Court probes Granada golf complex

Hi again - sorry to keep on about this one but the advertising by Peninsula does say that the rental scheme is in association with some of the world's leading tour operators. 

PS thankyou for looking Donefor.

Hi all,Seagull here from Tee 17.

Went to site y'day,no-one could show us round unfortunately as we went at very short notice.........but we were able to spend some time looking round ourselves.

The general impression we had of the site was very favourable.The new club house/ restaurant etc,complete with pool and roof terrace etc,is excellent,given its outstanding position overlooking the course....the views are simply stunning.

So are they,too,from the Fairways development........as has already been said on here,just looking out from the terrace makes you remember why we were all so taken with the project in the first place.

It has a real "wow" factor.......personally I'd be happy to holiday there and just sit on the terrace all day!

 As others on the forum have said,it's not easy to see exactly what stage each development is at,but at least 3 seemed to be either finished or nearly so,from what we could see.People were sunbathing around the pool in Medina 23.

There is to be a shopping mall,cafe etc  just below Fairways as we had been told........and while obviously the sports centre etc are not on the immediate agenda,I am confident things will evolve successfully in due course.Nor do I have any doubt that over time Medina Elvira can be a very popular rental project.......as long as there are at least  some catering,every-day facilities  etc on site,plus others nearby,who would not want to rent out a lovely apartment in what I truly believe will be an exceptional holiday venue?

Once again,I really  do suggest that as many buyers as possible should go out and see for themselves........get a feel for the place. I will be very surprised if you are not impressed.

As for Tee 17,well,as has been said,it certainly isn't ready yet ....but work is progressing.There were many workmen on duty while we were there,although clearly no immediate finish is in sight.

However,Sharon told me later that we WILL be hearing some definite news about finishing dates for Tee 17 with a newsletter being sent out to buyers very soon.

Hopefully you have all also heard from Royal Peninsula offering to answer queries etc.regarding the rental scheme.Again,I think it will be far more advantageous to discuss this with them direct rather than speculate from afar.

I know some of you still have doubts about our investment,but I have yet to hear them expressed as fully  from anyone who's actually been out to have a look.Most of the feedback from those who HAVE been out  there has been of a much more positive nature,and I am happy to add to that overall impression from my own experience this week. 

I believe our patience will eventually be rewarded.

Hi all, Jetdog from Fairways.

Has anyone seen a copy of the insurance policy that is supposed to underwrite the guaranteed rental scheme? Amongst other things, it is supposed to cover rental income if the rental company goes bust.

Also does anyone know of anybody who has signed for one of the rental schemes?

Hi, Jeff from ME23 here,

If anybody is on the verge of putting down their first deposit for furniture, I have a half-paid furniture pack for sale. It's for a 1 bed apartment and 50% deposit has been paid (€4000). The remaining 50% would need to be paid on delivery and I would sell the order to anybody interested for €3000 or nearest offer, saving you at least €1000

If anybody is interested please PM me and I will start arrangements with Margaret to switch the order

Thankyou Vikki.

Great stuff Vikki

Hi All

I have just posted this on the ME23 forum page but am listing it here also for anyone who has not yet signed up to that community forum on EOS.

In response to Hosilverlinings post yesterday(on ME23 forum), has anyone reading, who is a purchaser in Phase 2 at ME23, had the gas connected to their apartment yet or made arrangements for aircon installation. Has anyone actually stayed in ME23 yet?

VRawlinsons post, on the Medina Golf forum yesterday, made mention that the ME23 community was up and running and that Gaspar Lino was interim President, has anyone been advised of this by Peninsula or had any information from them about the development recently?

Waiting to hear from you!!

By the way i totally agree that 3 months is a reasonable period to get things ironed out but we are now almost 5 months since completion and no nearer knowing when we can occupy our apartment or when it will if ever be rented!!

Hi sjh and others

Just to say that I was conscious when posting (and probably should have made mention of the fact) that all the info I was imparting was based on what I had been told by reps of Peninsula and Royal Executive on my visits to the site this year. I'm not presenting it as gospel, or fact, but I am simply passing on what I have been led to believe. So dont blame the messenger! LOL!

I have said all along on this forum that if people really want to find out info there is no substitute for speaking directly to  Peninsula and RE but that i would pass on via the forum andything i have found out, being in the fortunate position to be able to have visited the site about 10 times since signing up.

Just on another point though people appeared to be staying at Medina 23 when i visited and i note that seagull has said the same thing. That doesnt correlate with what you have said about being 5 months on etc....Although perhaps some people completed before others?

Anyway i will continue to pass on what i'm told but if you dont think it is true then post back as i think its really useful to iron it out between us on the site as well as get info from the Powers That Be.

vik

Hopefully buyers like me in Tee 17 have had completion dates etc today for first five blocks.If not,contact Sharon at Pen.

Thanks to Vicky for other info..........there were indeed people sun-bathing by the pool in Medina 23 when we visited earlier this week.As I posted previously,we didn't have a rep to talk to on site that day,so can't add any more to that.......

Peter

A bit late I know, but here's an update for you.

I visited ME23 in September and spoke with both MC & Gaspar Lino.

MC is totally and outstandingly incompetant and not surprisingly no longer in  the picture.... The successor may not be any better as we still have not been issued with guarenteed rental contracts despite the newsletter, and having taken posession of our apartment in January enough time has elapsed surely to sort out problems?

Beware of the level of 'spin' generated by the sales office and false reassurances - only 'trust' what is put in writing and proven to you. This industry is a past master at inflated promises and positive stroking and relies you you being generally a compliant and absent investor.

Despite several advance warnings of our arrival this is what we found:-

• No gas connected [8 months after completion, and still not connected now in December!] so no hot water, no ability to check the central heating.
• Apartment poorly prepared or cleaned. MC was called & brought round a contractor to make a better stab at it.
• Furniture installed but no inventory list [still not recieved]
• Kitchen equipment stacked unopened in boxes which when installed was found to be the wrong stuff.
• No air con.
• Not one lift commissioned [and we checked them all - several shafts are full of builders waste]
• Indoor pool area locked down - no access
• Garage & store rooms uncleaned or decorated.
• Security gates all open [no power  & no security staff]
• Clubhouse not operational - appeared the same as when we visited 12 months ago
• Poor external render being explained away as 'rustic'
• Only the family of the site 'handy man' employed by Gaspar to continue 'snagging' appear to be resident. If there were others they were not in evidence the 3 days we were there.
• No garden as part of our ground floor apartment! this most alarming!

Saw Gaspar as he was shmoosing another Fairways client - he has no intention of fitting aircon despite still advertising that the apartments come with it as standard [he splits hairs by suggesting that he only speced the conduiting, he needs to re read his own advertising]

He will exchange the apartment to one with a garden - but at OUR EXPENSE hah!

He claims he had no knowledge of the gas not being connected & he would sort it--- 3 months on & still no gas!

He says the lifts are not commissioned because of lack of power??? wot??

He said he would be replacing MC & Royal Pen, which he has, but to what effect we will wait and see.

He said he is NOT the Intrim President of ME23 he still ownes 2/3 of the apartments, so is maintaining the pool, gardens etc as it's in his interests if he wants to sell.

He's unhappy with the forums - well what a surprise?

We got our lawyer to address the issues above, and, as he put it, Gaspar is unwilling to resolve these issues in a friendly manor - ergo - go to court.

I'm going out to check things again & try the skiing soon, so  if anyone wants me to check things for them, or pass on messages let me know.

Happy New Year sjh (your updates are really great) 

Hi to everyone on the forum and a happy new year. 

We completed on our 3 bed property back in March, signed up for the Guaranteed Rental in March, paid our furniture fee in April.

So far not only do we have no furniture, aparently MC seems to have missed off her list the fact we had paid over 15000 Euros to Royal Peninsula, we also have not had a penny in income.

Steve Hindley who is now sorting out the mess, was very surprised when he called us to explain what was happening just before Christmas. Steve wanted to know what we were doing about the furniture for our apartment! 

Well after sening him prooof of the money transfers, he has assured us that Peninsula will make sure we have furniture etc we have paid for.

Steve also said they would have new Guananteed Rental contracts ready early in January. After hearing nothing I called him again only to be told that Variable Cntracts are available to sign, but the Guaranteed Rentals are still not available, his reason being that the site has to have some sort of tourist classification done on it?

I did not really understand this, but agreed to speak to him again this coming week, as we want use of our apartment in March.Does anyone else know anything about this clasification for the develpment holding up the contracts?

Why would it only affect the Guanranteed Rentals?

Any thoughts or ideas welcome please.

REDS

Maybe in 3 years time you might find out.

with regards to the comercial centre that has not been started yet!  Can someone please tell me where you stand if you sign the contract for completion when the build is only 95% complete?

Under law will it ever have to be finished once you/we sign?  Or as its in the initial contract is is guaranteed?

Thanks, Roy

Dont complete until all facilities are there and working.  Once you have completed you may be left high and dry like our friends on ME23.

Hello everyone,

Last weekend I visited Medina Elvira with another client.  We met Steve Hindley and took plenty of photos of most of the developments.

I wasn't able to download the photos here so they are on this page:

http://cid-7f7a8054051f6525.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Medina%20Golf%20Mar%202010

News from the site then:

• As a Medina Golf purchaser I was very disappointed.  There doesn't seem to have been much progress in the last 6 months.
• The finish standards were quite poor and at the moment I would say that without a huge workforce the Habitation Licience is at least 6 months away.
• Some piping has been delivered which Steve said would be to take the sewerage away from the site although works on this has not yet started.
• We found no sign of your riding school Jetdog (I was looking forward to some good photos).  Steve Hindley didn't even know where it was but said it was built years ago.
• The club house is quite impressive and everything seems to work.
• The landscaping is terrible everywhere.  I would be shocked if I were a tourist.  Much of this has been delayed by such a wet winter.
• The electric pilon is an eyesore.  Steve said it would be moved but a Spanish employee on site said that would be extremely unlikely as there isn't any money for it.
• There is very little security at the moment.
• The 12 villas will not be built.
• ME23 looked OK.  Paint had been damaged by the rain, lifts definately didn't work but in general it looked fine.  What Peninsula really need is for other clients to move here and complete.
• If enough clients complete here then perhaps the new rental program will be able to operate.  Steve said this will operate at 4% guaranteed rental and give access to your own apartment for 2 weeks a year for 50 euro a week.
• Peninsula can and have been offerering ME23 apartments at a discount due to people losing deposits and not completing after the licence of occupation has been issued.
• Although Peninsula are not aparently related to Nadasol (the builders in administration for Medina Golf) they can still cancel your PPC with them and move you to ME23 or another development.

Sorry if this is a bit harsh in places but I think being direct is best.  The site with the pictures is public so anyone can coment I think.  A lot of people on this forum seem to be in the dark with things so I recomment that you also take the trip.  Don't expect lunch or even a coffee though.  Steve Hindley was very good to meet us and seems to be the only person genuinely interested in making progress here but I dont think he exactly has the cash to splash.

I stayed at Fuengirola and have to say that talking to the locals the Costas are certainly suffering.  I met an estate agent who was closing his business and cleaning out the shop.  He stated that although clearly no one was buying, very few people were willing or able to sell at lower prices hence he sold up before going bust.  Steve said that prices in Granada were holding up and that good valuations wouldn't be a problem on our properties.  I think people there are living in a dream and that by the end of 2010 things will be in a desperate state in Spain but we will see.  At least Granada should be more protected than the costas from any further downturn anyway as building has been more limited.

I agree with Steve that the most important thing for the development is the commercial centre.  Without this there is no future to the development.  I wish the developers would also realise this and concentrate their efforts in that area.  Perhaps then the site may come alive and people could realistically live there.

The site still has the potential that I saw in 2006.  Perhaps less residential properties and more care over what is there now should be going on to realise this though.

I'll sign off before you all fall asleep now and get back to my ironing LOL.