Working around a lack of address...

[Sayalonga_Dan]

Hi folks,

Firstly, apologies if this has already been covered. I did a little search and couldn't find anything, but feel free to post me on.

We've just moved into a property near Sayalonga, however we have been informed by the landlord that the property does not have an address, as it's on what I guess would be the Spanish equivilent of an unadopted road?

So my question is, what do we do regarding paperwork where we are asked for our address? Obviously we can get a P.O. box for mail, but I'm guessing we would still need to provide a physical address for any kind of contract or official documentation?

A small side-point: we went down to the Correos in Vélez-Málaga to get a P.O. box, but they told us that they were issued from the start of the year, and so we would have to pay the full yearly fee (>150eur) just for two months? But I can't seem to reconcile this with the information on the Correos website, which seems to say that one can pay quarterly?

[Beachcomber]

Is there not some kind of address on your rental contract?

[Enrique]

Hi Sayalonga_Dan,

" I guess would be the Spanish equivilent of an unadopted road"

Have a look on http://www.viamichelin.com/

This map site gives street names. Worth a look.

Have you asked any local people...............

Don't take the word of the Landlord..........maybe an illegal property......

[ajtg1952]

I don't have an address, but my local bar does. It's worked well over the last seven years.

[Sayalonga_Dan]

Thanks for the responses guys.

Is there not some kind of address on your rental contract?

Unfortunately not, just a description of what it is and roughly where it is. The estate agent informed us that the house simply does not have an address.

This map site gives street names. Worth a look.

I can find the name of the main road... well, main track... but we're on a further track off this, which has multiple houses off of it. I can sort of construct an address on that basis, i.e.:

[Name written on the front of the house]
Off [name of main track]
Sayalonga
[Postcode of nearest point main track]
Málaga, Spain

...but I'm wondering if I'll get kicked back on documentation on the basis of it not being a "proper" address? For example, if I put down said address on an NIE application, will they check that address against a database (e.g. Correos database of addresses) and kick it back for not being verifiable?

Have you asked any local people...............

Planning on it, but my Spanish isn't great yet, and none of our neighbours speak a word of English.

Don't take the word of the Landlord..........maybe an illegal property......

That is entirely possible. Is there any way of checking public records to verify? What's our position if it is?

I don't have an address, but my local bar does. It's worked well over the last seven years.

That's always a backup plan. They are starting to like us, or at least the money we put over the bar

[gus-lopez]

In reply to " will they check it " ,.No ,I wouldn't have thought so. I have 3 addresses. The original finca registration, what the house is called & what correos use as the 'direción postal'. My nie has what the house is called on it.Other documants have various arrangements including at least 3 or 4 other variations on the correos address. Everything arrives & I don't concern myself. I'd just make it up like you said.

[gerryh]

[Name written on the front of the house]
Off [name of main track]
Sayalonga
[Postcode of nearest point main track]
Málaga, Spain

...but I'm wondering if I'll get kicked back on documentation on the basis of it not being a "proper" address?

That is how the addresses are created where I live.
None of us have had a problem with creating our own addresses.
You will find the post code covers quite a large area, they are not very precise.
Cheers
Gerry

[Beachcomber]

Try using Google Earth with the Catastro plug-in to find the polígono and parcela numbers and include those on the address.

[Enrique]

Hi Sayalonga_Dan,
Before you rush in a create an address , find out if the corrios deliver out that far from the main village.
Like some members our address has evolved over the years, initially all the post was dumped in the village bar (best option), then the Degree came every one had to have a mail box on their house, the Corrios said "we don't deliver that far out of the village", so we put a box up on a house near the beginning of the track ,and added " buzón a 3"
If the local bar gets delivery then getting a box put up there would work.

Post codes can cover wide areas, seven villages up this way have one post code.....

Best to get known in the area as well......Corrios sometimes just dump all the post in the first English post box they find.........

Welcome to Spain..............

[gavilan]

I don't have an address either ... just the name of the mill and that of the nearest hamlet ... and I have to go the village correos to collect my post.

[El Cid]

We've just moved into a property near Sayalonga, however we have been informed by the landlord that the property does not have an address, as it's on what I guess would be the Spanish equivilent of an unadopted road?

If you are living there permanently then you should sign onto the local Padron at the town hall. They will want your address and if you haven't got one they will have to come up with something.

When we moved to our newly built house, although it is on a named road they insisted on it having a number. As it did not, they asked us to choose one!

They must have to deal with this all the time.

Sid

[Martin Page]

Before our little urbanisation got its own buzons, I had a buzon (post box) at the local venta. In both cases I had to buy the Box itself (a few euros) but it had to be of the same type in each case so that they locked together in the wall of boxes

then the address became ..... Buzon 58, Venata Campano, Chiclana .......11130
The post code was given by the venata

Annual cost - zero ...In both cases, although the cost of going to the venta to collect the mail usually included a coffee or a few beers depending on who was there each time

[Wicksey]

Most campo dwellers don't have an address. I have just had to take something in to Worten to be repaired under guarantee and when they asked for my address I just said Torrox Campo which was accepted.

On the padron I gave our house name (which can be a name you give it if it hasn't already got one) and the area (Pago) that we are in and that was OK, and I also used this when we opened our PO Box. (Re the PO Box we were also told in October to wait until January otherwise we would have to pay the full year. They charge per name too so make sure you have declared everyone that wants to receive their post - having the same surname isn't good enough so I found out when my birthday cards went AWOL )

For any deliveries we simply arrange to meet at a well known point in the village (the main carpark for example) and don't even try to get anyone up to the house unless we meet them first. We have always been in the campo so have got used to this.

[casita-bonita]

This is what we use on all our documentation, energy supplies, bank accounts, give out to folks, ebay, amazon.

[Name written on the front of the house]
[name of mountain/ridge] in our case Pago de Cuesta Robano
Sayalonga
29752
Málaga, Spain

In reality since post never get's further than the post office in the village the only bits that matter are your name (so he can put it in the correct slot), housename (in case there are others with the same name and initial) and postcode (so it gets to Sayalonga). Just quote your name and housename when you go along to pick it up.

Have post coming to me from all over the place and it's never a problem.

Occasionally couriers can be a hassle as can't find your 'address' in their databases. Lsat DHL package we had the driver stopped in the first bar, Casa Mari's and asked if they knew where our house was. They did know as we have had them deliver food for our partys, but as luck would have it friends were in there at the time and signed for my package. Often tho' the driver will ring and you can nip down to meet them in the car park.

[Sayalonga_Dan]

Thanks for all the responses, guys -- that's cleared that up a little