Business in Portugal

The total number of bankruptcies (companies and individuals) declared by Portuguese courts of first instance dropped by 5% year-on-year in the first half of 2015. However, bankruptcies remained very much at a historical high with the total amount of value involved in the second quarter of this running six times higher than that registered in the corresponding period of 2007. The total number of individuals going bankrupt was down 0.3% in annualized terms with the remaining involving companies going to the wall, up 0.3% on last year.

Due diligence is the act of an investigation of a business or person prior to signing a contract. When buying a property there are minimum checks that you must do. Real estate registry The registry has a record of property ownership, with a complete description of each property on a material, economic and fiscal level, being able any citizen to require information regarding an enrolled building in the Registry. Thus, to analyze the “history” of the property, it is necessary to require the emission, of a document certificate of the full record of the title and dealings regarding the property. For that purpose the registration record number or the property's full address is required. Mainly the register is consulted to check whether: - the property is registered in the name of the person or company claiming to be the owner; - there are any liens; - any seizure as been registered. The land registry is where you can obtain copies of land registry certificates. Tax office 

Every consumer purchase is covered by a mandatory legal guarantee. As long as you are a consumer, no seller can claim otherwise. Legally, the property must not suffer from any defect which has a negative impact on its value or which renders its regular use impossible. If these warranties are breached, the consumer can choose between repair, replacement, refund or a price reduction. However, the buyer must notify the seller of defects within one year of their discovery. If the property is newly built, the purchaser will also benefit from a five-year warranty period. According to Art. 1225 of the Civil Code, the seller is liable for damages in respect of certain defects during five years, if he has also constructed, repaired or modified the building.