Healthcare in the UK

Hello

I have a property in Hacienda II, another development by Residencial Casa Marques S.L.

I have air conditioning fitted in my property, the developer preinstall is just for the ceiling and ducting - You should pay no more than 1900 Euro's for an air con unit. Mine was purchased from DMatch Digital in Mojacar, since then I've discovered there are cheaper installer charging as little as 1000 Euro's, I can't remember names but it's worth looking through viva-almeria.com for all sorts of things.

If you haven't already completed I would be very careful about the developer, they didn't finish our development as per sales contract - I was told they were the best in the area, well if that was the case, I'd hate to see the worst ! I wish I'd held some money back, because the issues may now end up in court.

We have no working pool lights, cracked concrete paving, cracking render, unfinished exterior, sharp wall edges, a dirty, greyish white exterior finish and a very amateur looking brick built front wall

Hope this helps

We have purchased an apartment on the complex 'Jardins de Palomares', we were last out in August and were able to view our apartmemt.  We were aware of the low ceilings and that we had to purchase separately the unit - we have so far had a quote for 2250 euros for an LG unit for air con and heating.

We were pleased with the progress of the development, unfortunately though our instruction for an en suite shower room wasn't adhered to and we are now in the process of dealing with this.  We have been given a completion date of any time between now and November, however we do have to sort out our en suite issue.

Thank you so much for both your messages.  V interesting to hear of your problems re standard on completion. We have another property by a different supposedly well respected builder and some of the issues there would make our UK tv companies very happy!  fortunately ours was not one of the effected ones, but I will definitely be in touch with my solicitor to withhold.  We are having a full snag and survey done (we are Brits after all) so that should throw up some interesting points and will give the solicitor more amunition on witholding funds.

Regarding en suite, we too asked for en suite at the time of purchase (Nov 2004) and when we discovered easter 2005 that the shell was up without it, we were told it was not possible and too late.  Like you, we are trying to resolve that issue, but do not hold out much hope.  Due to the positioning of the sanitary wear, it does look fairly difficult to do.  We have a completion date booked for 1 November and were told the latest date possible was 10 November.  We still haven't signed, nor received, electrical and water supply contracts, so its not very reassuring that it will go ahead on this day.

With regard to our en-suite, we have been informed that it will be easy enough to alter the room to make it en-suite, but due to the fact that the build is complete, there would be an extra charge for the work.

We purchased with the support of an agent who failed to pass on our requirements at the time to the builder, any alteration that has to be done, we expect the agent to pay the cost of.  This is something they are looking into. 

We have been given a completion time period for end of November latest, but have no intentions of completing until we are 100% satisfied with the build to our specification.

Best wishes.

With regard to our en-suite, we have been informed that it will be easy enough to alter the room to make it en-suite, but due to the fact that the build is complete, there would be an extra charge for the work.

We purchased with the support of an agent who failed to pass on our requirements at the time to the builder, any alteration that has to be done, we expect the agent to pay the cost of.  This is something they are looking into. 

We have been given a completion time period for end of November latest, but have no intentions of completing until we are 100% satisfied with the build to our specification.

Best wishes.

Hi, we have now received notification from our Solicitors that Jardines de Palomares is now completed. Due to the comments on this Message Board I informed her of the concerns re the non completion of the site. She contacted the builder who informed her the site is complete with the pool up & working and the plants now being put in place. Medsea are going to visit the site to confirm this before we go out to complete. The builder also informed the Solicitor he wants all the properties to complete before 15th November. ps We are in the centre block.

Bye for now

Hi, very good website this.

The LG aircon unit is available from DMatch, Mojacar at 1950 Euro's installed, it has a digital control pad and also heating - I have 2 in my Duplex on Hacienda II

There is a great furniture shop at Antas industrial estate called Furniture Mart, they are English and it is all ex Next, M&S etc.

The builder, (Maria / Jose) will say anything, it's all tomorrow, tomorrow - your en suite saga's are prime examples. just make sure they do what you want before you pay.

Hi, very good website this.

The LG aircon unit is available from DMatch, Mojacar at 1900 Euro's installed, it has a digital control pad and also heating - I have 2 in my Duplex on Hacienda II

There is a great furniture shop at Antas industrial estate called Furniture Mart, they are English and it is all ex Next, M&S etc.

The builder, (Maria / Jose) will say anything, it's all tomorrow, tomorrow - your en suite saga's are prime examples. just make sure they do what you want before you pay.

Hi, we have been reassured today that I 'en suite' saga is being sorted by the builder, however, we have no intentions of completing until we are 100% happy with our apartment (which by the way is also in the middle block, top floor).

We now have reservations on the issue that has arisen once again on the contamination of the Palomores area due to nuclear accident 40 yrs ago.  (see Viva Almeria website - local news).  We have been in touch with the agents who reassure us that it is nothing to be concerned about, it relates to one piece of land at the back of the village. 

Does anyone else have any information or views on this?  It does concern us!

I didn't know about the nuclear accident and I am livid that I have bought and paid for a sub-standard property in an area contaminated by radiation !

I would really like to find out more about this, there is so much dust in the area created by building work, it has to be airborn.

I have two young children, there is no way I will visit my place further until i have further clarification.

I'll contact the US and see if I can get more info on the issue

This certainly warrants further investigation - we contacted our property agents 12 months ago when we were made first aware of the nuclear issue  We were reassured then that there was not possible threat to the area - why then do they need to seal off a particular area of the village?

Our completion has been and will be delayed until the en suite is done and we are completely satisfied with the build of the property, regardless what the builder requests.

Please do keep us informed of any developments/information you all hear.

 I have also requested to set up a message board for Jardines de Palomares on the Viva Almeria site.

Rgds,

Baggie Boy

On January 17, 1966 a B-52 bomber of the USAF Strategic Air Command crashed into a KC-135 tanker while refuelling. Of the four hydrogen bombs that it carried, three were found on land, while the fourth was lost at sea. It was recovered eighty days later. 1,750 tons of contaminated material were excavated and sent to South Carolina for disposal.

[edit] Search

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara publicly assigned a value to the lost bomb of two billion U.S. dollars. The search for the fourth bomb was carried out by means of a novel mathematical method, Bayesian search theory, which assigns probabilities to individual map grid squares, then updates these as the search progresses. The mathematical team, from Wagner Associates, was led by Dr John Craven. The method requires as input initial probabilities for the grid squares, and these probabilities made use of the fact that a local fisherman, Francisco Simó Orts, witnessed the bomb entering the water at a certain location. Simó Orts contracted with the US Air Force to assist in the search operation.

[edit] Simó Orts settlement

After the bomb had been located, Simó Orts appeared at the First District Federal Court building in New York City with his lawyer, Herbert Brownell, formerly Attorney General of the United States under President Dwight Eisenhower, claiming salvage rights on the recovered hydrogen bomb. According to Craven:

"It is customary maritime law that the person who identifies the location of a ship to be salvaged has the right to a salvage award if that identification leads to a successful recovery. The amount is nominal, usually 1 or 2 percent, sometimes a bit more, of the intrinsic value to the owner of the thing salvaged. But the thing salvaged off Palomares was a hydrogen bomb, the same bomb valued by no less an authority than the Secretary of Defense at $2 billion — each percent of which is, of course, $20 million."

The Air Force settled out of court.

[edit] Contamination

Two of the three bombs found on land had broken open, spilling plutonium over 200 hectares of land. Initially, more than one million tons of contaminated soil were removed and shipped to the USA for decontamination. In 2004, a study^{[citation needed]} revealed that there was still some significant contamination present in certain areas, and the Spanish government subsequently disowned some plots of land which would have been slated for housing construction otherwise. In early October, 2006, the Spanish and United States government agreed to decontaminate the remaining areas and share the workload and costs, which are hitherto unknown as it first needs to be determined to what extent leaching of the plutonium has occurred in the 40 years since the incident.

On 11th October 2006, Reuters reported that higher than normal levels of radiation were detected in snails and other wildlife in the region, indicating there may still be dangerous amounts of radioactive material underground. The discovery occurred during an investigation being carried out by Spain's energy research agency CIEMAT and the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. and Spain have agreed to share the cost of the initial investigation, set to begin in November, but according to a U.S. embassy spokesman in Spain responsibility for clean up costs is yet to be agreed upon.^[1]

I appreciate your concerns regarding nuclear pollution near Palomares. Without exact and recent readings, I am not sure it is possible to assess any possible dangers to ourselves or our children.  Did you know that Cornwall also has v high geiger counter readings - attributed to all the granite around there - yet I am happy to holiday there still.

I had a survey carried out on our Jardines de Palomares property last week.  Just to warn you all that we will not be completing in November for the following reasons:

• Am I the only one with a signed building spec which lists 'armarios empotrados en cada habitacion' - fitted wardrobes in each bedroom?  They ain't there!
• sun terrace is not level meaning that water will collect in one corner with no means of drainage.
• All the plaster 10cm up from the floor tiles of the sun terrace has been damaged and badly patched.
• White goods not delivered and not likely to be until completion.  This breaks spanish law as all items on the signed building spec have to be completed before completion.  The buyer is not in default if the vendor has not adhered to the building spec
• There is a 5cm gap between the main lounge patio door top and the wall above it, where it was wrongly measured and the incorrect door fitted.

There are a number of more minor faults (such as the bathroom window having no glass in it, just the shutter!).  Apparently, if you sign without the habitacion certification (which the developer doesn't have for the site and has no plans to obtain in the near future), it is not against the spanish law, but not recommended as you cannot resell without it.  Also, if the developer goes broke you will almost certainly never get mains water or electric.  The builders electric & water that goes without the habitacion certificate is free - hence the temptation - but unreliable.  At the time of my surveyor's inspection, it was sited at the edge of the kiddies pool - not a problem for Spain as I have never seen any recognised H&S implemented over there! but certainly more of an immediate danger to any children than small nuclear fall out.

Hi

Can you give us details of who you got & how much it cost to survey the property as your comments on the problems with the build & certification obviously cause major concern.

I would not be too concerned re geiger counter readings if there had been no known pollution, but in view of the reason for the high reading we may ultimitely consider pulling out of this development?

Has anyone completed yet? We are booked in for 15th November and although we will go out then, we will not be completing

Bye

Marky

Hi

I don't think my contract did not state fitted wardrobes, but will check

The bank guarantee supports us ( Article 2 part a ) with regards to the certificate of habitation,

As we are over the commpletion date would (Article 3) not cover us??

please see below

The Aval Bancario (Bank Guarantee) or Insurance Contract were both established by a 1968 Law to protect buyers in off plan developments.

Article. 1. - The developer must guarantee the return of the deposited amounts plus 6% of annual interest, through an insurance contract or by bank guarantee, in circumstances where the construction doesn’t start or doesn’t finish in the agreed time.

They also need to open a special bank account for your amounts (different from the general one of the developer) and have it expressly written in the contract.

Article. 2. - In those contracts where the parties agree on anticipated amounts the developer must expressly state:

a) That the developer will give back to the buyer all the advanced amounts plus the 6%, in circumstances where the construction fails to start or end within the agreed deadline, or the certificate of habitation is not granted.

b) Reference to the bank guarantee or insurance contract, this must indicate the name of the Bank or the Insurance Company.

c) Specification of the Bank or financial institution and the account number where the buyer’s money is deposited.

At the signing of the contract, the developer will give the buyer the document that contains the guarantee (the Aval or the Insurance Contract) and the document must have a reference to the amount that is anticipated.

Article 3. – If the deadlines for starting or finishing the development are not met, the buyer can choose between cancelling the contract with the return of advanced amounts plus 6% annual rate, or to concede a time extension, which will be stated in an additional clause in the contract, specifying the new deadline with the date for finishing the construction and completion.

The insurance contract or the bank guarantee together with the document that fully proves that the work has not been started or that the completion deadline has not been met nor complied with, will have executive power as it is stated in the Title XV of Book II of Civil Procedure Law, to demand from the insurance company or the bank, the amounts that the buyer is entitled to, without prejudice of any other given rights also applicable.

Bye

Marky

We used Roy Howitt of www.inspectahomespain.com.  He cost £203 and produces a really comprehensive report in english and spanish.  He is also very diplomatic when speaking to the developer before, during and after his report.  It is the second property we have used him for and are delighted with the outcome.  He has more than saved us his fee. 

Jackamo - can you email me your address privately so that I can reply as I cannot reply on the email you sent . . .

Marky - thanks for including all those legal articles.  My solicitor reckons no-one has successfully cancelled and obtained the 6% ever in his 12 years of practice - time is a piece of string in Spain and they always find reasons why, mostly to do with inclement weather (!) of a shortage of willing labour.

Regarding the radiation issue, there is an interesting marker on GoogleEarth and if you type 'palomares radiation' into google search engine you get a plethora of articles.  I can't believe my personal comprehensive research before purchase didn't show it up, but there again, it wasn't something I was searching for!  The incident was 40 years ago, and there is lots of data about that and the fact that recently some snails were found to have radioactive residue, but surely some of the inhabitants would have shown an increase or cluster incidences of some nasty illnesses over the course of several generations.  It happened long enough ago for that to happen and I am not sure, in the electronic age, it is something that could be hushed up.  I still can't get worried enough about it - after all, they built a championship golf course nearby and surely wouldn't have done if the risk was high.

Our completion is 2 November, and I have £150 worth of flights invested in that date.  However, I am of the view that it is better to lose the flights than complete at the moment - we are lucky enough to have another apartment to use if we need to (which is available for min 3 nights stay if anyone wants to stay within a few minutes drive), subject to it being in rental use.  For the cancelled flights, we could easily end up travelling back again and again just to check progress and fit it out - especially when it won't be ready for rental until the white goods are fitted.  I have heard stories of there being a long, long wait for the delivery of those.

Here's hoping, webster

Hi

We have now had further correspondence from our agents regarding our en-suite problem.  They have come back to us to say it will cost us an extra E3000 to rectify their error. At first they made no comment about the certificate of habitation, but when further pushed, responded with "don't worry about that, we have just moved people into no. 54, and they are really pleased!" 

From a discussion with our solicitor, we have been advised not to sign for completion without the certificate of habitation, as it is a legal requirement.

Our response to the agents has been that whilst we are very pleased the new occupiers of no. 54 are happy with their new home - we will not be completing until such time that our issues have been resolved.

Webster -we weren't told that the apartments came with fitted wardrobes...and thanks for your recommendation of the surveyor.

We have read a recent article in the Almeria Post (visit 'Viva Almeria' website) about the commencement of the first phase of the clear up operation of the affected nuclear site (approx 10 hectacres) will commence in mid-November and will continue for 2 years before they know the full extend of radiation levels. Something must have initiated the authorities to bring in 20 American scientists to do the investigations...

We feel uneasy about proceeding with this situation, once we have completed, we might be left with a property that we can never sell.

baggie boy

Hi

We feel the same, we will be going over on 11th November & hope to get the survey done then,however will not be completing until there is a Certificate Habitacion, even then, we are considering taking the hit now & lose what we have to rather than end up with somewhere no one will rent or buy so are hoping to delay the completion until we hopefully have a bit more information!

We are 52........wonder if 54 have their own electricity or Water supply connected?

Does anyone actually know where in relation to Palomares village the bomb actually landed, was the snail found on the hectares they new were originally contaminated?

We emailed our solicitor/Agent re the above problems, but they are not answering!

Marky

Hi

Have just read that the Americans have estimated that it will take 20 people 2 years to survey & report on the contaminated area in Palomares??

Doesn't sound too promising does it!

Marky