Anyone a member of The National Trust ?

We have just had some friends come back off their holiday at our apartment.  The one big question they asked me was "Why do you have a security guard house, with barriers, when they are ever down, and no one ever stopped them to ask if they were holiday guests or residents"  Everytime they went past, they made a point of looking to see if they took a registration number, or logged the amount of vehicles going onto the complex, but they neve did, they just waved. 

I have read several blogs where people are saying the complex is being used by outside people to walk their dogs and using the swimming pools etc.  With crime on some of the complexes around does it not make sence to monitor the use of the complex,  what are we paying them for.   When we were over there earlier this year, we sat on our balcony until the very late hours of the morning with our friends drinking, and we never saw a security guard come around in his vehicale.  It is only since our friends came back, that we sat down and thought about the security.  It has never bothered me before.  In England we live in the countryside and get are used to the quiertness, but why have the guard house?  What is their purpose?

We have some friends who have an apartment in Banus, and they have their own gated commmunity.  If you are a visitor you have to check in at the guard house, and they take the vehicle registration number and the apartment you are visiting etc.   They are very professional, and if you are new to the complex, they will even give you directions on how to find that apartment.  It seems to work very well.

Our friends took some photograps of the complex, as it is sometime since we have been over, I think it looks great.

 

I have experienced a pretty strong security presence not just around the complex but also at the exit for Las Chapas just off the A7 and at Openkor in the late evenings.  Their presence gives me a sense of security and is off putting to any would be intruders.  It is low key and balanced.  I don't think they would be expected to approach people in the complex unless they are acting suspiciously.  That might be a bit heavy handed.

I'm back from spending my second holiday in the complex and I have to say I am very happy with how it is shaping up.  My only gripe is that some of the private gardens attached to the ground apartments are not being tended to - at all.  What a pity as it detracts from the beauty and serenity of the place.  Some people still seem to be sitting on the fence as regards completing but it's a shame the rest of the community have to suffer these eyesores in the meantime.  As owners we all have a responsibility for the upkeep of the complex not just those of us who have completed.   

 

I live in another complex in Los Monteros.  Nobody but nobody will pass the security barrier before being questioned by the Security Guard.  The barrier remains down until He/She is satisfied as to the persons business in the community.  This includes Taxis. All registration numbers are taken........I mean ALL.  Day and Night.  There is also night security within the complex.

I think the security at La Reserva is very very poor.  I was never stoped or asked who I was or if I was a resident.  I feel anyone can enter La Reserva. Do we pay for security that just sits there and wave or read a book as I have observed.  La reserva has a long ways to go and i think I am going to sell my apartments whatever I get for them.  It is a far cry from what I expected...poor security, dog poo, barking dogs. unmaintained private gardens, littered grounds outside, gates to apartment blocks either broken or left open.

La reserva does not compare well to other developements Im sorry to say. I thought things would improve but its very little improvement. Im also told that prices are slipping fast and maybe property prices here may nosedive.  I dont know whether to beleive this or not I fear negative equity from talking to people out there.

Has anyone any observations on this and is it true that banks are looking again at valuations.

Do we not pay something ridiculous for this security via the master community - could be wrong but its something like 250000 euros across all the communities pro rata?

And i'll bet ten euros that the security comapny is either part of pennoraya or belongs to a cousin, husband, brother, sister etc of our dear developer - (as per all the other comunity contracts)

 

 

Thanks for your information.........250,000.00 euro........250,000.00 for that.  If this is true we all need to waken up.  This is a staggering amount of money. 

I don't agree with your sentiment on the complex Goonan.  I bought there a year ago and I'm very happy with the area and I think it compares favourably with other complex's I have seen.  The position with prices etc. is a symptom of the market down there at the moment but I have not seen any evidence of prices nosediving as you say. If anything the market has levelled off but I can see how investors like yourself might be a bit miffed at not having made the large profits you expected to make when you bought your apartment initially.  Really what La Reserva needs is committment from its genuine residents to look after their property's, tend to the gardens, keep their terraces tidy, pay their community fees on time etc. Very often it's the people that don't do this who are the ones that come on to the forum moaning and whinging about the look of the place and the raw deal they got.

 

 

Question to kenny e & James123........

bcstrachan & goonans post's are a bit disturbing.

 What is your opinion of the money we pay for security?

What do you think about the performance of the security? 

You have both said that you have several properties, what do you see on current values?

Where do you see values when the licenses are eventually granted? If 18000 licenses are issued next year won't we  see a nosedive in prices?

 Back to bcstrachan post  where he states "that you know who has an involvement in every contract," I heard from more than one source that the administrators are partly owned by a husband married to a you know who and also I believe there are other part owners conected to you know who.  Can you confirm this?

 If not who exactly who are the owners? I remember a guy at the meeting in Jul 06 asked about ownership regarding the administrators and the auditors. You know who got very upset it seemed to strike a nerve.

Sorry to fire these questions at you guys but these are questions that disturb me and you guys seem to know so much about what is going on. With all thats gone on with being deliverred a flawed product e.g. no license these issues need to be ironed out. Thank you in advance.

I WOULD LIKE TO AGREE WITH SEABURY. We have just had two weeks at our appartment in block 7. The guards go round at night , came back late and saw a guard walking around the inner sanctum of block 7. If you are a family or a couple in a car they  look but don't stop you, but we have seen vans and trades people stopped. The security didn't allow our furniture van in till we faxed aletter from england so i must say i believe we do have security but perhaps not as tight as others. Perhaps everyone should be stopped at the gate, with the bar kept down. However there is a back road from the Hacienda's Las chapas onto the top round about.

If you look at the new town plan they are going to build a road conecting la reserva from the top roundabout linking to the motorway and from the midlle roundabout down passed manzana 4 across the valley. this would bypass the security gate so we should be complaining about that idea. this road may never be built but we need kenny e to go and have a say.

If 18000 licences our issued its up to market forces. they are still building around cappino golf and i can see the whole valley covered. We spoke to one estate agent who said that the germans and french are coming back, so in time the prices will be ok. pennoyra is asking 350,000 euros for appartment on ground floor under our appartment and a roof apppartment for 430,000 euros.

there are so many people in far worse situations than our development, i believe given time things will be ok.

ps please appreciate the yellow curb stones going up the hill, they were painted by hand under the mid day sun.

This message was last edited by jamesyvonne on 8/20/2007.

Phase two can never be made totally secure as there is a Spanish Right of Way in the areas from the top roundabout along to the hill opposite block 6.
That is the reason no fence hase been errected on that side of the road. There is a road leading down to a small farm. From the ajoining land there is access to other roads one which goes under the motorway. There is entry to the site at the top roundabout, the security vehicle is parked there quite a lot, but here again I believe there is a right of way issue, one of the farmers regularly grazes his sheep in the valley, and some responsible dog owners from our complex, excersise their dogs there instead of in the street (You Know Who You Are) Do we really want the complex to be like a prison camp. People like Goonan who obviously are not intending to reside here should "sell up and sod off" and leave the rest of us to enjoy. Where did bstrachan get his figures from ?

The gate was down when I came in one night last week and I have seen it down several times at night.A lot of the responsibility for security falls on the owners and how they educate (if they do) their guests or (customers). Gates and block doors are constantly left open do that kids can go to the Loo without the parents having to take them.

In Block 1, one family decided that their car battery was flat, so they started up their gas guzzler and left it running in the underground car park fot three hours. I have seen families with glasses and bottles of wine round the swimming pool.

Well thats enough Keep Smiling

No not a prison camp but rather security for a communty who pays for security. 

I did not think it was a condition when I bought my apartments that I should be a resident. 

People get so upset when you speak the truth.  Ya,I think i will sod off for myself.....glasses round the pools and car left running in the car park .....I think you are agreeing with me..........its not satisfactory..........enjoy yourself in La Reserva.

No not a prison camp but rather security for a communty who pays for security. 

I did not think it was a condition when I bought my apartments that I should be a resident. 

People get so upset when you speak the truth.  Ya,I think i will sod off for myself.....glasses round the pools and car left running in the car park .....I think you are agreeing with me..........its not satisfactory..........enjoy yourself in La Reserva.

Seabury4.

Please note i did not say that property prices have nosedived. What i said was I was told that property prices may nosedive and that i did not know whether to beleive this or not.

I wish you would read and understand what I said in my message and not take it out of context.

Please remember that I was one of the hopeful ones for la Reserva and completed on my properties.  However my hope is slowly fading and that is my oponion and there is no need for anyone to get upset.

Also with regard to making a large amount of quick money this is more of it again...assumptions...assumptions.

Please note that in placing my apartments on the market and speaking to a very good estate agent I am going to loose money on what I paid for 4 years ago approx allowing of course for estate agent fees and solicitors fees etc.

These are the FACTS.  You dont like to hear this, I dont like to hear this.

So why sell you may ask, the reason is simple i Fear prices may drop even further. Read the experts views on property prices on the internet with regard to the property forecast in the costa del sol.

I will not be posting again on La Reserva as I feel there are some people who jump when you express an oponion or deliver on information one has heard. They seem to get angry........very angry.......sod off......I find that funny.  But where will I sod off to I ask. There is a place in the west of Ireland called Blacksod, its very remote. I will sod off there and live in the wild atlantic weather....storm and rain everyday. Who know if I buy there I might make a quick fortune in a year or 2 or maybe sell before completion and make even more. What a laugh!

I hope everything works out for everyone in La Reserva at the end of the day. I really do. By By.

The security amount quoted is near the figure agreed by the presidents of all Manzanas who were present in the Master Community AGM (I have been told only one Manzana president did not attend, although I have not seen the minutes) and was agreed by all present after a lengthy and detailed discussion and explanation from the master community president.  The amount, as with all figures agreed in any budget, are based on previous years amounts and sometimes include extra amounts for improvements within the sector; in this case security. 

LIP security is one of the most professional security companies on the Costa del Sol and only employ fully qualified (and therefore fully insured) personnel as security guards.  This important qualification whilst being more expensive to employ, would be priceless in any event of an incident within the development, including any undercover checks by the Police.  The company that were employed before LIP were far less professional and guards were regularly found to be sleeping, if they could be found at all.  Burglaries were high under the previous company too - a problem which thankfully appears to have been irradicated since LIP took over.

Also within the security budget set for this year is an extra amount set for the installation of extra security cameras all around the development.  This one-off extra amount will prove an extra deterent to burglars and could save money in the long-term on security guards. 

Importantly, as with any budget, amounts are just estimates and the amount actually spent in any sector this year could well be far less than agreed at AGM.  Hopefully this will be the case with the security budget even after the cameras have been installed.

Regarding owners who are drawing comparisons between developments, I would be most interested in learning of the community fees being paid in other developments, the number of dwellings and the annual figures agreed for such things as security. 

Some forum members who have an axe to grind are heavilly in arrears on their community fee payments and should therefore be largely ignored, as they are contributing to the very same problems of which they complain.

This message was last edited by kenny e on 8/22/2007.

thanks Kenny , I couldnt find my minutes. I cant recall who is in charge of the master community, you might know. The fact that it was agreed by all the communitiy presidents is certainly agreeable provided all those individuals are indeed independent. This certainly wasnt the case in our community at outset sadly to our detriment. Luckily we have things well on track now.

 

 

As all Manzana´s have now held an AGM and had presidents (re) elected, it is clear that the majority of owners must be happy with the progress and understand the decisions that are being made by their respective presidents, vice-presidents and legal administrators that they have democratically selected.  The presidents of Manzana´s in which I own, I have found to be positive, helpful, open and honest and I for one appreciate their hard (unpaid) work which is helping to secure my investments, financially and physically, at the very lowest cost possible in these rather more challenging times.

I'm glad to hear that you are happy with the presidential experience.

Having experienced a president who turned out to be Ana Penoraya's husband (nice man, but clearly had alternative agenda to that of the community), administrators who failed to account properly, I'm glad that things are starting to level out for everyone.

for the first tow years our president (ana's hubby) was re- elected as was the adminsitrators, but that was more to do with block voting by the builder not the wishes of the sitting residents. Only when we caught wind of the extent of the controlling influence did we manage to cut the ties and move forward. This isn't quite as easy when the builder controls large numbers of flats, or owners arent aware of alternative.

what fun - its like a cheesey soap opera - at least its been a good summer for owners and guests a like.

I still think la Reserva is a top place and long may it stay so!

It is obvious that any development, anywhere on Earth, is likely to have initially elected people of trust in key positions to ensure sustainance and growth of the developers huge investments therein and indeed that of their fellow investors and customers thereafter.  Election of presidents etc is required by law to be made on completion of build before sale.  What did you expect the developer to do at the very beginning - appoint complete strangers?

If your suggestion of bias was remotely correct then surely there would have been at least one owner voting against the proposals made at their AGM.  This year, not one owner opposed any proposal at any of the AGMs that I have an interest in, including all proposed budgets (including security), the (re)election of presidents, vice-presidents and administrators.

Hopefully your happiness will soon reach a level at which you will be able to move on from the past that you choose to write of so cynically.

This message was last edited by kenny e on 8/25/2007.

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Just to remark that someone/persons from  Manzana 3 Bloque 5 or 6 seems hell bent on keeping the security gate open.

We have witnessed paper stuffed into the sensor, the gates removed!! and the latest last week, the electrics control box had been smashed and wires cut.

Anyone too lazy to get out of the car with the key can purchase an automatic fob which also works on the garage doors.

What is the problem with people when they can't adhere to the security rules in place to protect their property ie. leaving small garage doors open the small locked gate alongside the security gate and even the white entrance doors to apartments.

No disrespect ,but I suspect the culprits of all this are tenants, anyone paying the community charges to cover the security aspect would surely be using the security provided.

I think it would be a good idea for owners who rent out to display a copy of the Community rules within the apartment or to inform clients in advance. Another rule which is broken is the hanging of towels/sheets over the walls/railings on terraces.

Again no disrespect but this is not a holiday complex in Benidorm, but a private  urbanisation with residents living and working there.

Every time the maintenance people are called out to repair this gate we are paying for it. I have heard that more security cameras are going to be installed near entrance points, and I suspect that will be only the answer to put off these mindless vandals.

 

 

 

are you talking about the gates at the top of the hill as you drive out the car park. we saw tissue stuffed in the sensors when we were out in august, i removed it. the next day i saw a little girl stuff more tissue into the sensor then jump into the car to drive off, she looked english alas. i removed this tissue again. i had asked about auotomatic door closers on the gates but not heard anything yet

I have been away for a while, but now I am back.

I have been reading all the posts in order to be updated and my surprise has been that I was reading a soap opera, a TV Show..... I think this forum is to help all the owners in La Reserva de Marbella and I was dissapointed to read all those personal comments. I would really appreciate if nobody makes those kind of comments and we simply talk about La Reserva de Marbella.

I have a few questions:

1- When Is the tennis court going to be built?

2- It is really dangerous to drive down la Reserva with all those cars parked in the curves. Is there any way to solve this problem?

3- Do the Security Guards have a list of all the owners' cars and names?

Thank you in advance for any help