Guide for residents and presidents
How to delegate your vote at an owners' meeting in Spain: proxy template
What the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (LPH, Spain's Horizontal Property Act) requires for someone else to represent you and vote for you at the owners' meeting, and what happens if you don't attend, with a downloadable proxy template.
By the Vecinar team · Updated on
What you need to delegate your vote
“Attendance at the owners' meeting shall be in person or through legal or voluntary representation, a document signed by the owner being sufficient to prove the latter” (art. 15.1). This guide includes a downloadable proxy authorisation template.
Special cases
- If a unit is owned jointly («pro indiviso») by several owners, they appoint one representative to attend and vote (art. 15.1).
- If the home is held in usufruct, attendance and the vote belong to the bare owner (nudo propietario), who is deemed to be represented by the usufructuary unless stated otherwise. The delegation must be express for agreements under the first rule of art. 17 and for extraordinary works and improvements (art. 15.1).
- An owner with overdue debts does not vote at the meeting unless they have challenged them in court or deposited the amount (art. 15.2).
What must be put in writing
The minutes list those attending and their positions, and the represented owners, with their shares (art. 19.2.d). The secretary keeps the notices of meeting, communications, proxies and other relevant documents of the meetings for five years (art. 19.4).
If you neither attend nor delegate
The votes of absent owners who were duly notified count as votes in favour if, once informed of the agreement under art. 9, they do not tell the secretary they disagree within 30 calendar days, by a means that leaves proof of receipt (art. 17.8). This rule does not apply to agreements whose cost cannot be charged to those who did not vote in favour.
Check the bylaws
The law does not set a limit here on the number of proxies one person can hold. Check whether your community's bylaws do.
Downloadable templates
For guidance only: adapt them to your community's bylaws. Fields in square brackets are filled in by hand.
Proxy vote authorisation template for the owners' meeting
Content required by art. 15.1 and 19.2.d of the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal.
AUTHORISATION TO REPRESENT THE OWNER AT THE MEETING
Community of owners: [BUILDING NAME AND ADDRESS]
I, Mr/Ms [FULL NAME], with ID [ID NUMBER], owner of the home or premises [UNIT], ownership share [SHARE] %,
AUTHORISE Mr/Ms [REPRESENTATIVE'S FULL NAME], with ID [ID NUMBER], to represent me and vote on my behalf at the [ORDINARY / EXTRAORDINARY] owners' meeting called for [DATE].
[OPTIONAL: Voting instructions — AGENDA ITEM: IN FAVOUR / AGAINST / ABSTAIN.]
In [TOWN], on [DATE].
Owner's signature: [SIGNATURE]
A note signed by the owner is enough to prove representation (art. 15.1). The minutes list the owners represented and their shares (art. 19.2.d), and the secretary keeps the proxies for five years (art. 19.4).
Get started today
Vecinar helps make sure no resident hears about the meeting too late.
- Notices by email and notification with the date and the agenda.
- Meeting documents visible to the whole community.
- Minutes and proxies stored in the community's folders.
Frequently asked questions
How do I delegate my vote at an owners' meeting?
A document signed by the owner is enough (art. 15.1). This guide includes a downloadable template.
What if the unit belongs to several owners?
The co-owners of a unit held jointly («pro indiviso») appoint one representative to attend and vote (art. 15.1).
What happens if I don't go to the meeting?
If you are an absent owner, were duly notified and do not express your disagreement within 30 calendar days of being informed of the agreement, your vote counts in favour, except where the cost cannot be charged to those who did not vote in favour (art. 17.8).
How long are proxy authorisations kept?
The secretary keeps the notices of meeting, communications, proxies and other relevant documents of the meetings for five years (art. 19.4).
Sources
This guide is for information only and is not legal advice. Check your community's bylaws too. The Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (LPH, Spain's Horizontal Property Act) is national law: in Catalonia, Book Five of the Civil Code of Catalonia applies instead.