Bank Guarantee

Hi I am new to the forum but have heard nothing but good reports about it so here goes.

We live on a new developement in Spain. We were originally on builders elec/water for appx 6 mos and then the builders cheap utilities contract expired before he had finished the developement. He put us on a generator charging each household 150 euros per month (appx 36 homes) he blew up almost everyones electrical applicances, central heating, microwaves, phones, showers, water heaters, tvs, skyboxes, hifi,s whilst shimmying up a pole complete with rubber gloves and tapping into the mains elec supply for an adjoining development. We watched it whilst it was happening. He refuses to compensate for the damaged goods claiming he is waiting for a claim to go thro Endessa. We have since gone onto mains elec but have still not been recompensed. Meantime the water became an issues so we all agree to have his metres installed and pay for our consumption which turns out to be 3 times more than the normal rates charged. He has now demanded over 100 euros from each household to pay for his water pump and his electricity bill for the pump in addition to a further 15 per month standing charge for reading the metres each month and having to take cash only payment sin his office. (He will not allow a rep to read all metres and will only allow us to pay cash in his office) we get a typed receipt, unsigned with the name of the company on it, nothing official. he has stopped our water supply since before Easter after filling our deposits and is now telling us that if we dont pay up this week he will cut all supplies.

Now we all know his act will be illegal but it seems to count for nothing, the fact that he is not allowed to cut us off by law does not phase him, he hs done it before and he will do it again only this time permanently. Is there anything we can do urgently, anyone we can see?. He is a prominent figure in our area and can do no wrong. We have all paid for our consumption as agreed at a higher rate (not by choice). The mains water we get currently is from a local source, not a well or reservoir, and is agricultural water which stinks at the best of times. he is paying someone else for use of their water which in itself is illegal is it not?

We all agree w should pay for our electric and our water we would have to do so where ever we lived, but he demands money all the time and demands it with menaces, he refuses to put his threats in writing and sort of skirts round his intentions. His compay are aware that they are not acting within the law hence they will only discuss verbally and not sign off any emails they send out. Of course we all go to see our solicitors who think it is only right that we buy the builder a new tractor to pull his leaking bowser and buy a new bowser at the same time, they see no reason why we should not look after his machinery, after all it helped with the building of our homes, so as you can see they are a fat lot of help.

Thanks in advance

Styrene

Hi Styrene45, welcome to our forum. You'll find so much help on here, you really will.

Regarding the problem you mention this was covered in a couple of threads & I search for it &, although the search facility isn't great, I found what I was after or, at least, part.

If you click the link Builder's supply of water and electricity & look especially at inspectahomespain's post dated 18 Jan 2009 8:22 PM he mentions another thread (although he unfortunately doesn't give the link & I can't find it as it was a while ago & EOS's new site won't let me search too far back. Maybe it's there but I can't find it !

Secret is DENOUNCE THE CULPRITS 

Good luck.

 

Do you have First Occupation License?

Hi there

Thanks for your replies. Denouncing the culprits has no effect. This reputable builder, and he is reputable, belive it or not, sat in a lawyers office in the week whilst meeting about another issue, told the homeowners he had already disconected the water, which he had the evening before. The lawyer advised he was acting illegally, he shrigged his shoulders and left. The local Mayor instructed him NOT to disconnect the supply. He ignored him.

It would appear this guy is above the law or has some form of hold on people, he has been denounced and has still no co-operated?

As for 1st Occ, no, some have their escrituras, some are on convenio's pending building licences, although all have been confirmed by the local town hall as on safe land.

The developement is almost completed, we had the same drama with the elec, he was demanding 150 euros per house per month to assist with his costs as he had over run the builders electric time frame, some paid and some did not, we all retained our power and then a blanket licence was used to have us all set up with the elec company. We all have official elec metres and all receive official bills. It just seems that whenever he is short of cash he comes up with a new demand and a threat if we do not comply. All our paperwork when we bought the homes state we would remain on builders electricity and water until we were on the mains at no cost to ourselves, this did not happen. He refuses to come out to repaires required on homes, some of which are only 3 months old. There have been  6 fires as a result of the fuse boxes exploding and melting in 4 different homes, he states that if there is a call out for anything be it the fault or responsibility of the builder or not he will not send anyone out until a 50 euro fee is paid in advance, we will then have to wait ur turn for a visit. If the visit required further attendance by the builders a further fee will apply. Its a ridiculous situation but we all want our paperwork and therefore reluctantly have to comply. It would be good if we could find a lawyer who would act for us all together rather than individuals, since it is extremely costly and most of our spare money, of which there is little due to the euro/pound situation, is going to the builder.

Thanks Styrene