Registered Email for LBRs: How to Manage Large-Scale Legal Notifications Efficiently

The Spanish urban planning system utilizes a mechanism known as the Junta de Compensación, best described as a Land Readjustment and Equalisation Body (LRB). This entity is responsible for executing land pooling, replotting, and the equitable apportionment of costs and benefits among landowners within a development area.

The challenge of notifying all property owners with legal certainty

LBRs (Juntas de Compensación) are collaborative urban planning entities that bring together property owners within a development area to carry out urbanization works. Their activity involves decisions with significant legal and economic impact: approving fees, awarding contracts, modifying bylaws, approving development projects, and decisions that directly affect property rights.

One of their core legal duties, according to urban planning regulations, is:

“To convene property owners for the adoption of the necessary agreements for the management and execution of urbanization works.”
(Source: Administrativando)

This makes legally reliable notification essential. Every owner must be able to demonstrate that they were duly notified and that the communication was made available to them in time and form.

When the Board includes dozens or hundreds of property owners, the challenge grows dramatically. Postal mail involves high costs, long delivery times, and significant administrative effort. This is why more and more Boards are turning to digital, legally valid alternatives such as registered email and certified SMS.

Why a LBR needs a reliable (and cost-efficient) communication channel

The decisions adopted in General or Extraordinary Assemblies affect:

• The approval and distribution of urbanization fees.
• The appointment of members of the governing body.
• Approval or modification of the Urbanization Project.
• The management and contracting of works and services.
• Actions that may directly impact the property rights of owners.

To avoid disputes or challenges, the Board must be able to prove:

1. What was communicated (agenda, notice, documentation).
2. When it was communicated.
3. To whom it was sent.
4. That the notice was made available to the recipient.

Registered email and certified SMS provide these guarantees with the same legal strength as a burofax—but at a fraction of the cost.

Registered email: the best option for large-scale convocations

Registered email allows the Board to:

• Certify sending, content, and delivery to the recipient’s mail server.
• Generate an electronic evidence file (eEvid), digitally signed to guarantee authenticity and integrity.
• Prove that the call to meeting was effectively made available to each owner.
• Manage hundreds of notifications simultaneously with no envelopes or physical mailings.

For Boards with 200, 300, or 500 property owners, this provides:

• A drastic reduction in annual notification costs.
• Faster convocations for both ordinary and extraordinary Assemblies.
• Improved traceability and follow-up.
• A centralized and verifiable record of all communications.

Certified SMS: ideal for urgent notices and reminders

When communication must reach mobile phones, certified SMS is especially useful:

• Reaches recipients who rarely check email, with the same legal guarantees.
• Certifies delivery at the mobile operator level.
• Complements registered email for urgent reminders or notices.

Many Boards use a hybrid strategy: registered email for formal notices and certified SMS for reminders or time-sensitive alerts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is it legally valid to convene an Assembly via registered email?

Yes. Registered email is a legally reliable method under the eIDAS Regulation and provides sufficient legal proof of sending, content, and delivery.

What if a property owner doesn’t open the email?

Validity does not depend on the recipient reading the message — which is technically impossible to prove — but on whether it was made available to their mail server.

Does certified SMS replace registered email?

It can replace or complement it. Both channels are legally valid; the choice depends on owners’ preferred communication methods and the urgency of the notice.

Does this help prevent challenges to Assembly decisions?

Yes. Having certified proof of sending, content, and delivery significantly reduces the risk of Assembly agreements being challenged for defective notification.

Conclusion

Land Readjustment and Equalisation Bodies need a communication channel that combines legal certainty, efficiency, and robust documentation.

Registered email and certified SMS make it possible to convene Assemblies and send notices with the same legal force as a burofax, but with much greater speed and at a far lower cost.

In entities where every agreement impacts collective urban development, financial contributions, and property rights, ensuring legally reliable notifications is not just an administrative step—it is essential to legal certainty and good governance.