Over zealous community housing

:Hi all,
I would be interested to here from anyone who has received a terse note from Marisol Zamora from housing admin re bylaws and a demand to remove any garden construction.
I had a I.5 metre high brick unit built to house the pool pump and am being instructed to dismantle or being treatened with legal action. Nut and sledgehammer comes to mind-but I am determined to fight this and would welcome contacting anyone in the same position and having owners support.
We are by the first green-if you want to look
btw the tiger turf sign was put up without my permission and will be removed
thanks for your help
Steve Cleak

Bylaws

Hi, OVER ZEALOUS HOUSING-- Not at all -- they are only protecting what we have bought in to. Where does it start ? we must have clear cut rules, otherwise is will become a free for all.

Has anyone received an invoice from Housing Comunidades?

It is obvious that these guys are going to control any unsightly structures.............

Double storey extension I had planned, is out of question now...............

I've just received an invoice for first 6 months of 2011. Its the same charge as last year but says it will be reviewed at the AGM when real costs are established and amended for final 6 months

We've had ours too.

Have had no agenda for the AGM yet as I thought we should have so that we can vote by proxy on any issues. Does this not happen as an owners right?

With regards to my previous posting,

I have just e-mailed Marisol, asking for all owners to be sent a copy of the Agm agenda/proposals for this year to enable them to vote by proxy on any issues should they not be able to attend the actual meeting. Will let you know response when I have it.

Have heard back from Housing.

The next AGM is scheuled for 3rd June and they will be communicating with owners beforehand to allow time for proxy votes on issues to be sent and recorded.

Thanks for the info - Good time to visit Corvera.......

Hi S.Cleak and all other completers on Corvera.

Just got back from Corvera and I have now had the chance to get a look at your pumping station...... It's bleeding tiny!

This is a community issue however and I think that it should be raised at the AGM this year so that common sense can prevail within the community for the good of all.

The letter you have received for your 'battersea power station-not' , honest it's tiny, a box in the corner but do get rid of the advertising sign; has apparently been sent to all people that have erected a pool pumphouse. The problem arose with one that was erected mid-way down the 3rd hole partially blocking a neighbours view when it was erected, (with planning permissions from the town hall). Housing were notified and this was accepted as a complaint. The obstructed then spoke to the neighbour as neighbours should and the offensive building was sunk into the ground and the roof lowered to satisfy both partie and it is in character and definitely not imposing at all from the golf course.

Surely this is the way forward and the rules should possibly be amended for the villas with pools, to allow a bit more of a solid structure to enclose pumps, with the agreements of neighbours that may be affected by its erection. I suppose the alternative might be a 2.5m high open wooden pergola type structure that blocks out the entire view and allows all the noise from the pump to escape? (This I believe is acceptible according to the written rule.)

All that said there is another at the end of said row of villas that is twice as high , twice as big a footprint and incorporates a storage room and built-in barbecue and sink etc. (I beleive that this property is owned by a Murcian banker and will probably become the building by which all others are judged. In my mind it is too big and has taken nobody else into consideration at all).

PS. S.Cleak, does a gnome go into yours to turn the pump on and off ?....... It's tiny!

People within the community please comment, especially those who golf (because of your view from the course and obviously those who occupy the villas. All others and those who live in the apartments are not really affected by this particular issue.

thanks-I think you can see my issue particularly when i have already replaced next doors pump because of the design fault of putting pool electrics underground and the flash rain that we have at Corvera.

I am out in spain to day and will remove the ad sign which was erected without my knowledge and will speak to housing. .

I intend putting a resolution to the AGM along the lines that the permitted structures should be allowed to a reasonable size -eg enough to house a pump and will hopefully email to the commuinty via housing prior to the AGM the rationale for the resolution. 

I fully agree that we need control on structures but I would argue that this us a necessity to prevent water damage to electrics and is totally in keeping with the surrounding architechure-moreover it will be covered in plants by the end of this summer and will be invisible .

hope to meet up in the clubhouse one day

thanks

Steve Cleak

ps I enjoy Corvera immensely and simple want to continue to do so without incurring on going problems which are not really necessary particularly given all the issues the collective community has experienced so far. 

Hi Steve

I fully support you in putting a resolution for common sense to the Community.

You definitely can count on my vote.

SteveP.

Steve C. True we need control on structures,  I have already mentioned my feelings to you after seeing your pump house, I will also back your resolution.

regards

Ron

Hi Steve C,

I have not seen your structure but have the view that Steve P and Ron have been very reasonable and fair-minded contributors to this forum and if they are willing to back you on this then you can have my support also.

Best of luck!

Ian

I have also had a quick look and agree with Ron and Steve that it all seems pretty inocuous and I'm sure common sense will prevail. The only suggestion that might clinch the deal is to give it a coat of matching beige paint to that of the wall and villas. If this was done it would be a good deal less conentious than the outhouse built on the 3rd fairway which would seriously dwarf your pump house but that one has been decorated in a consistent manner.

Bit of a storm in a teacup but having had experience of deliberating flouting of quality standards elsewhere I do have a modicum of sympathy with Housing as there is always that danger of others pushing the boundaries to a much greater extreme.

Steve - Ref your comment 'All that said there is another at the end of said row of villas that is twice as high , twice as big a footprint and incorporates a storage room and built-in barbecue and sink etc. (I beleive that this property is owned by a Murcian banker and will probably become the building by which all others are judged. In my mind it is too big and has taken nobody else into consideration at all)'

I have written to Housing regarding this actual structure as it blocks my view across the 3rd & 7th greens through the gap I had between the villas from my first floor terrace. Previously I could look through the gap and see open countryside - that is now not possible. 

This is the reply I received from Housing:

 I am a very reasonable person and certainly not one to make a fuss but I do feel that this type of structure should have had some type of planning permission granted with any affected parties given the opportunity to have their say before the structure was built. I have never been approached or received any correspondence prior to the building being erected so I do strongly feel that we should insist that the entity byelaws are upheld otherwise I worry what else could be erected without consideration to others.  

So it turns out that certain structures will even infringe on the views of apartment owners on the second-line.

This reinforces the need to have a resolution on pumphouse sizes and aesthetics bylaw that will take into consideration the common rights of all community members. As it stands at the moment, said offending 'pumphouse' could be removed and another of the same size (or even bigger) rebuilt using  a permitted material. Although the bylaw states open structure it does not clarify what constitutes an open structure, as in minimum distances between uprights etc. After all, most of us bought our properties with the 'golfing views' as a major factor in our choice.

If anybody has the technical and practical knowledge of such structures and the ability to write an amendment for the AGM then please do so on behalf of the members of Corvera community.

One other point is the question , 'do we want our communty fees used up taking offenders to court rather than being spent on the wider needs of the community'. This will obviously be answered 'Yes' by those affected and 'No' by those not but must be considered.

Suggestions?