motobike wanted

We have just got back from two great weeks at HR. I played the course for the first time, less said the better, but it is looking fantastic. I have posted a few photos for anyone who hasn't been able to get out. They are:

30th July
1) The 8th Green
2) My 1st approach shot to the 11th green, before I hit it in the lake!!!
3) This is my effort at copying the Polaris Promotional photo from their website.
4) Harry the Parrot
5) Sunset Mark 1
6) The Water between the lakes on the 4th and 7th is opened.

31st July
1) View of the resort from the mountains
2) Sunset mark 2
3) Another hot day at HR
4) Reflections across the 11th tee
5) Sunset Mark 3
6) The Gatehouse is finally opened!!!!!

Unfortunately I cannot send any photos of progress on the Town centre because there doesn't appear to be any!!!!!


Thanks Paul 

Hi Eveyone
We too have just returned form HR from a 10 day break, and things are looking up on the site, it looked almost finished in places, apart from the road closure just behind us in block 19, they look to be going to open that very soon though.
I went into the new call centre to have another pop at the team (and pick up my "welcome pack")there about the apauling lack of customer care gas water electric etc......blah blah blah and was met by the now reduced team of two ladies.
After listening to my gripes the lady I was dealing with showed all the remorse of hitler, looked me straight in the eye, shrugged her shoulders and said but you now have the services so what is the problem!!!!!...... they just don't get it do they.
Anyway the reason for the post is that I also asked when the town centre would be finished, and she told me it had not even been started as yet?! I reminded her of the e mail we all got from the president a few months ago, anouncing the starting of works which were due to run for 12 months, to which she again just shrugged her shoulders and said again it has not yet been started and gave no reason either, and predicted a year and a half!!
I also found out the community charges will be 1300 EU a year, I told her I would not be paying untill a sense of normality decends upon the site, ie no more building work, trees that don't look dead etc.....
As for compensation for the lack of customer care.... well what do you think the answer to that one was?
Having said all that though it was rather nice sitting on the terrace of an evening drinking wine and listening to the toads and crickets chirping away untill the small hours, not to mention the delighful pool to cool offf from the 30 to 40 degrees we had rearly every day.
Hasta la proxima amigos!

Shorts.

Hey Shorts,

I too heard the 18 month projected town centre fiasco so I did a bit of digging and it turns out there is legislation in Spain that states something along the lines of the following:

'Where property is sold as part of a resort, with the resort facilities offered as part of the purchase, then failure to provide all the services offered prior to purchase may render the sale void'.

I am considering researching this further as the stories of crap service and attitudes I have heard far outway the good stuff I ahve heard.  I will let you know how it goes.

I am still astonished that the town centre and sports facility were not fully operational before people were pushed to complete?  These two features are the foundation of the whole resort!!  Without them you can forget any rentals with any consistency.  And whats this I hear now about water leaking into garages and lifts??????

Is it just me expecting too much?  Does anyone else feel this way?  I'm sorry but I paid 5* prices for my pad so I damn well expect 5* facilities and service.  Not anywhere near acceptable!

Ken.

Just to put things in context, we went next door to the Peraleja resort club house. They have finished the golf course, the club house is up & running, with a good quality bar/restaurant, and they will open their commercial centre (The big square glass building) in two months. They have only partially completed the accommodation! So they are putting in the infrastructure & then completing on the properties.
So, not only are Polaris not delivering what they were supposed to, and we on HR are supposed to make do with the huts, I think Polaris have really missed a chance to generate alot of business, but instead, Peraleja will become established and the HR centre will always be trying to make up lost ground.
Why cant they see that the best way to sell the remaining 150 properties on HR is to get the Town Centre up and running & to get people playing on the course and using the facilities!!!!

Thanks Paul

Hi Paul and Jane

I've been otherwise busy up til now, but it might be a good idea to send your last post directly to the Heads at Polaris World.   The problem is, unless it is fed back to them they are probably walking around with their heads permanently stuck in the proverbial sand.    I work for the NHS and am fully aware that, in large concerns, the left hand doesn't always know what the right hand is doing.....or maybe doesn't want to know unless the problems are shoved under their noses.

We are out in a few weeks and we will visit Perj....Golf and compare, and then contact PW about what a goldmine they are potentially missing out on by not getting their fingers out.

LG

Hi all,

I may go one beter and research a potential law suit against PW for mis-selling!  See if that will get their attention?  What could they possibly have been thinking by not completing the infrastructure before selling the properties................jeez its not rocket science??????

Moaning Ken.

Hi Ken
We did enquire about the legal position last year ( prior to completion ) as we were concerned about the lack of progress on facilities. Our solicitors advised us that it would be hard not to complete as we were purchasing the apartment, however, they did say that if the facilities were not forthcoming then there would be a very good case to sue for compensation. This was due to the fact that the facilities were/still are big selling point used by HR. They advised the more difficult bit would be determing what value to attribute to the lack of facilities.

cheers
Steve

Hi Steve,

Sounds like we are on the same page.  I will keep you informed of any progress I make with my research.  We had exactly the same thoughts prior to completion and were told a similar thing by our solicitor.  Does anyone else want in on this?

Ken.

Kenny,

Have a look at the Eye on Spain Blogs (if you haven't already done so).

There is a blog from Maria a lawyer on the Costa de la Luz and a couple of her blogs relate to this issue. I tried but failed miserably to cut and paste an extract into this post but her blogs can be found under the title El Blog de Maria and the most relevant post is the one entitled "Another Victory for Purchasers"
Her latest blog is "learning never ends" if you can find that in the blog list and click on that you can access her previous posts.
Hope that make sense.

Tess

Thanks Tess,

The blog I found most interesting is at the link below, check this out too Steve it's good reading.

http://www.eyeonspain.com/Secure/articles/article.aspx?article=/publicity-contract.aspx

I have contacted Maria at her firm about this and she is doing some digging.  I will let you know the outcome and what I then intend to do, if anything.  

Even if there is a clear case against PW I won't be going down the legal route right away as a well worded letter backed up with good research often works just as well.  I know this is the case as I have my own business, which specialises, among other things, in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Conflict Management.

Even better would be a well worded letter which a number of (or all) the HR residents have signed.

This may amount to nothing, I love my place on HR and would not rock the boat without good cause, but I believe this is such a cause, especially if the rumours about the town centre are true.  It may also mean some compensation for everyone.  Always a bonus.

Un saludo..........

Ken.

 

Wow, Ken, Maria certainly hit the spot with the article in your link.
I'm sure many of us will be very interested to hear the outcome of your discusions with Maria, thanks for all your efforts on our behalf.

Cheers.

Tess

Well done Ken, it is reassuring to see that Spanish law appears to be supporting our case. It will be very interesting to see what Maria comes up with!!!

Thanks Paul

Hi Ken

It all sounds very interesting and keen to hear how you get on in due course.

Like you - we love HR & feel it could be magnificent once it has matured & once it benefits from decent facilities, as promised. However, we also bought our apartment on the basis that it would enjoy all the amenities we were promised, i.e. the whole package. We are now really concerned that Polaris are fobbing us off wholesale, as clearly the letter we all received (in May from memory), informing us that work would commence on the Town Centre in the next couple of weeks was absolute tosh! 

We are getting increasingly concerned that our Town Centre may not now ever materialise, (or at least not for several years), particularly given the current economic conditions which are bound to be having an impact on Polaris World's cashflow.  I can't see them being interested in throwing money at our Town Centre when they will not reap the benefits from this project for several years, when they can instead prioritise on new sales, which will bring in a more immediate return. Morally wrong, but do they care?? I think not!

I agree that a well worded letter, particularly if signed by a large majority of Polaris Owners may help to pursuade them to honour their obligations. I would love to think so!! 

I think, apart from their legal obligations to complete the Town Centre, there are a commercial reasons for Polaris to finish it:

1) As I said ealier in this thread, there are still 150 unsold apartments on HR, with combined sales value of around 20 million euros. I think Polaris will stand very little chance of selling these unless they finish the Hacienda.

2) As I also made reference to previously, other neighbouring resorts and places in Sucina will be taking business from HR.

It really doesn't make commercial sense not to complete it.

Thanks Paul

The HR Community Committe have had meetings with Polaris Directors on this subject and they still insist it will be built....  see News item 30/7/08 on the 'official' HR Community site for accurate information... see http://www.hrgr.es/3.html

Hi Guys

This is a very important topic, but the title is completely misleading, which may mean that some members are not viewing this topic. 

Any idea how the title can be changed from 'Recent Photographs' to something more relevant? Unfortunately my IT skills do not stretch that far!! 

Hi Kenny

I totally agree with you on your argument for the town centre and would be very interested to hear what legal ground we stand on. I did not pay a lot of my money for a couple of huts for factlities and feel duped

Mareia

Well done Ken, keep going there is a lot of support for you. Once the true legal position  has been established it might be worth writing a paper which can be posted to each owner, an under the door drop. I am sure there would be some voluteers  to help act as postmen ,count me in.  As you know only a small percentage of owners use this forum. 
Woods

Well done Ken, keep going there is a lot of support for you. Once the true legal position  has been established it might be worth writing a paper which can be posted to each owner, an under the door drop. I am sure there would be some voluteers  to help act as postmen ,count me in.  As you know only a small percentage of owners use this forum. 
Woods

Hi

I think Polaris have a very good commercial case for NOT building the Town Centre. I guess many people are using the shuttle buses to La Torre to use the facilities there.  Building our Town Centre would probably create loss making facilities at HR and reduce the profit (or increase thge losses) at La Torre.

I too love HR and think it has great potential am now moving there permanently at the end of October, I fear that with most being bought for holiday homes/investments Polaris have realised that the population simply cant support the facilities they originally promised.  I hope I am wrong but legal action might be our last resort.