Confessions of a Property Manager

My mother Joy went to an apartment we have at Casares del Sol with our cleaner to check the property and have it prepared for the owners arriving tomorrow only to find that the patio door had been damaged where someone had tried to break in.  Luckily the door held and they didn't get in to the property. There were fingerprints all over the glass.  It makes me sick to my stomach, we have two apartments on the complex and the other one has also had an attempted break in.  Same thing - door attacked with a crowbar or the like. 

We were hoping that the fingerprints could be lifted off the glass so I phoned the Casares police only to be told that I had to contact the Sabinillas Civil Guard as they were the ones who would lift the fingerprints.  I phoned the Civil Guard to be told that they could not do anything until we had made a Denuncia.  There is a crime number which is very good for reporting all types of crimes - 9021021112  they speak English and you tell them what happened, they then put it in the system and transfer the report to the relevant police station.  You then go to the police station to collect the crime report.  However in our experience (from the last attempted break in) it is more complicated to report a crime on someone elses behalf.  The last time Joy had to plead with the Estepona Police to get them to give her the report - they like to deal with the owners direct.

We took photos of the damage and sent them to the owners, luckily or unlucky for them the owners are arriving tomorrow and now will have to deal with this.  I was so annoyed today because the police did not come out to at least try and lift the fingerprints, now it has rained and there will be no evidence at all.  Why is it that before the police can do anything the owners have to file a denuncia? This works if you are living here but it is a little more problematic when they are in another country.   I have been watching too much CSI and expected Horacio to come waltzing in with his powder take it back to the lab and have the criminals behind bars withing the hour!!  But seriously this is becoming such a big problem.  We currently only look after two apartments in this complex and both of them have had attempted break ins.  It makes us very nervous every time we check them as you just don't know what you are going to find when you open the door.