Dear All
Just back from Condado
Whilst out, I had a couple of meeting with RPM about the Budget. The first thing to mention is Victoria and her college are NOT just working 2 days a week they inform me they work every weekday and don’t know how the rumour they are only working part time has come about.
That said from the information Victoria has given me they are having no more success in getting answers from PW than the rest of us. This gives me very little faith in RPM’s ability to properly administer our community if they are not able to successfully communicate with PW, we need a stronger independent company to do this.
Thank to the Association Condado de Alhama and others for the work they have done for all at Condado the costs are coming down.
I am not able to attend the meeting on the 16th May, but I have given my vote to someone from my Jardin who is going to the meeting, I suggest you all do the same but don’t give the vote to RPM or PW to act for you as they will I believe vote in there own interests.
I have asked that my vote be used to vote down the budget. My reason for this is: The way the budget is divided up:
2 bed apartment on Jardin 5 paying 71 euros per month (good)
2 bed apartment on Jardin 1 paying 93 euros per month (Bad)
3 bed apartment on Jardin 3 paying 90 euros per month (good)
3 bed apartment on Jardin 1 paying 113 euros per month (Bad)
2 bed apartment on Naranjos Jardin 3 paying 73 euros per month (good)
2 bed apartment on Naranjos Jardin 1 paying 93 euroes per month (Bad)
3 bed apartment on Naranjos Jardin 3 paying 94 euros per month (good)
3 bed apartment on Naranjos Jardin 4 paying 112 euroes per month (Bad)
This is in my opinion not fair and must be changed. All properties of similar size have a similar coefficient value and are receiving the same services, so should pay similar amount in charges. However the way the individual gardens and penthouses blocks have been apportioned there part of the budget, this has had the affect of unequally distributing the cost, thus making some pay more and some pay less than others for the same provision. It has been suggested that this can now only be changed if all agree and as those that have benefited from this will not vote for change success is not possible. I am not convinced that this is correct; I think and hope that if PW have wrongly apportioned the budget than surely there must be a way of appealing this decision through the court if necessary. If not the winners will always be winners and the others will always be loser’s and the double whammy will be that this will also affect the value of your property as properties with lower community charge will probably sell for more in the future.
Villa Jana’s
My other areas of concern is the contribution the Villa Jana’s are providing to Condado, firstly who are the Villa Jana’s part of the budget being paid to Alhama Jardins or Naranjos Jardins? RPM have said to me verbally they are contributing to Alhama Jardins but went on to say this makes no difference as the common services are shared by all, but this is not correct, as the way PW have apportioned the budget is to separate out Naranjos and Jardins as separate budgeted areas and have applied a budget for each one.
So at the end of the financial year when they look at actual cost for each area Naranjos will have used more services and more wear and tear costs on its facilities as the Villa Jana’s are in the Naranjos area of Condado but they will have contributed to the Alhama Jardins budget, and correspondingly Alhama Jardins will have use less for the same reason but are benefiting from receiving the money. And going forward this will have the affect of increasing the costs to Naranjos area without benefiting from this money in its budget. That said I see nothing in the budget provided to us showing that Villa Jana’s are contributing anything to the budget? These are completed properties so the owners or PW should be contributing. And whilst I am on this issue we have NO information showing us any contribution is being paid to the community by PW for all the other completed but unsold properties on Condado.
Outer Ring Road
Who has controlling interest in this road, if it is not Condado Owners than why are we paying for it?
Who is all the car parking for which makes up more than 50% of the outer ring road area and who has the controlling interest in this? If this is not Condado Owners what contribution is being provided for the upkeep of this area by those that do? If Condardo Owners do pay for this area (Road and Car parking) then we should be able to gain revenue from it such as car parking charges for any future golf events to help pay for its maintenance.
Condado Security
We are paying for security that is almost none existent despite numerous people’s complaints, the staffs on the gates pay little or no attention to who comes and goes. Over the last ten days I have drove though the gate on at least 10 occasion were the barrier has been up and no one has been in the security lodge. Most of the time the number plate recognition system isn’t working not that I can see the point of it anyway.
I would suggest that one gate is staffed 24/7 – 365 days a year for visitors and deliveries to report to and gain authorisation to enter the resort for which a proper protocol should be provided and implemented. And all other gates have an electronic entry system for the convenience of owners and residents, The cost of modification could be recovered from the reduction in gate security staff required now and later and this would provide much better security than we presently have. For those who are renting out properties a system of issuing electronic swipe cards to open the gates could be issued which would stop working after the end of their authorised stay at the resort, just like hotels do with room cards, so no worries about getting cards back from renters.
Phil