Minister announces changes to the Coastal Property Law

 

The Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Miguel Arias Cañete, told congress last week that reforms to the 1988 'Ley de Costas' Coastal Property Law would not introduce the urbanisation of the coastlines, and would have the objective of improving the legal status of previously affected properties and protecting the environment.

A ruling from the EU in March of 2009 ordered the law to be changed, but it proved to be something that the previous government were either unwilling or unable to do. He also referred to the Auken report, which requires Spain to amend its Coastal law to protect the rights of homeowners who own property along the coastline of Spain.

If for any reason, the reforms to the Ley de Costas do not protect properties with the threat of a demolition order, the owners of such properties with a mortgage may be able to prove that they were only able to obtain a mortgage due to everything being in order with the property at the time of purchase, and although they were later ruled to be 'illegal', there is a guarantee under modifications to the ‘Ley Hipotecaria' or the ‘Ley de Suelo' ruling they cannot then be demolished.