Hot Property News Letter – April 2011

Welcome to this issue of the Hot Property news letter which we hope you find informative and helpful. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, which we can address in future issues, you can contact us at info@hotpropertyspain.net 

1: THE BLOKE IN THE CORNER

A point of caution for drivers: Many expats are known to drive in Spain under a valid driving license from their country of origin. This is only acceptable when the driver is visiting Spain for short periods, as their main place of abode is not in Spain. However, once a person is living in Spain full time, they should obtain a residencia, and therefore it becomes illegal to drive under a non Spanish license.

During a recent spot check, an expat showed the Guardia his residencia, and then his UK driving licence. The result being a 500€ on the spot fine, which will be on top of the cost of obtaining a Spanish license, an estimated 128€ if using a company to do the paper work, or 50€ if not.

If he had not made them aware that he had a residencia, he might have got away with it.  However, this course of action is not advised. He was also driving a UK registered car.  Now, the odd thing is that, although it is not taxed, it is insured and the Guardia were not concerned with this fact.

Further research has revealed that the failure to re-register a foreign vehicle is a tax crime and at this stage is not enforceable by the Guardia, or seemingly the police, but with the number of foreign plated cars on the road that are obviously here for more than 3 months at a time and with the Spanish government, in line with all Governments, looking to raise tax revenue, it will surely not be long before the tax man comes knocking!

2: FOCUS ON ORBA & THE ORBA VALLEY

Orba is a town within a lush valley of the same name, located in the deep interior of the Marina Alta, inland from Denia, and stretches from the coast to a steep incline below a rocky outcrop, with the ruin of a castle at its summit.

The town is situated at the head of the fertile valley that grows mainly citrus fruit of a quality that is the best in the world. It has an altitude of about 160m above sea level and houses some 1600 residents. Most employed persons are in agriculture, the Torrens Hermanos handbag factory, or in the service industries.

Picturesque mountains form a backdrop and there are wide, uninterrupted, magnificent views from most villa properties. The town is relatively unaffected by tourism and retains its Spanish agricultural identity. Yet, despite this, or perhaps because of it, a significant number of English, Dutch, German and Swiss have made Orba their home town and many have integrated well with the friendly local Spaniards. Orbeta, which is a few minutes' walk away is its more modern satellite village.

The history of Orba goes back to prehistoric times, as both Bronze and Neolithic artifacts have been uncovered in local caves, and the town is in a historically strategic position, as the roads which pass through link Pego with the Marina Baja and the Valle de la Retoría with the Valle de Laguart. In modern times, the coastal motorway has reduced these roads to more of a picturesque, "Sunday afternoon" route to be enjoyed at a sedate pace.

The valley’s inhabitants are proud of their Moorish past, the name in Arabic Ur-Obia means "place where water flows from the mountain".  During the centuries of Islamic culture, it was consolidated as an important Moors settlement, with an economy built up on a meticulous agriculture, as it was they who terraced the land for the first time, introducing citrus fruits and rice into Spain, as well as many farming techniques still used today and handcrafted products such as jugs, and the Moorish style structures in the locality.

By the middle of the thirteenth century it was conquered by Jaime I, King of the Crown of Aragon, who entrusted it to the Knight Alfonso Berenguer Mercey - year 1238 - in gratitude for his help with the Reconquest. The weapons of his lineage are represented on the coat of arms of the town of Orba.
 
After several transfers and successions, in 1476, it was sold to the Count of Oliva, D. Francisco Gilabert de Centelles and through family connections, to the Duke of Gandia, linked to the infamous Borgia family.
 
After the defeat of the Moors, agriculture in the region went into decline in the 14th and 15th centuries and the Orba valley was almost completely depopulated. In 1609 Orba had 70 houses of Christians, but by the end of that same year, it was completely deserted.

After repeated complaints, by the Crown insisting on the need to repopulate the town, July 1611 saw the signature of the Chapters of the Settlement of the Town, in which was written the distribution of plots and lands that would be given to each person participating in the repopulation. The first repopulation was made with neighbors of Pego and Murla, the second with Majorcan people.

In 1768, 12 skulls were found in La Cueva de las Calaveras (Cave of Skulls) in Benidoleig and are thought to be those of early Moors.

In addition to the town of Orba, flanking the valley are many other small villages, such as Tormos, Rafol, Benidoleig, and Sagra which are said to be spaced a convenient donkey ride apart - in modern terms 2 to 3 kilometers. Here the pace of life is slow, with plenty of old world charm, and the economy is still firmly based on agriculture, including citrus fruits, olives, almonds etc, all still grown on the terraces built by the Moors.

Not much has changed over the decades, with siestas religiously adhered to and the local customs and fiestas still very much an important part of everyday life.

For such a sleepy part of Spain there is a great deal to see and do; from 16th century castles and fortifications, to pre-historic caves, and of course long walks and mountain biking.

This newsletter is intended as a guide and to be informative and helpful in the process of searching for and purchasing a property in Spain. Total accuracy cannot be guaranteed and in all legal, fiscal and other matters a fully qualified professional should be consulted. Reproduction of any part of this newsletter is not permitted without written permission.