Record of Non-Appearance

What is a certificate of non-appearance and how can it affect you? If you were supposed to appear at a notary's office and have not done so, you should know what this document means.

As Notaries in Barcelona for notarial certificates, we wish to explain throughout this text what a certificate of non-appearance means and what implications it entails for the parties involved.

What is the act of non-appearance?

The act of non-appearance is a notarial document granted before a Notary in which it is certified that a person who was supposed to attend a notary office did not do so when they should have. It is also known as act of absence or act of non-attendance.

Certain legal matters require presence at a notary office, such as signing a public deed or taking action following a notarial requirement. It is common for a debtor to be required to attend due to a private agreement for payment deferral.

However, this type of act is also common in sales transactions. They occur when one of the parties is summoned to the notary office to grant the sales deed but does not appear. In these cases, the party who has attended, whether the buyer or the seller, can request that a notarial act be drawn up to certify the non-appearance of the other party. This document mainly serves to justify the retention of the deposit. That is:

  • If the seller does not appear, the buyer may keep the deposit paid.
  • If the buyer is the one who does not attend, the seller has the right to claim double the deposit as compensation.

What consequences does the certificate of non-appearance have?

The repercussions of the record of non-appearance can vary depending on the situation, but what the record of non-appearance always seeks to confirm is the absence of a person at a specific moment in the notary's office. From this absence, the corresponding legal effects may arise according to each specific case.

The role of the Notary in the act of non-appearance

The role of the Notary is fundamental in this record of non-attendance as they draft the document, detailing that one of the summoned parties did not appear and stating the date and time indicated for this. In this way, the absence is recorded and the record is issued.

Records of non-attendance are signed by the applicant of the record and the Notary will authorise the public document.

Regarding the role of the Notary, in this document they do not certify that someone has not appeared nor act as a civil witness in the record; they simply grant the record of non-attendance, requested by the other applicant party, of the lack of presence at that given moment.

This notarial record prevents problems for the applicants, as they can notarise their compliance and the non-compliance of the other party, which may have legal significance.

Documents required for the record of non-appearance

In the event of a notarial non-appearance, it will be necessary to provide:

  • Valid identification document of the person who is going to sign the record and, where applicable, of the company they represent. If it is a company, the documents of the company and the administrator must be provided.
  • Identification of the person who does not appear and an explanation of the reason why they were required to appear.

How much does a certificate of non-appearance cost?

The base price of this procedure is regulated by the Government and is stipulated by the Notarial Fee Schedule (RD 1426/1989, of 17 November, regulating the Notaries' Fee Schedule). It is important to bear in mind that certain aspects such as the number of pages, the authorised and simple copies issued, diligences and possible enquiries at the Commercial Registry will affect the final cost of this notarial act.

The most appropriate thing, if you want to obtain a personalised quote, is to contact us without any obligation. You can do so through the contact form on the main page of this website, via the contact section found in the footer of the website, using the direct WhatsApp access at the bottom right of this page, by sending an email to bcn@jlanotarios.com or by calling us on 93 159 17 62.

As a guideline, we can inform you that according to the current regulatory framework, the usual price for the formalisation of a certificate of non-appearance in the business field is approximately between €120 and €160 including VAT.

This indicative price is calculated for a document of usual content and length and with the issuance of a single authorised copy and one simple copy.

What is the difference between a certificate of appearance or certificate of life and the certificate of non-appearance?

The certificate of appearance certifies that a person has appeared before a Notary on a specific date and time, while the certificate of life certifies that a person is alive at a given moment. However, the certificate of non-appearance indicates that the person has not presented themselves, without any known reason.

The record of non-appearance in Barcelona with JLA Notarios

We have wanted to provide the necessary information so that you are familiar with the act of non-appearance before a Notary. At JLA Notarios we are a Notary Office in Barcelona specialised in Notarial Acts with extensive experience. Do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to process one. We will resolve all your doubts and advise you at all times.

We have a team of highly qualified and experienced Notaries to be able to process an act of non-appearance in Barcelona. We are experts in the applicable regulations and can offer you personalised advice tailored to your specific needs. We invite you to fill in our contact form or by email writing to bcn@jlanotarios.com.

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