The Community of Owners Marbella Sierra Blanca
Your community is made up of 300 properties, most of them private villas with large gardens. Within Marbella Sierra Blanca (MSB) there are three gated apartment complexes: Lagos de Sierra Blanca, El Alfar and Meisho Hills. All property owners are paying members of the Marbella Sierra Blanca Community of Owners. Some 40% of owners make Marbella Sierra Blanca their permanent home. Others visit their luxury weekend or vacation home many times per year, for extended periods of time.
The Managing Committee
The Management Committee is elected by the owners at an Annual General Meeting for a renewable two-year term. It is made up of property owners of various nationalities, most of whom are permanent residents of Marbella Sierra Blanca, comprising a President, Vicepresident, Secretary, Treasurer, and Committee Heads for Security, Infrastructure, Public Relations, etc.
They oversee the administration, security, and budgetary management of the community, and endeavor to keep a high quality community that represents increased value to the investment in a home. They have a committed interest in keeping the urbanization safe, well cared for, and well informed.
The Management Committee meets every two months, but provides constant supervision of all aspects in the community, and meets individually, as needed, to oversee all issues related to the smooth running of Marbella Sierra Blanca. In addition, the Technical Engineer and the Legal Advisor join the Committee at these meetings.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Held once a year, this is a meeting open to all property owners and the Managing Committee members, together with the Administrator and Legal Advisor. Here we present the President´s Report, the Treasurer´s Report, an audited report of expenditures, a budget proposal for the following year and updates on all issues and projects of interest.
The MSB Newsletter (Marbella Sierra Blanca)
This is a periodical internal communication publication that presents informative news of interest to our residents. The MSB Newsletter is written and produced by the Management Committee and distributed free of charge to all community owners by post and by email where possible.
Community Fees (Contribution for maintenance and services)
Owners are invoiced a quarterly quota (Community Fee), the amount of which depends on the size of the property’s plot. This is to pay for services that include Security guards, street lighting, community garden maintenance, rubbish collection, street painting and general maintenance of the watering and sewerage systems. Payment by “Direct Debit” can be set up with your bank (“domiciliado”) that is, quarterly automatic payment at a set date by your bank. There is also a 20% discount on each quota for payment within 60 days.
The MSB Community Fees have been kept at the same level for four years now due to careful cost control and contractor selection through bidding processes. The quarterly quotas are well below those of other prestigious urbanizations around Marbella.
- Local Government Regulations
Annual Municipal Tax and Other Requirements
The Municipal Tax office is located at Ave. del Mar on the left side of the Dali Sculptures.
As a resident or property owner you have a series of tax obligations and other yearly requirements. The best way to manage these payments is making arrangements for direct payment by your bank (“domiciliado”).
There are several annual taxes or municipal dues:
Property Tax IBI (Impuesto de Bien Immobiliario): This is an annual tax on the value (Valor Catastral) of your property.
Trash collection fee:
This is an annual tax to the Town Hall (“Impuesto sobre Basura”).
Annual Vehicle Inspections
ITV (Inspección Tecnica de Vehículos)
All vehicles over 4 years old must pass a yearly technical test.
You can make your appointment at Tel: 902 57 57 57 or online at: http://www.itvcita.com/Welcome
You will need your car license number.
For MSB residents, the closest ITV facility is at the Poligono Industrial San Pedro, just off the Ronda road. http://itvcitaprevia.es/itv-marbella/ | Tel. 951 216 991.
IVTM (Inspección de Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica.:
This is an annual tax for registered vehicles. Advance notice is mailed to your home.
Foreigners Department of Information for all local government institutions, as well as explanation of duties for international residents can be found at: http://www.marbellaexclusive.com/en/international-residents-community/item/31-international-resident-departament-duties.html.
- Legal Assistance and Registration
A number of well-qualified lawyers, speaking English and other languages are based in Marbella.
See the list of Recommended Professional Services for reference.
Notary
Most legal documents are to be notarized. Your attorney takes care of setting up your notarization and will accompany you to the notary. Should you want to do it by yourself, take two copies of your document and notarize both copies. You will need your passport or your NIE.
NIE (Número de Identidad Extranjera) or DNI for Spaniards (Documento Nacional de Identidad) is your identification number and an essential document to have in Spain.
As a foreigner, you must have a NIE to purchase a home, to open a bank account, to get your utilities and services, to collect information and documents and to register yourself with the Town Hall. To obtain this you can go directly to the National Police Station or your attorney can help you to get your NIE number as part of his services.
Registration with the Town Hall (Padron/Empadronamiento)
Registration with the Town Hall (Empadronamiento) is your way of entering into the official lists of residents of Marbella. This is not obligatory, however, it is advisable as it entitles you to a discount on the IBI Property Tax and gives you standing with the Junta de Andalucía. Your registration must be renewed, free of charge, every five years for EU members, and every two years for everyone else.