| The Comments |
Well done Audrey, I've been clapping my hands reading your email and then horrified when I read that you think that the water money has gone to pay the caretaker and presidents salaries. What happened to the main bulk of your community fees?
If only you had filmed it for prosperity their faces were an absolute picture !!! and our finances would then have been sewn up completely between three people, who are either related or are in business together !!!
I should imagine gobsmacked would be the only way to explain the expressions on their faces 
It was well worth the wait to hear it all, hope you manage to get it all sorted out and find the next president and vice president. Although I don't think they are going to be too far away, no prizes for guessing who everyone is going to vote for
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Truly inspirational, Audrey you are a star and an example to all of us what can be achieved. We have big problems on our community and trying to raise interest has seemed an impossible task, but your success has fired me up again to try. Here's hoping your community now goes from strength to strength which it surely will with you around. Well done and best of luck in the future.
Poppyseed.
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Poppyseed
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Audrey
Congratulations! What a fantastic job you have done. Many communities would love to have you around. Good luck for the future, hope everything settles down & the community flourishes.
Eileen
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Well done Audrey and the rest of your supporters, as we said right at the start, its all in the planning.
It never ceases to amaze me that these type of people think they can get away with anything, and just dont cover their backs, which is a good lesson for a lot of other communities to follow, then by resigning they believe they are being holier than thow - these people need to get on and live with their neighbours not have people thinking they are stealing from them. - Remember this - Keep everything FINANCIAL as transparent as possible and no cheque can be signed by anyone that is also the payee or related to the payee!!!!! - IMPLEMENT THAT AND IT REMOVES A LOT OF CORRUPTION POSSIBILITIES, ESPECIALLY IF A FURTHER PERSON IS SIGNING OFF THE INVOICE FOR PAYMENT.
So it looks like you will now need a new presidente, think long and hard about this one, it needs a strong personality that can stand all the s**t that goes with it.
Its a simple rule for presidente - they are the good cop and the administrator is the bad cop" - after all thats what they are paid to do.
Have a think about this, on our committee that supports our president, people take on different responsibilities to help run a community "many hands make light work" is certainly true in this case.
Responsibilities can include
Community maintenace - week to week checks on what needs maintaining, compilation and tick off on a "wish/things to do list"
Community communications - notice boards, emails, website, newsletter
Gardener, Pool & Cleaner responsibility - checking that they are there on time and completing the work on a "things to do list"
Treasurer - working with the secretatry to Double check invoices received for the community are correct and to the quotes received
Maintenace man- is there someone on the community that can do small jobs ie change ligh bulbs, touch up marks on stairwell walls, pay them somehow for 16 hours a month @ 10euro's an hour - it saves on all the call out charges from electricians!!!!
Quote getter - Hopefully a Spanish speaking person that can request quotes to compare against the recommendations of the administrators people, who will be paying the administrator or president a % commission
If you can get a team together that can sort the running of the community out, it leaves the president to be the "nice and helpful" person that answers all the residents complaints and renters problems that will come your way, dont forget that when there is a problem on the complex at least 20% of the owners or renters will communicate the problem to you, which isnt much fun if its a power cut or a gate failure at 2am!!!!
I mentioned above the wish list/things to do list.
We found that this was a great place to start on putting the community and complex back together.
The whole committee allocated 3 hours to wander around the complex and listed every problem we could find and every improvement that we believed we would like to see happen to improve the facilities and "wow factor" on the community, this could be from a complete repaint of the buildings to 10 extra sunbeds or an extra plant in a flowerbed, put them all on a list and then give the team a copy and ask them to number each item with either a 1,2,or 3 - 1 being most urgent and 2, & 3 being in the 2 and 3 year plans to get things right. - if budget allows your 2 & 3 year projects will get done faster!!
When you have the teams completed lists back you will get a good feeling of where things sit in the importance stakes and then you can compile a short term plan and a long term strategy for the community. IMPORTANTLY - If this is then communicated to all owners you get everyone onside and supporting what the team are doing, there will always be complainers....but, let them have a chat with the president while the team steamroller on!!!!
Having a wish list also gives you the opportunity to communicate reguarly what is being achieved, which keeps owners happy. By seeing what you can improve on immediately shows the difference you are making, it may just be 100 euros worth of colourful bedding plants at the main gate, but it makes an immediate impact and shows things are changing for the better!!
Well done again on the hard work you put in,
If its possible to send me a private message i'll send you my email address as i would really like a copy of the "ongoing proxy vote form " as i wasnt aware this could be done and it would be a great benefit to our community i know.
hope to read the next installment soon. .
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Ian Cook - Golf Gardens Miraflores - The best place to live on the Costa del Sol
"A day without sunshine is like.................night"
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Thank you Semi ………..I can just imagine you alternating between clapping and being horrified !!!! 
What has happened to the bulk of our community fees ? Good question to which I don’t yet know the answer !! It will be very interesting to find out !! Once Jose “gets his teeth” in to the accounts we will have a far better idea of what has been going on!
Thank you Poppyseed ……………my word, praise indeed !……..thank you ma’am !! 
I found the best way to raise interest was to find out as many email addresses of owners as possible, then create a simple website with features on all the community concerns, with an added forum for everyone to chip in with their opinions, then email everyone and tell them about it !! Worked like a charm for me ! Food for thought for you mebbe ??? www.freewebs.com do completely free websites and hosting and they really are very easy to do………….if I can do it, anyone can !!! You go for it gal !!!
Thank you Eileen………..once again, praise indeed ………..and much appreciated !!!
Thank you Ian .............for the epistle !!!!!!!! Some more sensible and valid advice which I will definitely take on board, and I really appreciate the time you took to do all that ! I have PM’d you and will be glad to email you the permanent proxy form. Makes a pleasant change for me to be able to help you out !!!!
Not a great deal to report , only that I've spent the last two days catching up on six weeks worth of neglected chores due to the "Community Campaign" !! Not to mention getting ready for family visitors who arrive on Wednesday, haven't seen them for 18 months so my next problem will be terminal jaw-ache plus the odd hang-over no doubt!
The only relevant thing is that the outgoing President instructed the maintenance man to close the pool this morning ........AFTER he had filled it up  .............they had a blazing row about it !  ................despite serious eaves-dropping  I couldn't follow the conversation as it was conducted at 100kph !! Anyway, talk about totally over the top !!............the pool is now surrounded by old tatty wooden posts of varying shape and size with red and white striped plastic tape tied between posts..............it's hideously unsightly, reminiscent of a crime scene and a delightful view from my lounge window !!!! 
 
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Audrey - try to think positive, if they thought they have been clever by acting in this way then it will back fire on them because it is a crime scene. If the adminstration had been run properly then the pool would have been repaired years ago. Anyone looking at the tape will realise who is to blame for this. Just think how everyone will feel once they know that it will opened and will stay open for the required length of time stated in your community rules.
Keep everyone informed of the latest information through your website. Even if it's nothing to inform and the reason why.
You have done a lot to get everyone working together as a community, there could be some who might want to sabotage this. The last thing you want is to have Chinese whispers going around.
Your website is perfect as it gives out information in English and Spanish and goes a long way in keeping people informed.
Do you have a notice board by the pool which could be used as well as a information area for the residents.
Hope you enjoy your visitors  , what a welcome break after your hectic time recently.
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Everything has gone pear-shaped !!
Our newly elected Secretary-Administrator Jose attended his arranged appointment at the office of the out-voted Asesoria yesterday (Tuesday) and was told that the handover had to be completed by "the boss" but he would not be there until tomorrow ( Wednesday, today) !! When he attended there again today, he was told ......"Oh I'm sorry, I made a mistake, it is next Wednesday that the boss will be back " !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If that were not enough, Jose has been carefully negotiating with La Presidenta, who keeps saying she is resigning but has not yet done so, to call another EGM ...................so that new officials can be elected, a proper 2008 budget can be set, the issue of the water and the maintenance man can be addressed etc etc. Eventually she agrees to call an EGM. Jose gets a copy of the notice calling a meeting and guess what ...................no elections are on the notice................and....................the last item on the agenda, normally questions and answers/any other business. is a statement saying that discussion of any matter not listed in the Agenda is not allowed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so damned angry that, right now, I can't say any more !!!!!!!!!!!...................know you'll understand !
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Can you call your own alternative EGM? I'm spitting feathers for you. Good luck.
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Poppyseed
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Audrey - Sorry to hear of the latest problems but in a way I'm not surprised by it. The assesoria and out going president are obviously colluding together in a last minute ditch to scupper things for Jose.
See it for what it is, a childish outburst and a if I ignore it it will go away.
Well it won't, Jose will get everything sorted eventually, he's probably encountered these "dirty tricks" before and patience will prevail.
You also have a weapon that you can use effectively. You have emails adds and your website. If you have the time write a weekly newsletter of the latest situation. Even the "no progress and the reason why" will keep the momentum going. Email to inform when you've unpdated with latest news, hopefully then people will start to look at website regularly. Encourage them to also add to website so others can see what's going on, get the community to act like a community and you're in a win/win situation.
Keep your chin up gal, you have our support and we don't live there!
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I agree with Semi. You succeeded in getting so much positive support initially. Those same supporters will share your anger and frustration when they read about it on the website. Keep them INFORMED and INVOLVED. Jose will persist and prevail, and eventually popular opinion will too. They can't hold out indefinitely to the detriment of the majority, so don't let the b*ggers get you down. Not only will they lose in the end, they will do so without their pride or dignity in tact.
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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Thank you Poppyseed, Semi and Roberto ! Your support and encouragement keeps me going
Having chucked my toys out of my pram, generally thrown a wobbly etc etc..........I've come out of my corner fighting once again..........further encouraged by my visiting family, especially my daughter who is one stroppy mare just like her mum !!!!!!!!
Jose does not seem that concerned about all these stalling tactics by the President and the owner of the Asesoria (who are brother and sister!!!), so why should I be !!!??? After all, he's the Administrator,not me, and he seems to have had experience of every dirty trick in the book !! So, having emailed all the owners with a message from Jose telling them what is going on, not to worry and to be patient, and having updated my website with the same message, I'm just gonna sit back and wait and see what happens next Wednesday.
Yes, Poppyseed, we are going to call another EGM ourselves and arrangements are now in hand for that !
Next instalment as soon as it happens !!!
Audrey
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OMG Audrey - Brother and Sister  ...........I think that says it all doesn't it, two peas in a pod..........Is Moises a relative too?
It's been a week now, what's happening on the water front, hope the extra 50e hasn't gone into any account that they manage.
Do you still have water?
Looks like you've picked a winner in Jose so sit back and chill with your family.
Can't wait for the next instalment, this is better than a soap. You could write a book on it and make a fortune or sell it to the TV.
It's a saga that no one would believe except for the fact that you are living it.
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Talking of water, for anyone who followed and remembers the saga of our flooding garage - the first heavy rain for months fell Wednesday night, and yes, the garage flooded as usual! Sorry if you don't know the story; if you search for my old articles titled A Year In the Life of the President, or rummage through the threads on this message board, you can find it all there.
Anyway, we (the administrator at the request of the new president at my "suggestion") rang the water board this morning to ask them to come and clean the muck that has been left behind in the garage after the water subsided - yes, this time the water at least did drain away! We are awaiting a response. Meanwhile, much to our surprise, a water board truck has just turned up to clean the garden of the building opposite, which is also below street level and apparently suffered the same fate as our garage. I popped over to ask the guys if they were coming to us next, to which they responded that they knew nothing about our request. We shall have to wait until Monday now to see if they do come to us.
All fun and games!
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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Next instalment !!!!
Much better news today folks
La Presidenta has now formally resigned in writing !!!!............and yes, I've seen a copy of it.......so I believe it !!
She was also encouraged/persuaded/whatever by Jose in to calling an EGM on the 26th September with the agenda that we wanted ......i.e. elections of new officials, setting a budget that we can afford, firing the maintenance man etc etc !!!!!!! So that saves us all the work involved in calling our own EGM and also means that it will be quicker !!
I feel tons better now that's happened............also, now she has resigned, there's not a lot of point in the old Asesoria holding out and being awkward any longer when it comes to the handover to Jose on Wednesday !!!
Happy bunny today !!!!!!!  
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Well at last she's seen sense, congratulations to all involved and I hope the next stage in successful.
Just need to vote for a new president, vice and secretary. I wonder who's name is going to be pulled out of the hat first 
all round I think
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I dread to think Semi !!!!!!!
Next instalment !!
The anticipated hand-over from the old Asesoria actually took place today as arranged !! (not without incident which I daren't relate on a public forum!!)
So now Jose can really get cracking !!!
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I'm flying out to Spain early Sunday 28th so I'll probably miss your next report of the EGM.
Don't think I need a crystal ball to find out who's elected, as my Nan use to say, I'm not mentioning any names but watch my eyes
She used to have the same expression as well, so here's looking at you kid.
I'll have some catching up to do on my return in middle of October. At least all your news should be good now that Jose is in charge.
I read a post recently from someone in Fuerteventura who wanted advice for their community, it was written on the similar lines to yours so I immediately thought you could give some advice. Then I read the date it was posted and as was their first post, they obviously gave up and went else where.
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Just read the whole thread from start to finish. What a story! It was like a great book that you can't put down waiting for the next twist or turn, Well done Audrey and best of luck. You deserve it.
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For Semi................you have a lovely break, hope you enjoy it and you can play catch-up when you come back
As far as the elections are concerned, it really doesn't matter anything like as much as it did ..............because we have a totally honest Secretary-Administrator in Jose who puts "his owners" first ...........and if anyone, shall we say ,"dodgy" happens to get elected they'll have no chance of achieving anything untoward with him in charge of the purse strings !!!
Yes, I've been asked by English and Spanish owners if I will stand as President. I think the fact that I have somehow, not sure quite how, managed to get rid of the "us and them" syndrome and united all together is persuading me to have a bash ..........I'd hate to see the present unity disappear !!!! So...............we shall see !! Mi espanol es no muy bueno...........and that may well be my downfall I suspect !!
After much searching, I found that old post from the guy in Fuerte with similar problems, so I've PM'd him and offered to help !!
For jj1111................so glad you enjoyed the saga so far !!! I expect there are many who wouldn't actually believe it !!! .......but hey this is Fuerte !!!!! Thanks so much for your good wishes, much appreciated !
Don't anticipate having any further instalments until after the EGM on the 26th.............but you never know !!!
Take care all
Audrey
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Audrey - Oops sorry about that, you should have PM'd and I'd have found it for you. Your pm may not get through as this person only posted once. If you go into FORUM HELP there's a thread labled Justin, help required please regarding PM's for new members. Might be worthwhile posting there or sending Justin a PM so that the message gets through.
In an ideal world, you need a Spanish Vice President but if yours is like most communities in Spain, everyone knows how the community should be run but no one wants to volunteer to do the work.
I'd suggest posting a weekly newsletter as there is going to be so much going on at the beginning and when things get sorted it can change into a monthly one.
You may not speak Spanish but you didn't just sit there moaning about the situation, you found a way tosort it out and I'm sure the majority are very grateful to you.
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