The work is done, the division of the land from seven years ago is finished digitally and mapped and the lawyer rang me to say she had the new catastral reference.

I do not believe anything so I asked her to scan and e-mail. The town hall have registered their half of the plot in my name and are charging me rates on their office, so no go for the completion certificate and boletin and permanent supply.

I complain and wait. A new plan with a different catastral number arrives, it is my plot but the name shown is the people i bought off, who bought off the town hall two years before that. MMM.

Anyway I have the copia simple deed and the new plan and I send off to the regional office myself asking them to note the new owner. This I did, filling out the form in Spanish. It worked, back it came all present and correct

I have now paid the rates for this year, no back rates. €100 plus €10 per month rubbish collection and €10 per month water. so I can get the completion certificate next.

So nearly there

The completion certificate is next.

I went out three weeks ago, stunning. All the carpet is laid, the place is spotless. Outside the fruit trees were laden, lots of potatoes and onions and soft fruit and grapes. The greenness of the grass around the pool had to be seen.

getting there was tough however

My partner is alcoholic and just at the moment drinking hard again.

We were booked on the boat to Liverpool to get the morning plane to Barcelona. Wouldn't get into car. I decide not to go. Two days later partner agrees silly not to go, we get into car and onto boat. Stay at Crowne Plaza in old terminal. Wake up partner not in room; gone. Leaving a bar bill. I deceide to go back to IOM as I will otherwise end up with two cars in UK. Need to find out what is going on, settle all night bar bill.

By Saturday I am conscious that if I do not get to Spain I will waste the fare for boat from Santander, bringing back old Citroen we keep in Spain for some TLC. Fly out via Luton, taxi to farm, stay 3 hours pack car and drive to Santander, then 24 hours on boat to Portsmouth and drive to Liverpool for evening boat back, gone just 80 hours. wanted a driver to share with, Will want one again when i take car back. Volunteers?

As I have written to the authorities from my IOM address they now write to me here

A week ago I got a denuncia, a sort of Fixed penalty notice pay up or else but you can appeal. It was in Catalan and alleged that on the 3rd February 2008 I had put vegetable material on the ground by the bin and not in it.

Quick look at diary. I was in Court in IOM on 3rd Feb 2008 and 2009. Lucky that. Speak to lawyer.It will cost €250 to appeal and €100 to pay, so I pay. My Catalan is not up to appealing myself!

I just hope they have not identified me as a source of new local income