½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Honestly I wouldn't bother with a translation into ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ. Unless your translator is a medical consultant it is likely to lead to confusion. Nearly all descriptions of diseases/conditions are (at least in Europe) written in a sort of universally understood pig latin, and if you need to visit a hospital you can be assured that all the doctors will understand English. (Thay may be unwilling to speak it, but they will understand.) Actually, the same goes for vets. Because all of these medical types are obliged to refer to literature published in English, their understanding is probably greater than yours! I was a (known English speaking) captive audience in a hospital, where the primario - who had never uttered a word of English - asked me for clarification on the third person singular of the verb 'to envelop'.  I had to think hard about whether there were two 'e' s involved....Hey - at least his article in the Lancet came out perfect!

Actually, I think I have slightly misled you by reference to the GPS usage (and Ram is more precise - it could be done with an old fashioned theodolite), but the first item in your quote certainly concerns re-surveying your terrain to make sure all the dimensions (horizontal and vertical) confirm to an accepted reference point accepted by the catasto. (This, in my experience, is useful if there is a boundary dispute: if there is no dispute it would be 'normal' to accept the information on the publicly accessible 'mappa' - and to locate a building accurately within your boundaries needs three measurments made with a tape measure!) I'd argue with the geometra about the requirement for this bit of the job. Sorting out accatastamenti (again in my experience)  does generate a 'fee per building' rather than relating to the size of the edifice - but this fee (obviously excluding the inevitable diretti di segretaria) should be negotiable with the geometra. One thing is for sure, if you do it now it will be cheaper than if you do it in five years time.

This 'maglia fiduciale' is the GPS positioning data which geometras use for mapping, these days. It sounds to me as if there is (as perceived by your geometra) a need to establish a reference point and re-do the GPS survey of the terreno. This is a relatively time consuming business, but for something up to 3Ha should run in at about €1000 (IMO) I'm at a loss about this libretto - but it seems this computer programme which your geometra no doubt uses produces one at the click of a mouse!

This query is difficult (not enough information!) Firstly, it depends on how long ago the permission was granted, and whether any "time extensions" were applied for - these extensions are generally 'automatic', but only if asked for within a set time period. Secondly, (assuming the whole completed project was approved, but has not been finished in the proscribed time period, including, if applicable, extensions) then it is quite possible that your geometra is giving you good information, and you may have to reapply for everything because certain rules have changed. (Particularly regarding thermal and acoustic performance - with any luck you'll get away with the structural design, which it sounds as if you've already completed using the 'old' rules). Thirdly, in your position, the worst possible thing for you to do is to fall out with your direttore di lavoro (aka geometra). If you want to do the finishing work 'in economia' that should be fine - he might argue a little bit, (but insisting should let you get your way) - but you still need a direttore di lavoro. There is no route for you to 'sign off' the work yourself. Discuss it with your existing geometra (even if you hate him!) - otherwise you might end up with a 'shell' which you cannot finish and are asked to demolish. I realise this sounds alarmist, (and I don't often do alarmist), but if your project has remained 'unfinished' for three years or so (or you sat on the permission for a while before commencing work) you could be in a very unfortunate situation, and the only person who can talk his way out of this is the original geometra.

In 2010 Alastair Darling included in his UK budget a 15 year 'dormant' period for assets in all sorts of financial institutions - banks, buildng societies, insurance companies etc. after which period the state would snaffle the money. I think this came into force in summer 2010, and now Cameron is saying he'll use these assets to fund his Big Society bank. (Whether it actually came into force I'm not certain, it might have been one of those promises like guaranteeing UK banking deposits up to £100,00 - which didn't happen, it is still £50,000.) So Italy isn't alone, and their dormant bank accounts are treated in a way quite similar to those in the UK. 

Spreading a bit more alarm and despondency is great fun! But it's much simpler to read the DL in full (in ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ). It says you can ("può") register your presence with the police (there are no penalties prescribed for neglecting to do this) and that unless you can prove to the contrary, ("salvo prova contraria") they'll assume you've been hanging around for more than three months. Thus a plane ticket or ferry stub would be more than enough for a holidaymaker. So I wouldn't worry overlymuch - this DL is about the ½ûÂþÌìÌà state being able to throw out 'criminals' or 'threats' from EU countries, (and was specifically written with Rumanians in mind). The offer of the opportunity to register with the police could even be seen as a concession to the Roma lobby, though I've no idea if this was the intention.

It's good to see you offer to look over the 'contract' - I'm sure you can give good advice. Thinking about this one (as one does) I'm considering whether Iritalia unwisely granted a delega (or a procura) to the geometra allowing the geometra to 'extend' the scadenza. I'm a nice person (!) but people who I really didn't know from Adam granted me the authority to extend (for about two years as it turned out, it was a complicated transaction) the scadenza on a compromesso. This comes back to the arguments I used to have with Charles Joseph (I think you will remember him) - if there is any doubt about 'good faith' just walk away very fast. I get the impression that you are 'solid' and not someone who wants to get involved with avvocati. 

Presumably the contract into which you entered had a 'time clause' compelling the prospective purchaser to finalise the deal within a specified period of time? I've never seen a similar type of contract without a sell by date - have you got a copy of the original contract?

Well - first off - congratulations on getting the Telecom Italia site to work for you! (It is invariably 'down' about 75% of the times I try to access it). Now it seems to me, from what you say, that TI have 'acknowledged' that they have received your disdetto. So probaby the (rather unsatisfactory, I admit) advice is just to have a little patience. Why not send them an e-mail (which you can do from the TI site), I know that they have some pretty competent English speakers so just write it in English unless your ½ûÂþÌìÌà is very perfect. Best of luck.

It's really just about impossible to give a guideline on 'planning fees'. Your €2000 seems about right because it sounds as if you have obtained a 'full planning permission', and added a small amount of volume, plus the pool. Having needed a full permission (rather than a DIA) you get into a situation where the fees payable are calculated as a percentage of the costs of doing the work - which is roughly equal in all comunes. I think the bulk of this fee doesn't actually remain in the hands of the comune, it goes to the state - the part of the fee which does remain with the comune is slightly variable. You have to pay the fee (to the comune) in order to 'ritirare' your permission, and then you can start work. When you have finished the work you should have to pay your geometra another fee for him to add your new works to the catastal register - but this will be much less, (basically you'll be paying him for printing some new drawings and delivering them to the comune, and paying some small admin fees.)