| The Comments |
Audrey,
I kind of thought your Spanish was pretty good, 'cos you knocked out that website in both English and Spanish so quickly. Who did the translation (or checked yours)? Maybe you can persuade them to get on board as your deputy? But obviously Jose speaks English, so with him assisting, I'm sure you can handle it. And as I suspect that you are someone who always looks for the positive aspect of a situation, why not just see it as an excellent opportunity to improve your Spanish? You'll be surprised how quickly you learn to tell people to ********** in fluent Spanish!
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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 Great news, will be checking for the update on 27th, hope I don't miss it. 
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Hi Audrey,
The link you gave for English to Spanish translating, goes to a Spanish newspaper.
Can you check it's right please?
I have always used Google for English to Spanish, but Spanish friends have laughed at the way it translates!
I would be interested in using the one you recommend.
Thanks,
Edited as it IS the correct link, but it took ages to load, hence I clicked on the banner which took me to the news page!
Apologies Audrey and everyone!!!This message was last edited by FibbyUK on 9/22/2008.
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FibbyUK
One off fee to pay your own La Renta tax (210 Form)
Check out my website:
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A good way to test any translator is to copy and paste a bit of Spanish text, then translate to English and see how long you laugh for at the result 
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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Audrey, I'm chewing my fingers off here waiting to hear how your EGM went !!!!!
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Poppyseed
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Awwwwww bless you Poppyseed !!! 
There's loads I need to post up for you all, but I just can't do it right now ! Why not ? Cos I have a hangover !!!! (There's a clue there, somewhere!!!!)
So bare bones for now ok !!??
1. I am now the President of our Community !!!! 
2. My bi-lingual Spanish lady is Vice-President
3. Second Vice-President is a sound, full of common sense, doesn't mince his words, English near neighbour
4. Jose's new budget approved unanimously
5. Moises' dismissal approved unanimously
6. My first Presidential duty was to sign Moises' dismissal letter for Jose to deliver this morning !
Basically, we walked it ......................and the unity of Spanish and English was exactly the same as it was at the last meeting!
And now ...............it's bad head pills and a siesta for me !!!! 
Have a great weekend everyone cos I sure am !!!!
Audrey
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 Well done Audrey have been watching this with interest, just shows it can be done. President now hope all your problems will be little ones  WELL DONE. Take care have a drink on us Pat
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Well done!! Hope the community appreciate all you have done for them.
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Looks like I'll have a lot of catching up to do on my return then
Hope you feel better soon, I'm going to be taking my cold out with me to Spain, I should fit in with the weather  The only drinks I'll be having for the next couple of days will be lemsip max.
Must sort out some internet access out there as I do miss it, normally takes me a couple of days to stop twitching.
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 Audrey is President as we all knew she would be so
Hi Semi, have a safe trip, see you & Julia on 9th. Just got home as we got caught up in Thursday's London radar problem. Couldn't leave till last night.This message was last edited by morerosado on 9/27/2008.
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Hi audrey congratulations on getting to be president great news irene
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Absolutely bloody marvellous !!!!!!! I feel really proud for you.
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Poppyseed
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I hope we're going to get regular updates Audrey. This is better than a TV soap!
Additionally, as our community is a mess, we're learning from you, so any pearls of wisdom are welcome!!
Irene & Alan
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Well...................what can I say !!??
Thank you all so very much for all your congratulations, kind remarks, pats on the back etc etc !! I had no idea so many folks were following the thread 
I just haven't had time for a more detailed post cos Jose's had me running around like a headless chicken and by evening I've just been to darn tired for lenghty posting !!! Well, I am getting on a bit !!!
So.......................a bit more detail then.................
The EGM last Friday was very well attended and what a complete difference with Jose in charge !! There was actually proper order and business was conducted in a totally civilised manner instead of the usual total chaos that we are all accustomed too !!! And the secret is very simple ......it's in the translation set-up !! Instead of a huge chunk of Spanish, during which the English got fed up and talked amongst themselves, followed by a huge chunk of English, during which the Spanish got fed up and talked amongst themselves, which meant that no-one could hear what they wanted to/were meant to listen to, Jose did it in Spanish and English, one sentence at a time !!!!! It worked like a charm, no-one had time to get fed up, everyone was paying attention waiting for the sentence in their own language, consequently all the time that Jose was speaking there was complete silence !!! Never been known before in the history of Community meetings !!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a very long meeting, 7.30 till 10.45 and there was not one argument all evening !!!
Minutes of last meeting approved unanimously.
Then it's the elections...............I'm a bit nervous but not as bad as I thought I'd be !! I said I would like to be President and no-one else wanted to stand, much to my surprise !! At this point, up jumps the previous Vice-President who was never ever elected, armed with his proxy vote for the ex-President who didn't have the guts to show her face, and proceeds to have a right pop at me about my lack of Spanish (which I was expecting!) and how could I possibly be President when I couldn't even speak Spanish properly etc etc etc. Then a Brit owner leaps angrily to her feet and says that the previous President didn't speak English, did absolutely nothing about anything and that's why the Community was such a mess and that I had done more to help the WHOLE community in three months than ex-P had done in five years !!!!!!!! Jose was having none of it and said there is only one candidate, it is simple, you either vote for or against the candidate!! Ex V-P subsided like a popped balloon !! I asked permission to address the meeting, which was given, and made my ready translated little speech in Spanish and English, one sentence at a time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ex V-P's face was a bloody picture, he clearly wanted the floor to open up and swallow him!!!! Speech over! Big round of applause !!!! Then the vote...............everyone voted for me except the Ex V-P, the Ex-P by proxy and the Ex V-P's next door neighbour !!!!!!!........................and, having pinched myself a couple of times I joined Jose at the "management" table at the front !!!!
Elections for the two Vice-Presidents went on without hitch and they were both unanimous votes.
Then came the question of firing the maintenance man..................this was struggling a bit ...........and so it was suggested that we did the new budget first and then had the vote afterwards. Good thinking and all agreed!
The budget......................oh my God !!!! This item alone took well over an hour as Jose was determined that EVERYBODY should understand EVERYTHING regarding the total financial mess we are in !! He explained absolutely everything simply but in great detail. By the time he had finished, everyone was totally aware the we had averted complete financial doom by the skin of our teeth!!!! Ways of raising money were discussed, a bank loan was out cos no-one was brave enough to stand as guarantor, an extra payment was agreed unanimously (surprisingly considered we'd had one agreed extra payment at the meeting three weeks ago!) and then Jose offered a discount to anyone volunteering to pay a year's fees in advance. We had four takers at the meeting and a couple more since ! Lifesaver !! This meant that he could actually reduce the amount of the extra payment that he had asked for previously, so that went down well !! ( Suffice it to say that the minutes of this meeting are seven pages long, and most of it is budget!!!!)
Then came Any Other Business..............
As I had said I didn't want a Presidential salary, it was agreed unanimously that there would be no presidential salary in the future !!! Nice one !
It was agreed with only one vote against to fire the maintenance man.
It was agreed unanimously to take all debtors in excess of 200 euros to Court.
It was agreed unanimously for Jose to negotiate with the water company for us all to have individual water bills, instead of one bill for the whole complex.
It was agreed unanimously to turn the water off for four hours on Monday morning for further meter testing.
Jose further reported that he had already negotiated a settlement,by post-dated cheques, with the maintenance man's union lawyer. Also that he had negotiated with the water company the repayment of the entire water debt over a nine month period, which means no more risk of being cut off, cos the repayments are ones that we can afford !
All missions accomplished and meeting closed by one exhausted Jose at 10.45!!
Celebrations were then in order and Jose and hub discovered their mutual fondness for Scotch !!!!! I think I eventually got to bed about 4.00am and somehow during that time I'd managed to make a Chilli !!!????? Dunno how, must have been on auto-pilot !!!
That was Friday................
Saturday morning, maintenance man was fired !!! Yippee !!! 28,000 euros a year saved, just like that !! Long discussions with Jose about what we needed to do muy pronto !
Sunday..........enough...............hub and I went to the beach !!!
Monday...............turned off all the owners water supply for four hours........to check the main meter to see if it was moving, then we'd know if we still had a leak, since the pool is closed and the irrigations system was off ! After regular checks for four hours, joy oh joy, the meter hadn't moved !!! Owner's water turned back on ! Proof postive that we needed...............the only leak we have is from the swimming pool and we have already determined that this was coming from the underwater lights, cos the water level has not moved at all since it fell below the level of the lights !!!! Previous management were unable to sort this out in seven years, despite a two year pool closure in the past and a large extra payment for the repair !!!!! Jose's sorted it in three weeks !!! Previous management recently got quotes for the pool repair for 30,000 euros, basically digging it up and starting again !!!! Jose has a quote for complete waterproofing of lights and all pool surfaces for 5,000 euros !!!!!
Tuesday..............hauled off to the Community's bank by Jose to complete the necessary paperwork to be a signatory of the Community's bank account, also got all the access codes for internet banking The rest of the day flew by doing thank you emails to supporting proxy voters, to the year in advance fee payers, and helping Jose with the English translation of the minutes!
Wednesday...........got off light today.................only had to sign nine post-dated cheques for the water company and sign the minutes ready for Jose to send out to all the owners.
There ya go folks, all up-to-date as promised !!!
Once again I will say..................without the support, advice and encouragement from EOS ...............I would never have started this, let alone achieved it .....................so yes, it does prove it can be done !!!! Thanks a million to you all !!!
Although I'm still a comparative newcomer here, I'm more than happy to help anyone else in the same boat ! Take note Irene and Alan and please feel free to PM me, or even start your own thread !!!
Take care all
This message was last edited by On a mission ! on 10/2/2008.
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Wow Audrey, what a posting. 
I can go to bed a very happy woman for reading all of your achievements.
You are such an inspiration. I often chat with other EOS friends about you.
You're going from strength to strength.
You're one member I'd love to meet. 
(I make a mean chilli too).
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Congratulations Audrey................................On Everything!
Your posts have been an inspiration for others in the same boat and a highly enjoyable and entertaining read for the rest of us.
You've moved mountains with your metred determination to clear out the 'Rats Nest' .
'Iron fist 'and 'Velvet glove' come to mind.
I wish you, Jose and your community a most happy and settled future.
Of course you must keep us up to date with further events and progress or we will get withdrawal symptoms through 'Lack of Audrey Stories'.
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Enhorabuena!
Yes, faith adn determination moves mountains.
Maria
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Maria L. de Castro, JD, MA
Lawyer
Director www.costaluzlawyers.es
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For More..................Hey good to see you back, I missed you.............and your pics !!! I'm glad you went to bed a happy woman Who knows, mebbe we'll meet up one day !!
For Sandra..............Thank you for your good wishes, much appreciated.............and I just loved the "Rat's Nest" bit...........very appropriate !!!
Para María ...... ¡Muchas gracias! ¡¡Usted es absolutamente derecho, la fe y la determinación realmente mueve montañas, y tengo mucho ambos !! .........,pero, igualmente como importante consigue algún apoyo y se encuentra un Asesoria honesto!!!!!!!!
Thank you very much ! You are absolutely right, faith and determination really can move mountains, and I have plenty of both!..........but, equally as important is getting some support and finding an honest Asesoria
This message was last edited by On a mission ! on 10/3/2008.
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Audrey
Not been around much for a few weeks, Have been trying to keep my business afloat during the crisis in the uk, but i think my bucket has a hole in it!!!!!!!
Just read through the threads on your fantastic success story, Having been with you when you started, its great to see that with just a simple structured plan of action and a lot of effort, how much success you have achieved for yourself and more importantly the community you live in.
What you should do now is start a blog to let everyone know how your year is going and the issues you get on a day to day basis, it will give every other owner some insight into the time and effort a presidente puts into running a community, it will also educate some people on what is a real problem rather than just a personal moan!!!!
One thing that our presidente said was his biggest issue, were the 6 or 7 phone calls you get everytime from different owners to tell you there is a puddle in the garages or the gate is stuck....if anyone has any suggestions to stop these calls please share the secret.
Jose sounds like a great Administrator for your community, which i think is a real lesson for all communities. Check the amount of work your administrator does for you and importantly insist on a monthly walk about with your administrator to show them all the issues and what needs sorting....they dont like to come back the following month and be asked why they havent done a,b,c or d........ and if this happens to reguarly, go and get some recommendations for another one.
Well done again to you Audrey, good luck in your 1st year
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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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