Inherited a property in Spain but cannot move things forward?

For heirs who can’t agree, property never registered in the deceased’s name, missing deeds, inheritance tax with no liquidity to pay it, hidden charges, or heirs abroad who don’t know Spanish procedure.

Until the deed of inheritance is signed before a notary, the tax is paid, and the property is registered, the heirs can’t sell it, mortgage it, or even renovate it. Inheritance tax is due within six months of death. That deadline can be extended by another six months, but only if requested within the first five months, and interest accrues on the extension even though it avoids the late-filing surcharge. Miss the deadline entirely with no extension requested, and the surcharge is 1% plus another 1% for every full month late, up to 12 months, then a flat 15% plus interest after that.

In Andalucía specifically, direct heirs (spouse, children, parents) get a €1,000,000 reduction on the taxable base plus a 99% bonification on whatever tax remains, under the region’s Ley 5/2021. In practice, most family inheritances on the Costa del Sol owe close to nothing in Spanish inheritance tax. The blockage is almost never the tax bill itself. It’s the paperwork standing between the family and the point where that tax relief can even be applied.

Heirs abroad don’t need to fly in. A power of attorney signed at home, apostilled and translated, is the same route used every day for foreign buyers, and it works just as well here. If debts turn out to outweigh the estate, an heir can renounce within roughly six months of learning of the inheritance, or accept it a beneficio de inventario, capping their liability at what the estate is actually worth rather than exposing their own assets. We fix the title and registry records, coordinate notary and lawyers, mediate between heirs, and plan the tax side. If they decide to sell once it’s unblocked, Santina Homes handles that.