Rules and responsibilities

How far from a neighbour's plot can I have trees and hedges, and who can require pruning?

Tall trees must be planted at least 2 metres from the boundary, and hedges and shrubs at least 50 centimetres, unless a local ordinance says otherwise. A neighbour can require anything planted closer to be uprooted, and any branches (and roots) that encroach on their plot to be cut back — this is the obligation the press has recently reported as a «new pruning rule»: it isn't a new law, it's the Civil Code in force. There is no national maximum height for hedges: where it's limited, it's by the municipal ordinance.

Am I required to trim my hedge if it overhangs the pavement?

Yes. Private vegetation can't obstruct the pedestrian right of way: national accessibility rules require the pedestrian route to have at least 1.80 metres of clear width and 2.20 of clear height, and the duty to keep your own vegetation from overhanging public space falls on the owner. On streets with narrow pavements, an untrimmed hedge forces people down onto the road — especially prams and older people.

How far from my home can a rubbish bin be, at most?

There's no national rule setting a maximum distance. Waste law requires municipalities to provide collection as a compulsory service, but the exact location of the bins is decided by each town council in its ordinance and in the service contract. The Ombudsman has recommended in its rulings that collection points be set up close to population centres. If a point is far away or always overflowing, the way forward is to ask the Town Council to review it (an application via the electronic office or Línea Verde).

Am I required to keep my plot cleared of brush?

Yes. Plots must be kept clear of dry undergrowth and pine needles, with the perimeter safety strip (usually 25-30 metres) free of dry vegetation, as per ordinance — especially with summer approaching: it's the estate's main fire risk. The Town Council runs clearing campaigns in communal areas, and the community has submitted a dossier of the private plots still awaiting action.

What do I do if a neighbouring plot is abandoned and full of brush?

Report it to the administrator, who passes it on to the Town Council. Lists of plots allegedly in breach of fire-prevention rules have already been submitted; follow-up goes through the official channels, never by pointing out plots publicly.

Who prunes the trees on my plot?

Each owner maintains the trees on their plot: that includes pruning the branches that encroach on the street or the neighbouring plot, removing the leftovers, and keeping the tree canopies away from the homes as fire-prevention rules require.

Who builds and maintains the pavements?

It's one of the matters being dealt with with the Town Council, tied to the land ceded from each plot.

What do I do about speeding or dangerous driving on the roads?

The roads are a residential area: moderate speed at all times. In the face of motorbike or quad racing or dangerous driving, call the Local Police or 112, and report it to the administrator too so it's on record and they can request measures (speed bumps, mirrors, lighting).

Can I drop a cigarette butt in the street?

No. As well as being punishable as litter in a public space, in a pine-wood setting a cigarette butt is a real fire risk.

Can I light a fire, burn leftovers or use the barbecue?

During the high-risk season it is forbidden to burn plant waste (on private plots and in communal areas), light bonfires, use portable charcoal or wood barbecues in the open, set off rockets or sky lanterns, or use spark-producing machinery near dry vegetation without authorisation. Fixed built-in barbecues with a spark-arrestor grille are allowed, away from vegetation and under constant supervision — except during an extreme-risk alert. A breach can be a serious offence and, if it causes a fire, criminal liability. Full detail in the community circular, on the documents page.

How should dogs be walked in the street?

On a lead and under control. Incidents with loose animals are reported to the Local Police. The community's statutes also prohibit keeping or raising any kind of livestock or poultry on the plots.

Can I leave the dog alone at home or on the plot?

Within strict limits: the animal welfare law prohibits leaving a companion animal unsupervised for more than three days in a row, and for dogs the maximum is 24 hours. Leaving a dog alone on a plot «to guard it» and going up to see it every couple of days — a case that came up at the board (junta) meeting of 10-5-2026 over complaints about barking — breaks the law, on top of the distress it causes. The animal must always have water, food and adequate shelter.

Can I keep hens, horses or farm animals on my plot?

In Monte Horquera, no: the regulation of the statutes (article 5) prohibits keeping or raising on the plots any kind of cattle, horses, sheep, pigeons, hens and other poultry. Aside from the internal ban, general law requires any keeping of production animals — including hens even for self-consumption, and horses — to be registered as a livestock holding (REGA code) with prior notification at the regional agricultural office; and anyone keeping animal collections beyond pets must register as a zoological centre in the Generalitat's registry.

Can I wash the car in the street?

What's forbidden isn't washing the car itself: it's spilling soap or slippery products onto the public road — as the Local Police explained to the community at the meeting of 10-5-2026. If someone slips or has an accident because of that spill, the person who caused it is liable for the damage. In practice: wash it inside your plot, without the soapy water running out into the street.

What can be done about a squatted plot or house?

This has already happened on the estate, and the criterion the administrator set is clear: the solution necessarily runs through the owner's intervention, so what works is neighbourly watchfulness and early warning — at the first sign, report it to the administrator so they can locate the owner, and if you're witnessing the entry, call the Guardia Civil or Local Police at that moment (immediate action is far simpler than a later eviction). The criminal route (usurpation) and the civil route to recover possession are the owner's to take.

What happens with a car abandoned in the street?

Having a number plate doesn't protect it — that exact point was debated in the group. The law considers a vehicle abandoned (and treatable as waste) if it has been parked in the same spot for more than a month with damage that prevents it being moved, or without plates, or two months after being removed to the pound. How to proceed, in order: if you know whose it is, tell them first — there's often an explanation and it sorts itself out; if not, report it to the community administrator so they can locate the owner; and as a last resort, to the Town Council (Local Police, Línea Verde or an application), which requires the owner to act and, if they don't remove it, takes it away.

And what about vandalism in the park or communal areas?

Always report it, even if it seems minor: the smashed sprinklers, broken glass and damage to the park that the estate has suffered are an offence or a crime of criminal damage depending on the amount, and without a report there's no record for the community's insurance nor pressure for more police presence. Report it twice: to the Local Police or Guardia Civil, and to the administrator. Important: you can't put up «CCTV in operation» signs without real cameras (it's punishable), and cameras pointing at public space have strict data-protection requirements.

Where can't I park? (yellow line and sweeper days)

The longitudinal yellow line marks a no-parking zone, and the Local Police issue fines on the estate — members of the group have confirmed it with fines of their own. And on the sweeper's passing days it's worth moving the car off the roadway even where there's no line: every parked car leaves its stretch uncleaned and forces the machine into risky manoeuvres. The sweeping schedule is published on the board when the Town Council confirms it.

What quiet hours apply to noise and works?

Vilamarxant's municipal ordinance on community living and public safety sets general night-time quiet hours between 22:00 and 8:00 (confirmed by the Local Police to the community). More than a works timetable, what's regulated is not exceeding noise levels and respecting that quiet period.

What do I do if there's a wildfire nearby?

Call 112 before anyone else, even if you think someone else already has. The estate has a Self-Protection Plan against wildfires (in the Documents section of the owners' area): orders to shelter in place or evacuate are always given by the authorities — follow their instructions and don't improvise journeys through the smoke.

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