"I purchased a newly-built house which included a parking place, oddly enough with the number 13. When I went to inspect the property I noticed there was not a place with that number. After a great number of objections, complaints I got in touch with the title insurance people.

I was pleasantly surprised by the staff that were available to me. They have been at my side at all times, trying to solve my problem. What really reassured me was that they confirmed they would compensate me if they did not find a solution within 6 months.

And that is what they did. Due to the complexity of my case and in spite of all the measures they employed, it was not possible to find a solution.

As my father says, 'hardship becomes less hard with money' and at least I could count on my compensation payment.

They subsequently credited my bank account with the equivalent amount of the parking place with is shown on my title deeds."

J. D. - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)

Many choose to purchase property off-plan in Spain. It is not uncommon for the original building plans to be modified slightly during the course of construction.

Parking spaces, storage and box rooms are often valued in the region of 10,000 to 20,000 Euros and are added to the cost of an apartment.

Sometimes, planning law changes or the process of construction can lead to unforeseen technical challenges that can result in minor changes to the anticipated layout and distribution of the project.

This case demonstrates this possibility very well and is a good example of what can happen when you sign for a property prior to its absolute completion. To improve cashflow, many builders will apply pressure to sign when your apartment is finished but other infrastructure is still pending.

It is also something that even the best lawyers are likely to miss particularly if you have signed a power of attorney so that they sign in your absence.

If this scenario happened to you, you could easily have paid for the cost of parking and storage when later you find they are not fit for purpose or worse, do not exist at all.

How easy do you think it would be to successfully claim the money from your builder?