Professional Negligence & International Obstruction by Amstro (Agent for Caixa Bank)
I am sharing this to warn international sellers about the unprofessional and obstructive conduct of Amstro, acting as the representative for Caixa Bank (the mortgagee of the buyer for my Barcelona property).
It took nearly two months (60 days) and a formal legal threat to obtain the necessary supporting documents for the tax and fee retentions from my property sale. The level of administrative incompetence was staggering:
Initial Obstruction: Before my own outreach, the buyer’s lawyer made multiple attempts to resolve this via phone and a physical visit to Amstro’s office.
Absurd Demands: Amstro’s response was that I, the seller, had to personally visit their office to request the documents. This was a transparent delay tactic, as they were fully aware I am a resident of Canada and the documents in question (invoices and tax provisions) are standard digital records.
Unnecessary Escalation: Only after 8 weeks of silence and a final formal "Requirement Letter" threatening a report to the Agencia Tributaria (Art. 201 LGT) and the Servicio de Atención al Cliente did they finally release the documents.
Withheld Information: I was forced to fight for basic records: the €159.72 management fee invoice and the €957.32 mortgage cancellation provision.
The Verdict: Amstro’s lack of transparency and their attempt to force a physical visit for simple digital receipts is unacceptable in modern real estate. If you are selling or buying a property and Caixa Bank is using Amstro as an agent, be prepared for a long, exhausting battle to receive your own legal documentation.