reason why.
