SJ are disgraceful

Any one in any doubt about how unscrupulous SJ are read the latest news at  www.pinetmr9.blogspot.com

What a mess the good people of El Pinet are having to sort out for themselves .SJ have not kept their side of the bargain and have left residents high and dry . Residents have put up with a building site for nearly 5 years is this just reward for their patience and support of SJ .

Couldn't agree with you more!!

I have taken everything SJ have (or havn't said) with a very large pinch of the local salt!

One day it will be a beautiful development.  This is only if the correct maintenance and construction procedures are moved into place as a matter of urgency.

I know that a committee has been formed, and I personally feel that a united front must be shown from all owners at El Pinet, whether they live there permenantly or only use their property as a holiday home.

VIVA EL PINET !!!

I agree with the previous two comments.

If it wasn't for the state of things in El Pinet we would be out there all the time.

Probably like many others, I feel frustrated that I am not out there permenantly to try to assist the committee.  I am going to try and be a little more proactive if I can, starting with asking the comittee at El Pinet if there is anything I can do this end, i.e. helping to add to or maintain databases of property owners etc.

Also, I would really like to learn how, on completed developments, the committees work.  Such as gathering costs information and issuing contracts to maintenance companies for the upkeep of the pools.  What the legal / insurance requirements are to ensure our pool areas etc are maintained to a safe and legal level etc etc.  I don't know whether the comittee has gone to the stage of this, but I think it may be time to see if this needs to be done.

I am hopefully going to get some contact details and start getting in touch with people to see what stage we are at.

How are the other SJ developments fairing?

Yes, I think this is something that needs to be looked into. I understand some people have records of email address which my be a start.

I guess its because not all of the residence have paid but there needs to be someone retained for general repairs and pool maintenace.

Perhapes there will be more interest when we have habitation certificates?

It would appear there are a substantial number of owners who have made no financial contribution whatsover towards the continuing supply of water and electricity.

I understand this includes some people  who still continue to visit or rent out their properties. They are therefore being subsidised by those of us who have paid. 

We all know it should be San Jose's responsibility but until the matter is resolved we must all share any costs involved to keep the developement going.

The Committee are doing a fantastic job under very difficult circumstances and need the backing of all of us.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse it appears that on the 20th May Iberdrola once again cut off the supply of electricity to the apartments due to non payment of the bill by San Jose.

Unfortunately this time we have no water as they have also cut off the supply to the underground garages which feed the pumps.

Not only is this a disgrace it surely effects the Health and Safety of those living there.

I understand the Committee are endeavouring to speak to the Administators and are considering what futher action can be taken.

This message was last edited by Vagabond on 21/05/2009.

Unfortunately this is a no win situation as it is illegal to live or let out properties at Pinet or any development without a habitation license. Our lawyer was keen for us to complete without the license but i am glad that we did not heed her advice. It is not illegal to own the property but i think some lawyers are giving very bad advice as if no one completed before the habitation license was issued then it makes sense that things would get finished. Completing on the property and lining the pockets of some unscrupulous builders means that they end up walking away without a care for anyone but themselves!

FAR

Then maybe there is a case for suing our lawyers, Elche town hall, San Jose, etc because why would anyone buy a property they cannot use?  We are dependent on the good advice of these people and it is not acceptable for them to say our properties are LEGAL if we cannot live in them. 

Our understanding is that under Spanish Law the developers are obliged to provide water and electric until habitation certificates are issued.  This is a contradiction in itself because if no-one is supposed to live in them, why would they need to supply water and electric?

We are going to lobby our UK local MP re our Human Rights and also our MEPs in view of the Auken Report and if everyone in Spain who is caught up in this situation was to do the same, maybe we could get something done.

Unfortunately, this does not solve our immediate problem, but we all need to keep lobbying as we have all been conned into investing a lot of money into Spain and  have suffered a substantial financial loss. 

Does anyone know whether there is a situation where the pool at the apartments is still being maintained or whether it is like the one at M8 which apparently shut.

Is it also true that each section is now responsible for arranging for and paying for its own water deliveries, or is this still being dealt with by the committee

If the committee has taken the decision to leave it to each section to arrange for its own water as a result of many people not making their agreed contribution, would there be any possibilty of somehow identifying the non payers and then make arrangements with the administrators to cut of their own individual supplies, therefore allowing those who have the decency to pay, to have what they deserve.

If this is not possible, then why not use the figures which the committe have to identify and shame those properties which have paid nothing, especially if any of them are residents. I assume that they could identify them given that they could create a graph showing the number of properties in each section, the amount paid and the amount of non payers.

Failing this, let's hope that the suspected news in the other post comes to fruition.

psbhoy

I understand where you are coming from it is unfair that some are contributing when some are not however it must be remembered that what San Jose are doing  is illegal and many have been advised by their lawyers not to pay , some are  in the process of litigation against SJ for the lack of licences,infrastructure and amenities .People in this situation are very unlikely to want to pay anything  more for houses and apartments that they can not use or rent out legally .They are only acting on the advice of their lawyers and would be foolish to ignore it . Regards MM

MM

I know what you are saying. It's a bit of a catch 22. The main problem I am trying to seek a solution to is general water supply, electricity and pools. I realise that there are a variety of types of owners in El Pinet...some permanent, some with permanent rentals, some with summer seasonal rentals and some who only stay for a few weeks a year. I only get out a couple of times a year and generally have a few families in during the summer, however I am more than happy to pay for certain services, despite the continuous ongoing problems, after all, we have paid nothing for 5 years+.

My thoughts are that in spite of the SJ problems, financially and otherwise, we really need to try and make the best of the situation. I might be being cynical, but I would hazard a guess that those who are not willing to make the requested payments to date are more than likely those who are not overly inconvenienced by having no water or power during the summer months.   

I have just sent an e-mail to a couple of the committee members to ask if they know who is arranging for the maintenance of the pool at M2 , which is apparantly the only pool now in use, as I would be happy to contribute ot their costs.

I have also just noticed a piece of news on the El Pinet blog stating that a meeting is taking place this Wednesday to discuss further payments to SJ.

Hopefully something more positive may come out of this meeting, and that we won't be faced with a situation where the sections of El Pinet with higher occupancy and higher payees find themselves with more comforts than those in other sections......simply because many choose not to make required and reasonable payments.

Ever the optimist!!

psbhoy ,lets hope there is a solution to all this soon to allow residents and visitors to enjoy El Pinet this summer . It is a worry if the pools go without proper maintenance for any length of time and it would be in everyone's interest to sort this out quickly but as usual some not all will be left to pick up the cost. Lets hope the expected news that FAR mentioned on the other thread offers some hope  for the future and some clarity as to what steps need to be taken to keep everything ticking over for the summer at least  . 

Many properties although finished are in limbo as the purchasers have been advised not to complete until the licences are in place the question is who should pay for them They are still technically SJ's responsibility as purchasers are unable to complete .Obviously these properties are not using water or electric ( but neither are many completed on properties as owners don't want to rent or use them until things are less like a building site ) but if pool maintenance costs become an issue surely SJ are responsible for the costs of the properties that are technically still owned by them   .

It really annoys me that SJ never seem to take any responsibility for this and are leaving  everyone else to sort out  their mess .Most of this mess is due to SJ's mis management of  funds (deposits ,staged payments, etc) , sheer greed and bad decisions . I would like them to at least acknowledge the misery and anguish they have caused for so many .I am not sure the 5+ years of free utilities is adequate compensation for the anxiety and worry for those living or trying to rent on a building site for 5+ years . Not to mention those who have been unable to complete with vast amounts of money handed over in deposits and staged payments where is that money now it should have been ring fenced for completion of the development if this had been done in accordance with the law  the money would be there to complete El Pinet and we wouldn't be in this mess now  . Regards MM