25 Jun 2011 6:06 PM:

 

Community thread: Amatista Management charges and fees

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25 Jun 2011 12:00 AM:

As from reading through some other threads in the other community forums, I came across a very interesting note from an owner who is questioning the seemingly excessive costs to his community every year for the garden maintenance and pool cleaning in comparison to the low ammount of staff that he has seen onsite.

Please see copy below

 

Hello to any owner of Amatista Reserva de Marbella.

The charges that we are all paying for services seems to be getting out of hand and in my view are excessive.

We pay each year 59.000 euros for gardening per year (I have only seen one person doing both the gardens and pools.)

30,000 for cleaning

18,000 for lifeguards between July and September.

In total we pay over 200,000 euros for services.

Does anyone have any ideas to reduce the costs. Perhaps obtaining a price from another management company

 

If you think that maybe your community is suffering from the same scenario then please see below the reply which iI have sent to him. I hope it helps

 

 

In reply to your post dated 13 Feb 2011 on Eye On Spain I too agree that the costs your community pays in respect of garden and pool cleaning services are very much indeed rather excessive.

 

In fact, I am hearing that the majority of communities in Spain suffer from the same scenario and for that reason I have began to research ways to reduce such costs.

 

Currently I am a supervisor of the garden and maintenance team at a very large community and I know from first hand experience what the difference is between what me and my staff receive in salary payments in comparison to what is being charged, which unfortunately does not fall into our favor. However, the company that I currently work for, does provide a more complete service to that of the previous garden maintenance company and for a lot less money.

 

As for the community, working on my own initiative, I had inspected and produced photographic reports complete with plans detailing the irrigation, lighting system and other areas of concern. I also initiated the community to carry out a complete overhaul of the irrigation circuit and when doing so I uncovered 33 major water leaks which had been unnecessary leaking into the soil 24/7 for quite a few years.

 

I also found that the street and garden lighting system still had old style bulbs in use which modern technology has long since proved that these are extremely high in energy consumption and now gradually part by part these are being replaced for new energy saving style bulbs.

 

For these reasons above and for your extreme cost evaluation, this is why I am in the process of setting up a new venture called Independent Community Surveys (ICS for short).

 

I have used “Independence” as it is a statement that my company will be free from any administrator influences as it works direct to the community of owners via the president of the community.

 

Please if you feel that my services could be of benefit to your community then please pass on this email to your residing president. I can also send you a sample of the plans which I made for community which would be similar to what I could do for you.

 

Cost reduction as well as value for money are very important factors of the lives we lead today not forgetting the most important concern of vital resource waste management.

 

 

 

ICS Spain

 

Community thread: excessive management charges and fees?

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