Buying property in Ibiza can be a dream — until it turns into a legal dispute. Foreign buyers are often caught in conflicts over unfinished works, hidden charges, squatters, or fraudulent contracts. If your real estate investment has gone wrong, pursuing property litigation in Ibiza may be necessary to recover losses or enforce your rights.
This article breaks down how the legal process works for foreign property owners.
⚠️ 1. Common Property Disputes in Ibiza
Foreigners often face:
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💰 Breaches of arras (deposit) contracts
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🧱 Construction defects or project abandonment
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📄 Title issues or unpaid encumbrances
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🔐 Illegal occupants or squatters in purchased homes
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🧑💼 Misconduct by estate agents or developers
📌 Trouble is especially common in Sant Josep, Santa Eulalia, San Antonio, and rural inland areas where development can be irregular.
📜 2. Litigation Over Deposit (Arras) Contracts
Spanish law allows buyers and sellers to sign an arras contract to reserve a property:
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Buyer backs out → loses the deposit
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Seller backs out → owes double the deposit back
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If unclear → court decides based on contract wording
✅ These disputes often lead to litigation when sellers refuse to return funds.
🏛️ 3. Suing Over Construction & Developer Fraud
You may sue for:
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Structural or habitability defects
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Missing permits or licenses
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Project delays or complete abandonment
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Misleading advertising or false information
📌 Courts often require a technical expert report to support your claim.
Property cases are heard by:
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Juzgados de Primera Instancia de Ibiza
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Occasionally administrative courts (for permit/zoning conflicts)
🌍 4. Can You Handle Property Litigation From Abroad?
Yes — most cases are handled without the client traveling to Spain. You’ll need:
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🪪 Passport and NIE
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📄 Sales contracts, emails, payment receipts
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✍️ Power of attorney for your Ibiza lawyer
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🧾 Expert reports or inspections (organized locally)
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🌐 Translations if documents are not in Spanish
✅ Your lawyer will represent you in all court appearances and negotiations.
👨💼 5. How Borderless Lawyers Helps Foreign Buyers
We connect you with:
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✅ Experienced property litigation lawyers in Ibiza
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🌐 Multilingual teams who speak your language
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🏗️ Experts in arras claims, defective builds, and squatter removal
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🧾 Help organizing POAs, translations, and technical reports
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📲 Full support for remote case management
📩 Conclusion & CTA
Don’t let a property dispute in Ibiza go unresolved. Spanish courts offer protection for foreign investors — and with the right legal team, you can recover what’s yours without returning to Spain.
👉 Need legal help with a property dispute in Ibiza?
Contact Borderless Lawyers — and we’ll match you with a specialist who can take legal action on your behalf.