Ram's activity

4% of the price on a new house, but 10% of the rateable value of a second house which is often negligible.  The notaio makes the act legal - for any transfer of ownership of immoveable goods and some moveable goods (until recently also cars) - and they do do the due diligence that it required of them by law, but they are also impartial - they work for the state not for you.   If the system were the same as the UK, you assume that an Italian lawyer would charge the same for conveyancing as a UK lawyer. Not a chance - it would cost you twice as much.  At least notaios fees are set by the state within bands.  And then if you wanted to do the conveyancing yourself - as you can in the UK - it would take a good knowledge of Italian language and law - or you would be paying someone to do it all for you.  The notaio does advise - he advises of all the laws applicable to the transfer of property that are relevant to your purchase or sale.  What he cannot do is advise you personally, as he is by law, impartial.  But, a good notaio will advise his clients as to what is advisable or not down to advising you not to sign the documents if you arent happy with the state of affairs.  I know it seems that the notaio is expensive, but just running off the visure ipotecarie for a property - which the notaio must to at least once and usually twice or more, can cost hundreds of euros, and that is just one element of a house sale.  For those of you who turn up at the notaios office and listen to him read the act at breakneck speed it must seem money for old rope, but for a successful, legal and complete transfer of property the work is more than you would think.  Of course there are good and bad notaios.  A notaio who rattles through 30+ acts a day, is in my opinion a bad notaio, as the due diligence must be less than duly diligent.  But there are lots of notaios out there who protect and coddle their foreign clients as they dont want them to get a bad impression of Italy.  THe choice of notaio is the buyers, so use it to find a good notaio.  Your agent will usually advise one - but if you dont particularly trust your agent, you arent bound to follow his advice.  There are some notaios in my area I wouldnt use if you paid me. 

The actual charge for a voltura of 3 kw is about 90 euros - however, the charge will be based on previous usage - so if the house has not used electricity you will pay the lower limit.  If the house has been inhabited then the charge will rise, on the assumption that you will have consumption.  You can do any voltura over the phone- all you need is the meter reading and the client number, either from a previous bill or from the meter (if its a white digital one)  

The Italian state pays out in the case of earthquake, but only for prima casa. It also takes an inordinate amount of time.  You can wait twenty years.  

Moruzo has undoubtedly had a bad experience, but - 'people not being made aware of the law', cash under the table' and so on - it amazes me that people think they can buy a property in a country where they dont know the law and dont speak the language without doing any groundwork.  There are a huge number of books and web sites that are there to help you - also I might add - some conscientious and professional agents.  It takes 10 seconds on the net to find out that underdeclaration is illegal.  You cannot be forced to underdeclare.  If you use an agent and dont declare him in the act it's illegal, your act can be nulllified and you face a swingeing fine.  A notaio is not there to act as your lawyer - unless you are lucky.  Prelation is not difficult to understand.  But arriving in a strange country and thinking you can buy a property in a week without using someone who knows the ropes - and is registered and legal and preferably a member of FIAIP or FIMAA is madness.   Personally, I think the Italian system provides many more checks and balances than the Uk system, and almost all in favour of the buyer.  It's not simple, but very little in Italy is - however, any process is a 'con mans delight' if you abdicate all responsibility at the outset to someone you dont know.   DO the research, make informed choices and don't think that you should happily break the law, 'because everyone else does'.  if you do, you only have yourselves to blame. 

Italy's NT is called FAI - it is a completely voluntary organsation that has very little support, but has an open house weekend every April and does buy up certain monnuments that would otherwise be lost to the state.  It is completely ignored by central govt.   It needs some famous faces to help it and a few good benefactors... 

Italy spends one of the smallest amounts of GDP in Europe on protecting its heritage, a full percentage point less than France for example, which amounts to billions in real terms.  Simple maths would help-  The tourist economy is based on the art treasures, - no art treasures=no tourists.  Unfortunately the governments over the last ten years have been blind to any investment needed. Last week the mediaset tv trumpeted the success of an Italian businessman who is offering 20 million to 'rescue' the Colisseum.  The rest of the press, and the foreign press told of the pathetic gara which resulted in just one sponsor coming forward with nowhere near enough money for the job.  The truth remains out there...  Some sort of PPP for the biggest sites is required, but at what cost.  Already the public are up in arms about the giant hoardings all over Venice which pay for some of the conservation works going on behind them.  However, Pompei is a world heritage site - 40% remains to be excavated, and what there is on show is in a pitiful state.  Its not just lack of central govt funding, but regional incompetence and local powerlessness.  And of course the Camorra.  If the govt actually gave the money from the state lottery to the deserving causes its meant to, things might be better, but of course its all put into a large hole in Rome and never seen again. The main problem is that Italian economic policy is all shadows and mirrors, and nothing is designed to last until after the next election.   Also, and here the fault is Bondi the culture ministers - a complete lack of stewardship.  Directors leave and are not replaced, the staff has no incentive and less morale and are rarely paid.  Like most things, pompei is relying on volunteers and a few bucks from foreign tv documentary crews to keep it ticking over.  In the meantime French schoolchildren put most of it in their rucksacks to take home.  Pompei receives 2.5 million visitors a year - but runs on goodwill and the sale of bottled water.  On the other hand, when Vesuvio blows the next time, it is highly likely that pompei will dissappear again so you could ask what is the point? - Id say it is something to give Italians pride in their country, and at the moment they need that. But chucking some UN money at it wont solve the problem, it is a much more profound malaise than a collapsed wall. 

Its all down to where you are resident.  If your husband is going to be full time in Italy he is tax resident in ITaly and all his taxes fall under the Italian system.   If you spend less than 183 days in Italy, you can continue to fall under the UK system on your world wide income. 

sorry Fillide - To my mind, it doesnt matter if the previous owner finalised hisbill, its the voltura that protects the buyer.  We, as an agency, automatically handle the volture for all our clients, and most agents I know do.   I was responding to the original post that the agent told the buyer that the previous owner had finalised his bill - if he didnt add that the voltura needed to be done he was being economical with the truth, but I happily accept Fillide's word that he would have done so! 

The property agent is being economical with the truth.  It is up to you to change the contract into your name, or your estate agent should do it for you, with the reading on the day of the act so the old supply can be terminated and you take over.  If you dont do it you could end up with a swingeing bill.   HOwever, ENEL do the change over, and charge you.  You will pay per kilowatt for the new supply in the new name, and then ENEL will also charge you a returnable deposit to cover your first few bills, which is knocked off subsequent bills in dribs and drabs.   You should have had your contracts, filled in and returned within 40 days.   Bills in Italy are on the property not the property owner.  Find out from the agent when the voltura was done. 

Italy has had a laaw for 10 years whereby anyone who connects to the internet in a public place must provide ID, which must be photocopied and provided to the police on request and  which has prevented WiFi zones.  Its bad enough in internet bars.  This law, finally, is being rescinded on 1 jan 2011 and wifi zones can be set up for public use.