shop space needed in costa del sol area.

Hi Again

As we were about to leave DV, we picked up a copy of Andalucia Life News (we now wish we hadn't).  This is the February issue and I thought 'd better let you all know about the article entitled Burglaries and this reads as follows "It was too good to last.  Domestic house burglaries have started again.  During January Duquesa Village was a crime hot spot with a number of houses being broken into.  Entry was generally through the rear patio doors and property stolen included cash, electrical equipment, computers, and also a diabetic blood monitor."

Hi Ann,

I saw this in And. Life when we were there in February, and I went onto the And. Life web site and forwarded the article to Gerardo Caballero.

We are not alone, we have a friend in an urbanisation just off the road up to Casares and they have had many buglaries on there site. There was a TV programme in the UK  in the last 2 weeks about problems and there seems to be people that move along from site to site. 

This message was last edited by manilvajl on 3/4/2008.

I am also talking with people from coto real who are having similar problems.

 

john

Just been informed that my apartment in block 8 has been burgled again on 6th March, and my long term tenants have left to go to a safer urbanisation. I have now lost 2 long term tenants with the same problem in just 7 months.

I have written to Gerardo Caballero saying I want my money back as I was sold it as a safe investment. I know its unlikely that they will help, but I beleive if enough people ask for their money back even though they have no intention of giving up their apartment they may take security more seriously.

Jeff

sorry to hear this ...its clear that RyF and us need positive action now. A secure entrance , a list of all residents, CCTV and thats just for starters!!  let us know his response...caqn you email me the details ,,  when, how etc??

Am really sorry and concerned to hear that, Jeff.  What has to happen before AEA step up the security at DV??  Why can't they, to start with,  just put 24/7 security at the entrance and take details of all those entering the site?

Jeff,

We are so sorry to hear about your break in, especially when we know the hard work you put in adding extra security measures after the first time.  It also sad that this has caused you to lose your tenants yet again.  I know we all keep saying it, but something really has to be done and soon!  We must use the AGM next week to force AEA to take this seriously.

How did they break in this time?  Was it via the front door or via the patio doors?

Maybe we should create a new page on the wetpaint site, where people can detail what they have done to secure their apartment?  Hopefully, between us all, we will come up with lots of tips/hints.

Sorry again Jeff.  Hope to see you and Greta again soon.

Regards

Michelle & Alex.

I don't have all the details yet except that it was through the patio doors again, I do not know if the tenant bolted the addition locks. I will have to inspect when I get there to see any damage etc.

We are in Ecuador at present for my 60th and return on Friday when I will phone my agent. I am not out till April so will miss the AGM.

However 2 important things.

1. The agents now don't want to touch DV for lets - its not just my agent.

Apparently somebody in one of the above flats told my tenant that its the second time my apartment had been burgled and that DV is not safe - so thats why they left.

2. It has to be someone on site as they always know which apartments to target. We need to involve the police directly. My agent has a copy of the police report. We need a list of all sold apartments and full time occupied.

John I will send details as soon as I have them.

Jeff

I agree with your thoughts about responsibility. Don't let it spoil your holiday though if thats possible.

Just had some thoughts about this . It seems to me that the low life who are doing this are on site ie somebody living there, bulider , gardner or cleaner.

And if it isn't any of the staff then why have they never seen anything and reported it. We are all asking for security in the day but with gardners and cleaners around surely they should have seen something...unless !!! 

We need AEA to vet the the people and firms employed and inform them that if one of their employees is found to be the culprit they will be black listed acoross the region.

 

Hi Jeff

So sorry to hear about your break-in.  Especially after all the hard work you've done regarding security.  It's really not good enough that we're sold these apartments on the basis that we get 24 hour security and then we are left totally on our own with people wandering around the site and not being challenged.  Let's hope that RyF now do something about the security on our site.  After staying in Marina de la Duquesa and being told that we'd have 24 hour security on our site, we bought with confidence but this is now sadly lacking and we feel let down and are going to email RyF and copy in AEA.  We've been lucky enough to never have a break-in in the UK and didn't think for a minute that DV would be so lacking in security.  This is now a real concern.

Hi Jeff

Sorry to hear about your break in this is very worrying indeed, in our veiw this issue is more important than any other topics at the present and should be at the top of the agenda. Have to agree with all of  john's comments. The AEA should make it known to all gardeners, cleaners, and all contractors egaged on site that no one is above suspicion, further more we must all insist at the AGM that full security at the entrance of DV  must be provided regardless of cost.

 

Kind Regards to all

Chris & Chris

Really sorry to hear about the second break in Jeff. I agree- we need a gated entrance and more security and checks on staff and contractors.

In the light of the experience  of existing owners  if I  had not completed my purchase I would certainly  be asking RfY  some serious and challenging questions/
I might even consider that   the large number of break-ins  was sufficient justification  to  ask (and get) for my deposit back in full.

So if you are reading this and you've not completed you purchase you might want to investigate this matter and advise your solicitor accordingly.
Especially if you were considering  buying on the basis of 'buy to let'.  BEWARE.

It may be another 12 months before the community of owners   sort out the mess that  RfY  has created.
Lets face it  FyF does not care a hoot how many  breakins we have  as long as they keep selling.
And any prospective buyers  (the few remaining on the dried up market )  are not going to be aware that DV is subject to a high incidence of break-ins.

Incidentally does anyone know what the official price list for DV looks like today?

Paul

So sorry to learn of your latest news Jeff.  Please try to not let this incidence spoil your celebrations for your 60th.  Sorry that you wont be in Spain for the AGM but hope to meet up again shortly.

Regards M

Hi Jeff and Greta

 

Sorry to hear about your recent break in. To think that I was in my apartment alone at the weekend 8th/9th gives me the shivers! 

I think we should put pressure on RyF to admit to the design faults, especially to ground floor apartment with easy entry access considering inadequate locks etc, and to get them to install security grills to ground floor apartments or security gates at the entrance to the Blocks.  Surely this gesture of goodwill from RyF would appease exisiting disgruntle and potential owners.

If Agents are warning potential tenants away from DV, maybe we should utilise DV owners with property management interests to promote DV for holiday and long term renters as they have a vested interest in the development.

 

 

Hi Everyone

The worrying thing is that there are obviously more burglaries happening than are mentioned on this site so we don't know the full extent of break-ins.  We were shocked to read in the Andalucia Life (see start of this thread) that DV had been the target for burglaries in January as there was no mention about this on EoS.  I wonder if the Manilva police department have a full list of the break-ins that could be put before the AGM to back up our demand for full gated security.

Hi,

 

I have just been out to Spain after completing and myself and my husband walked around DV to have a good look around we walked past the security guard unchallenged.  He was not to know we are staying there.  We passed him again later and he was sat in  the back of his car and did not look like he was keeping the place secure.  More like chilling out listening to the radio.  We walked past the cabin at the top too late at night and the guy there just let us walk in.  So they are still not taking security seriously at all.

I have a copy of the police report following my second break in, and have spoken to my agent today.

The break in was Thursday March 6th in the afternoon before 6.15 PM. Most breakins so far have been Thursday or Fridays in the afternoon. Additional details please for the list I have up to December 2007. 

They took :-

A 32 inch pasma flat screen TV - yes 32 inch and they are not light - so at least 2 people

Laptop, money, phone and MP3 player. All items belonged to my tenants.

Access was via back terrace and patio door, I had extra locks on opening doors in the middle and these are still intact, and I think I know how they opened one of the doors I had fixed closed. (I will not publish this here in case they are a reader)

Now some addition thoughts:-

1. As far as I can tell almost all break ins are in long term lets or owner occupied apartments. Therefore we are being watched. As a long term let or full time residents there is a chance they are working and therefore movements in and out each day for work becomes a routine that they (the thieves) can observe.  ie out at 0900 back at 1800 etc.

If there are any other break ins since mid December 2007 can I please have the details to add to my list, I intend to go to Manilva police with alist mid April with or with out the President.

2. As the patio doors can be so easily opened which should try and get RyF to fund the aquision and fitting of secure patio locks and a grill for the front doors.

3. If the security guard that we pay for does not stop us to check who we are lets get AEA to either sack the company or the individual. Lets get the individual replaced until they understand what the job is on security.

Can somebody please raise these issues at the AGM.

This message was last edited by manilvajl on 3/24/2008.

Jeff, again, so sorry to hear about your burglary.

Correct me if I am wrong, and I think I have raised this before, but as far as I am aware the security issue at the moment is that we don't have 24 hour security!!!  The guy who is there during the day (and, as I said, feel free to put me right) is there for the builders/developers to ensure the security of materials - NOT the site security (the one we pay for), who I believe does a ten or twelve hour shift overnight only.  Maybe this is something that should be clarified at the AGM.

My whole point is that we should have 24 hour security - especially in view of these burglaries all happening during the day!!  And, we should have 24/7 anyway - and I'm sure every owner would agree to that.

It does sound like it could actually be someone renting there long-term or at least some person/people who is/are being advised by someone who is regularly onsite as to which apartments are occupied - and who also knows that security is non-existent during the day!

We should press for 24/7 security, with barriers and checks - and RyF should deal with the gated issue: keep the access road as a dead end and gate up the development.  I recall even the gate to the beach from the pool area in Marina de la Duquesa was guarded and nobody would get in without a key!

Needs must!

Edited to say:  And maybe owners who have rented long-term should be obliged by the community to provide details of those tenants - because even long term tenants can be involved in this and can easily transport the "booty" out of the site without query!  Just another paranoid thought!!!



This message was last edited by Pitby on 3/24/2008.

Ann,

DV does have security in addition to the man at the gate, who you may be right in thinking is mostly protecting the building material.

In Dec/Jan I noticed a uniformed guard postioned around the site keeping watch on apartments.  He was there for many hours of the day.
His vantage was such that Jeff's apartment (from the back) was highly visible to him.

It would suggest that guards are insufficient.

You may be correct that either current or maybe past tenants are responsible for some of the incidents.   I have a particularly bunch in mind that
were there for six months over the summer.  To my knowledge they are no longer renting in DV but they do know the site well.

Unless we have good CTV about the place  plus gated access we will have to resort to making the more vulnerable ground floor apartments more secure.
Unfortunately this may result in the splendid visual character of DV being degenerated to some extent.  But what choice do we have when many of the owners
rent  to longer term tenants and the high rate of break-ins continue to be experienced?

Gating won't solve it.  Security guards are expensive and we will never be able to afford enough.  We don't have CTV around the place.  So security bars are have to be the immediate
resolution.  Sad but true.

Paul