Landscape issues etc. from an imposter

Expatica - Health
Post reply   Start new thread
New - Old :: Old - New

Pages: 1 |

Casares del Sol forum threads
The Comments
29 May 2007 12:00 AM by kenhendry Star rating. 6 forum posts Send private message

Hi to all at Casares del Sol. I have an apartment at Majestic Hills just down the road from you all and I am just back home in Scotland after attending our first AGM 1 year after we, as a community, took over the running of our development. I have read with interest about your continuing problems with your development and would like you to know you are not alone.

 I have spent much of my 25 years in business doing all forms of contract landscaping and I thought I would go up and have a look around and maybe give you my views. My experience is with works in a more temperate climate but there are certain requirements for successful landscape works, no matter where you are in the world. The first and most important principle is that you have to create an environment where the plants, including grass, which are not indigenous to the area will survive and flourish. This means covering planted areas with a minimum of 100mm, preferably more, of good quality topsoil, high in organic matter. This sadly has not been done and what is growing around your estate are plants (weeds) capable of surviving in poorer conditions. We have been trying to finish our landscape works on our estate over the last 12 months and this was an issue we resolved at an early stage.

 The trees that have been planted with you, are for the moment surviving. A large number have been poorly staked resulting in them growing at various angles to the verticle. More importantly these trees will eventually die as trees have to be tied securely to allow new fibrous root to develop, which will eventually support them. The constant rocking in the wind causes a bowl to form under the root ball which fills with water and rots the roots.

  The shrub borders which have been planted up are also into poor soil. The plants will take a long time to establish and are already suffering from competition from weed types which thrive in this type of environment.

  I am pleased that you are soon to have your first owners meeting and take over the running of your complex. Your battle then, as it was ours, will be to persuade the developers to give you what was promised in their glossy brochures. I think I read a while ago something about 'top quality apartments nestling in sub- tropical gardens'. This can be a reality but only if the necessary materials are in place to allow the gardens to grow.

  We have been fortunate at Majestic Hills to have had a very capable President supported by a committed secretarary and 'money chaser' backed up by a couple of others of us who have seen the project forward over the last year. If I had a pound for every e-mail and phone call we have received from disgruntled residents wanting to sue for this or that, I would be a very wealthy man. These people can write and  complain for ever and a day but when it comes to doing something about it they will be found wanting. What you will need are a few un-selfish souls who will give of their time and energy for the greater good. I know we have all paid our money and we should get exactly what we paid for but sometimes this doesn't work out. The decision we came to, to get heavily involved has led us to be very close to getting our dream homes and so far we have not had to ask the community at large for an extra sum to finish. We felt it far more important to work with the developer through his problems and try and get as much as we could before ( I think) he went bust.

  The bigger picture is we have all bought homes in an area which is rapidly developing and which we feel in a few years time will be a highly sought after area. Better to work with and finish than spend the next couple of years living in an un-finished complex and trailing everthing through the courts.

  I apologise to anyone if you feel it is rude of me to comment on things at your complex. I just wanted you to have knowledge of our experiences and to say that we have been fighting for a long time but are seeing the end in site. I wish you all well in the future. 

 




Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

29 May 2007 9:22 PM by ef Star rating in Oxfordshire / Casare.... 150 forum posts Send private message

Thank you for that helpful and time consuming post. It is good to know that our site is not alone in it's problems, and I'm sure there will be times when our two sites may need to co-operate over various matters. I actually didn't realise that your apartments had been handed over to you, I thought the builder went bust before that happened.


Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

29 May 2007 9:29 PM by normansands Star rating in Kent. 1281 forum posts Send private message

First class, reality when it is most needed. I trust the owners will respond.

Was the actual build trouble free?

Regards

Norman



_______________________
N. Sands


Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

29 May 2007 9:31 PM by kenhendry Star rating. 6 forum posts Send private message

Majestic Gardens, which is right next door to you have still to take over as a community and have, I gather, all sorts of major and costly issues to resolve. We are the 11 blocks below this and completed 18 months ago and formed our community 6 months later. The owner of Majestic has allegedly moved into mining in Siberia!!


Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

29 May 2007 9:38 PM by kenhendry Star rating. 6 forum posts Send private message

We had a long list of problems, from leaking pools to damp in some garden apartments to lifts not working etc,etc and we concentrated on these items at an early stage and got them sorted. I cannot stress enough about working with the developer. Our president spent long hours at the developers office waiting to see the owner and getting him actively involved with the day to day items on site


Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

29 May 2007 9:58 PM by noddy Star rating. 150 forum posts Send private message

thnks for your input.

landscaping costs can be expensive but not prohibitive.

a shortage of topsoil appears to be the major problem. i dont feel my apartment has any major snagging problems, touch wood!.if one sits and waits for hope the developer will act i think we are mistaken. if noney is taken from cleasning steps and interlaken pay their full share i am sure we can have good gardens.

i hope the people in pm2 are sucessful in the agenda requests at next months agm as this will set a procedure for all other agms.

i took a view to complete so i can enjoy some holidays. lifes too short to get bitter and twisted lets just work together to get a nice enviroment to live or holiday in.

i appreciate other peoples views but we all have different aspirations and plans for the future.

noddy




Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

29 May 2007 11:55 PM by ef Star rating in Oxfordshire / Casare.... 150 forum posts Send private message

Sorry kenhendry, I didn't realise there was another Majestic site nearby, that makes sense. I couldn't understand where the Gardens might be on the Majestic Gardens site, given that the pool is only half built!! It would be interesting to see your site now, if you are 6-12 months ahead of us, and had similar problems. I shall take a stroll next time we're there and hopefully come away feeling positive!! who is / was your Administrator? Were they helpful in sorting out the issues?


Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

30 May 2007 12:53 AM by nbk8r17 Star rating. 35 forum posts Send private message

Emma,

The Majestic development in front of ours, is I believe split into 3 i.e. Majestic Hills, Majestic Gardens and Majestic Village ??? Kenhendry will probably be able to clarify 




Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

30 May 2007 8:58 AM by kenhendry Star rating. 6 forum posts Send private message

Administrators were GAEMU,S.L.who are based in Sabinillas and have resposibility for 48 urbanisations. Tel 952891150. They have been excellent and we had no problem with appointing them for another year. Next to your site with the unfinished pools is Majestic Gardens. To the left are a number of partly finished villas which is Majestic Villas. Over the hill on the steep slope is where Majestic Village was to be and below that is Majestic Hills. We understand that the land which was to have been Majestic Village has been sold and the new owners have been given a deadline of July to commence construction or refund the deposits already paid. I think the 'village' site was sold out off plan.


Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

30 May 2007 10:21 AM by ef Star rating in Oxfordshire / Casare.... 150 forum posts Send private message

kenhendry, I have heard that Gaemu are good from other sources. Did they help you / the president with getting the communal snagging etc sorted out. I guess if you re-appointed them then that answers the question, really.


Like 0

Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know

Pages: 1 |
Post reply   Start new thread


Previous Threads

Polaris World - Happy Experiences?!? - 0 posts
Water Deposit? - 6 posts
baby car seats - 83 posts
Buying Tax Free - 0 posts
BBQ to England - 2 posts
GOATS BUTTER - 2 posts
Car Insurance - 21 posts
Grupo Suite - 0 posts
Spanish Bars & Spanish restaurants in Orhiuela Costa - 0 posts
Musician looking for work - 1 posts
Fishing Tackle Shop - 2 posts
PMs - An apology - 2 posts
site office contact details please urgent - 3 posts
Management and Rentals - 2 posts
NEXT delivers to Spain for 15€ ! - 2 posts
What happens when it all goes wrong? - 4 posts
Underground Bins & current bins - 2 posts
ACC a no go area - 23 posts
Gay B&B - 3 posts
i need a long term let - 15 posts
Siting of bins - 3 posts
area of sotogrande - 0 posts
Glasses for kids - 0 posts
Transfer Tax - 11 posts
Bank repossessions - 9 posts

10 posts were found:


1 |
Our Weekly Email Digest
Name:
Email:


This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More information here. x