A2 · ElementaryAdapted from ElDiario.es

Ferrari at Auction: What Happens to Seized Assets?

Un Ferrari en subasta: ¿Qué pasa con los bienes incautados?

Sep 3, 20261 min readGraded Spanish · word-by-word audio

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El juez Santiago Pedraz ordenó la detención de Víctor de Aldama por un fraude de IVA de 231 millones de euros. También confiscó sus bienes, incluido un Ferrari F12. Ahora, la Oficina de Recuperación y Gestión de Activos (ORGA) quiere subastar el coche.

El precio mínimo de adjudicación no puede ser inferior al 50% de su valor. Así, el Ferrari podría comprarse por unos 120.000 euros. También se subastarán tres Land Rover con un valor total de 200.000 euros.

La defensa de Aldama pidió al juez que no autorizara las subastas. Dice que se vulnera su presunción de inocencia. Pero la ORGA insiste en que los coches pierden valor con el tiempo y su almacenamiento cuesta dinero.

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Watch out, English speaker

Spanish passive voice (ser + past participle) is often avoided in everyday speech, where English uses it freely. English speakers may say El Ferrari es matriculado by analogy with 'The Ferrari is registered,' but Spanish prefers El Ferrari está matriculado because it describes a resulting state, not an action. Also, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject: Las ruedas están matriculadas (not matriculado). Spanish has two common ways to express plans and intentions: ir a + infinitive and querer + infinitive. English speakers often overuse the simple future (subastará) or the present progressive (está subastando) for future plans, but Spanish strongly prefers va a subastar for 'is going to auction.' Remember that ir must be conjugated to match the subject: La ORGA va a subastar, not La ORGA ir a subastar. Also, querer + infinitive means 'want to,' not 'will'—so quiere subastar is 'wants to auction,' not 'will auction.'

Key vocabulary

fraudem.
fraud, deception
“El fraude fue descubierto por la policía.”— The fraud was discovered by the police.
Pattern fraude de IVA VAT fraud
Compare estafa (f.) scam
Plural: fraudes
💡 From Latin fraus, cognate with English fraud.
confiscarv.
to confiscate, seize
“El Estado confiscó el coche al delincuente.”— The State confiscated the car from the criminal.
Pattern confiscar bienes confiscate property
Compare incautar (v.) seize
Conjugation: confisco, confiscas, confisca...
💡 Cognate with English confiscate, from the root com- (together) + fiscus (treasury).
subastarv.
to auction
“Van a subastar el cuadro en una galería.”— They are going to auction the painting in a gallery.
Pattern subasta electrónica electronic auction
Compare rematar (v.) auction (especially judicial auction)
Conjugation: subasto, subastas, subasta...
💡 From Latin sub hasta, originally referring to auctioning spoils under a spear.
bienesm. pl.
goods, assets, property
“Sus bienes fueron embargados por el banco.”— His assets were seized by the bank.
Pattern bienes inmuebles real estate
Compare propiedad (f.) property
Singular: bien
💡 Often appears in plural form, meaning all the property of a person or entity.
matriculadoadj.
registered (vehicle)
“El coche está matriculado en Madrid.”— The car is registered in Madrid.
Pattern coche matriculado registered car
Compare registrado (adj.) registered
Feminine: matriculada; plural: matriculados
💡 From matrícula (license plate), verb matricular.
adjudicaciónf.
award, adjudication
“La adjudicación del contrato fue polémica.”— The awarding of the contract was controversial.
Pattern precio de adjudicación final price
Compare asignación (f.) allocation
Plural: adjudicaciones
💡 From the verb adjudicar, cognate with English adjudication.
valorm.
value
“El valor de la casa ha aumentado.”— The value of the house has increased.
Pattern valor total total value
Compare precio (m.) price
Plural: valores
💡 Cognate with English value, can also mean courage.
almacenamientom.
storage
“El almacenamiento de muebles es caro.”— Furniture storage is expensive.
Pattern coste de almacenamiento storage cost
Compare depósito (m.) storage
Plural: almacenamientos
💡 From almacén (warehouse), suffix -miento indicates result.
presunciónf.
presumption, assumption
“La presunción de inocencia es un derecho fundamental.”— The presumption of innocence is a fundamental right.
Pattern presunción de inocencia presumption of innocence
Compare suposición (f.) assumption
Plural: presunciones
💡 From Latin praesumptio, cognate with English presumption.
defensaf.
defense, defense team
“La defensa presentó nuevas pruebas.”— The defense presented new evidence.
Pattern la defensa del acusado the defense of the accused
Compare abogado (m.) lawyer (figurative)
Plural: defensas
💡 Cognate with English defense, can also refer to defense in sports.

Grammar spotlight

Passive voice: ser + past participle

Used to emphasize the receiver of the action rather than the doer. For example: El Ferrari está matriculado (the car is registered). Note that the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.

“El Ferrari está matriculado en 2013.”— The Ferrari was registered in 2013.

⚠️ Forgetting that the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject, e.g., incorrectly writing matriculado (it should be matriculado because Ferrari is masculine singular).

Verb phrases: ir a + infinitive / querer + infinitive

Used to express plans to do something or wanting to do something. For example: quiere subastar (wants to auction), se va a celebrar (is going to take place).

“La ORGA quiere subastar el coche.”— ORGA wants to auction the car.

⚠️ Don't forget that querer is followed by an infinitive, not a conjugated form.

Sentence patterns to steal

El juez ordenó la detención por un fraude de IVA de 231 millones de euros.
The judge ordered the arrest for a VAT fraud of 231 million euros.
ordenar + noun + por + crimeReplace detención with other nouns such as registro (search), and fraude with other crimes.
El precio mínimo de adjudicación no puede ser inferior al 50% de su valor.
The minimum auction price cannot be less than 50% of its value.
no puede ser inferior a + amountReplace precio with other nouns such as temperatura, and 50% with other percentages.
El Ferrari podría comprarse por unos 120.000 euros.
The Ferrari could be bought for around 120,000 euros.
podría + comprarse por + priceReplace comprarse with venderse, and 120,000 with other prices.
La defensa pidió al juez que no autorizara las subastas.
The defense asked the judge not to authorize the auctions.
pedir a alguien que + subjunctiveReplace no autorizara with other verbs such as no hiciera (not to do).
Los coches pierden valor con el tiempo.
Cars lose value over time.
perder valor con el tiempoReplace coches with other nouns such as productos electrónicos.

Judicial Auctions in Spain

In Spain, judicial auctions (subasta judicial) are held through the national auction portal, and anyone can participate. The starting price is usually half of the appraised value, but a deposit must be paid in advance. This system aims to quickly liquidate seized assets to compensate victims or pay fines.

Source: Spanish Ministry of Justice official website (mjusticia.gob.es)

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