Can someone please let us know if it is legal to hold the General Meeting in only Spanish in a community where there are lots of foreigners who do not speak Spanish. Should the minutes not be in both languages - Spanish and English? Hope to hear from someone who know. :roll:

well your in spain and yes it can be held in spanish , You sould ask for to be minutes to in english aswell as spanish ....

It is legal to hold the meeting only in Spanish.  However, most of the better managed developments/residents’ associations do provide an interpreter for these AGMs and EGMs.  Likewise, many residents’ associations do provide translations of the minutes in English (and sometimes other languages) for the non-national residents.  I know because I have translated more minutes than I can remember over the years.  Others do not want to incur the cost (which in any case is not exorbitantly high!).  Some associations go down the “amateur” road and produce an “English” version which is gibberish.

You can make a written request to the chairperson of the residents’ association asking to have an interpreter present at meetings, or in any case to have the minutes translated.  However, unless this request is included as an item on the agenda of business for a meeting, and approved, you may find that the situation will continue as it is.

Patricia

Mimsan:

I notice that some management companies (administraciones) in their advertising/presentation blurb now mention that translations of minutes can be made available….

Patricia

Thank you Patricia for quick reply. It is just that we heard from other people that it is actually illegal to hold a meeting and do the minutes in only Spanish when the community has property owners who are foreigners. You have helped a lot and we will ask the administration to please at least give us the minutes in both languages.

Mimsan:

Just to mention that perhaps there might have been provision made under the by-laws of your residents’ association (the articles) to have minutes also provided in English (and even other languages).  It is always a good idea anyhow to have your copy of the By-laws (estatutos) in English.

Hope it all works out for the best
Patricia