23 Mar 2007 9:35 PM:

Hello Everybody,

Many thanks for all your comments. Very interesting reading especially the stuff from Rob (Yes I've read the Life Of A President). I'm afraid that my lack of detail has meant you had to fill in the gaps.

Basically we own a house on a small urbanisation. Our urbanisation is predominantly foreign (ie non-spanish) with secondhomers from the UK in the majority. Is this increasingly typical? To read the UK papers and watch the UK television it seems that there are millions wanting to up sticks or at least get a respite in the sun away from the stress of UK living.

My problem is that the 'activists' (yes I know there are few thanks for being a Community President) who are interested in the running of my community aren't informed of the Spanish Law or prefer to ignore it. In fact I never been so ashamed of my own countrymen talking to Spanish Owners in an AGM when they said that the Spanish law is an ass and that we all break the speeding limits so it was ok to break a law in Spain that they don't (or won't) understand. Is it more acceptable to break a Spanish Law because it's not the custom in the UK?

I have a number of issues with the way my Community has and is run. Unfortunately most people are apathetic and don't realise their responsibilities and rights under the Horizontal Laws.

I think a subtitled showing of 'Aqui Non Hay Aqui Viva' on Canal 5 should be required viewing.

If you want I can elaborate with details and examples BUT the crux is that in Spain an urbanisation  / block of flats operates in a way alien to a English person's understanding.

It is a democracy (that is, I think, until the Owners vote otherwise).

Until then no decision which involves spending more money or taking on different staff can be taken without everyone having the chance to say yea or nay.

Unfortunately our helpful developers gave our Owners a copy of rules which seem to give powers to an Executive Committee of a few. This, from all the advice I've been given, completely contradicts the Horizontal Law.

But it's not so bad being under a rock especially when your English neighbours' language can be so colourful! (I assume I can't be that wrong when my Spanish neighbours don't send me the same silly, abusive and personal emails or make stupid remarks at General Meetings. (If anyone wants to read what they have sent me I'm happy to forward it )).

Anyhow thanks to you and if you want specifics please let me know.
regards
Joe
Thread: do we have any rights at all

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12 Mar 2007 8:40 AM:

Hello again.
Thanks for the offer of a listening ear or two. My Community is about 6yrs old. We brought 3yrs ago. I won't bore you with every detail of my interactions with our President, Executive Committee and the Community at large just to say that we disagree about how decisions should be made.
Because only a few Owners live in our Community, we have about half a dozen or so activists helping the President. They are the Executive Committee. This Exec Comm make decisions accordingly to a simple majority and then seek ratification (but not always) from the  wider Community in an Annual General Meeting later.
They have got better at telling the Community more and they would argue that the decisions that they make are necessary and for the wider good of absent Owners.
However they have recently agreed to take on staff for longer periods than previously notified at the AGM and improved the contracts' of existing staff without notifying the GM.
I understand that only the President and Administrator are responsible for day-to-day affairs and their actions are limited to actioning GM Agreements or Emergencies. So work within agreed budgets is fine but anything else must be agreed.
Unfortunately when I try to explain this to either the President, Executive Committee or Community I am subject to personal insults and allegations that intend to "tell on them to the authorities".
Should I just keep quiet and live under a rock? Or should I persist?
Frankly the rock seems a nice place to be.
As I wrote before everyone wants to get along with their neighbours but I don't like being bullied nor do I like the 'great and the good' making decisions in my name without telling me first.
Interested in your opinions........
Thread: do we have any rights at all

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09 Mar 2007 10:19 PM:

hello
don't know what your community related problems are but hope they get sorted out quickly. we had problems with our community which still rumbling on some two years later. it is very hard. we have been bullied by our neighbours and had to resort to lawyer's advice. of course everyone wants to get on with their neighbours but when they start dictating about your property or doing things without your knowledge you cannot but feel threatened and unhappy. what is worse is when these problems aren't caused by Spaniards (neighbours or administrators) but by english who don't understand their responsibilities under Spanish Law.
regards
Thread: do we have any rights at all

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