ARCHIVED - Camposol homeowners to be offered documentation to legalise their homes by Mazarrón Council

The Licence of First Occupation will be offered to some homeowners on the Camposol urbanisation to complete the legalisation of their properties

After recent meetings between Mazarrón Council and Camposol residents it has been announced by Mazarrón Council that Licences of First Occupation are to be offered to owners whose properties meeting the stipulated requirements, as outlined by the Councillor for Urbanismo (Urban Planning), Ginés Campillo, at a meeting on March 9.

A  Licencia de Primera Ocupación or Licence of First Occupation (LFO) is the precursor to a Certificate of Habitation and is usually provided on request and after payment by the builder as proof that the property is finished to the specification shown in the submitted planning application. Since 2008 an LFO has been required to set up water and electricity supplies to new properties.

Unfortunately, the builder of the vast majority of Camposol properties, Justo y Manoli SL (Grupo MASA) abandoned the urbanisation and later went into bankruptcy without paying and arranging for the licences to be supplied.

Mazarrón Council are looking into a procedure where these licences can be supplied for a fee. This will complete the documentation required to fully legalise a house and may assist if the property is offered for sale, particularly if the sale involves a mortgage.

Not all homes will qualify initially. For instance, those properties built inside the Sector D rambla delimitation zone and homes with "turístico" designation are exceptions, although it is hoped that these should qualify when the alternative rambla route is agreed and when suitable land is found to transfer the turistico designation. Houses where work has been carried out without a permit or licence being granted may also pose problems unless the licences are processed at the same time as the application for the LFO, provided the work carried out meets building regulations.

It may seem to some homeowners that they have already paid for these licences, and indeed this is the case. The fee would usually be included in the purchase price paid to the builder, but the sad fact is that Justo y Manoli did not arrange or pay for these so it will fall on the owner to pay the fee to the Council. The amount of the fee is calculated on the dimensions of the property.

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