PRESIDENT OF A COMMUNITY

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17 Aug 2008 10:08 PM by irenemontague Star rating in liverpool/carvajal . 794 posts Send private message

Hi all i find as we have a spanish president who speaks no english and we dont have a  good interpreter at the agm or egm we dont get to find out enough what is going on at the mettings and we have to wait weeks for the minutes of the mettings.I have read we can ask for an interpreter and this should  be paid for out of the c/charge but this does not happen either.Even our admistrator  seems to be up the wall with what peoople owe and dont answer e/mails of people.bye irene



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17 Aug 2008 10:32 PM by abbbb1 Star rating in Essex and Ciudad Que.... 306 posts Send private message

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Gosh Irene, that sounds like a nightmare.  How about the Vice President, and administrator - are they also Spanish.  If there is just an ordinary day-to-day problem on the community how is this communicated to the President? 

During our AGM's there are always translators there to translate into the English, Spanish and German, and French, but we are lucky to have enough multilingual people within the community, so they do it for free.  I don't know enough from the legal aspect, but it seems that if you can't understand the proceedings of the meeting, then you are being excluded from having any say in the how the community is being run!

Our administrator has to produce properly audited accounts at the end of each year, and the embarrassment technique of posting names, addresses and amount owed by debtors in past years has made sure that the community is debtor free - no one wants those sort of details posted!

Shall be interested to read other postings as I'm certainly learning a lot about different community approaches.



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17 Aug 2008 11:56 PM by irenemontague Star rating in liverpool/carvajal . 794 posts Send private message

Hi i have not been to an agm but my husband went once and everyone was shouting at each other so no one new what was going on?we do have a v/president who is from holland and speaks spanish and translates a little for us so if he was not there we would never get to know what was going on.We have 2 pools no lifegaurds the cleaning is getting done by some one who is on the commity ?and we have the gardens and pools cleaned and we have a s/gaurd at night.We pay just under 800 euros for a 2 bed apt less for a 1 bed more for 3 beds so i think we pay enough.We have a notice board for people who dont pay there apt is on the n/board but we are ruining out of money i am told ?and our administrater could be better bye irene



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18 Aug 2008 12:32 AM by abbbb1 Star rating in Essex and Ciudad Que.... 306 posts Send private message

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I'm trying to find a book on Horizontal Law - I think that it could definitely be a handy tool to have in knowing the rough ins and outs of the whole process.  No doubt, though, each community can vote to tailor things to suit them.

The immediate questions that come to my mind are: When is your AGM, Irene?  Are there many debtors or why should the community be running short of money?  The administrator certainly doesn't sound as though he is up to the task!  How many properties make up your community? Are there many English speaking people on your community who are in the same position as yourself - not being able to understand the proceedings? 

The community charges certainly seem to be high, but then again I don't know your area very well.

I'm sure that there'll be lots of people on this forum who have had first hand experience of the problem. 



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18 Aug 2008 12:42 AM by morerosado Star rating. 6927 posts Send private message

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You want a English copy of The Horizontal Law, Abbb1 ? I'll send you it.

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18 Aug 2008 12:49 AM by abbbb1 Star rating in Essex and Ciudad Que.... 306 posts Send private message

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Sounds great, More.  

Think that it would be useful to be armed with more knowledge than I have now!  I know what goes on in my community - but don't know if it is what should be going on!!  If you see what I mean at this time of the morning! Could probably do with a bit of shut-eye before I ramble on!

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18 Aug 2008 12:51 AM by morerosado Star rating. 6927 posts Send private message

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Has it arrived ?  By the way email me where you are on Dona Pepa.


This message was last edited by morerosado on 8/18/2008.

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18 Aug 2008 12:58 AM by abbbb1 Star rating in Essex and Ciudad Que.... 306 posts Send private message

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Gosh that was quick!!!

Thanks a lot for that I do really appreciate it.

I nearly was going to say that I fancied a bit of light bedtime reading - and then I opened the attachment!



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18 Aug 2008 1:00 AM by morerosado Star rating. 6927 posts Send private message

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Roberto sent it to me ages ago, it's all double Dutch I think but it'll keep you quiet.

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18 Aug 2008 12:49 PM by irenemontague Star rating in liverpool/carvajal . 794 posts Send private message

Hi we had are last AGM in january but they are talking about bringing it forword to october/november  just after i have booked flyts for january i carnt win and i carnt get out again if it is brought forword.Our president does not want to stand again.WE have 10 blocks of apts in total 230 apts and people are not happy with some of our services but i hope these things will get sorted out soon bye irene


This message was last edited by irenemontague on 8/18/2008.



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18 Aug 2008 7:34 PM by abbbb1 Star rating in Essex and Ciudad Que.... 306 posts Send private message

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Have just waded through the Horizontal Property Act that More "kindly"??? sent me.  Have you got a copy of this Irene?  If not, would you like me to forward a copy ,of the one that More sent me, on to you??

 In section 13 items 5-7 (re: administrator) it says that he/she can be removed from office before the end of their tenure if it is voted on at egm.  Can you persuade enough people to push to go down this route?  If accounts are in such a mess it may be a good idea to try to get the situation resolved asap.  Referring to notes again it says "The position of administrator .....may be discharged by any unit owner or by natural persons with adwquate professional qualification and legally licensed to perform such functions.  It may also be held by an artificial person, a corporation or other artificial persons" in the terms set out by the law".  If it's my money involved, I like to know what's happening to it!!  230 apartments = a lot of money coming in. 

Can't yet find anything that says about interpreters at meetings (maybe it's in there somewhere) but my "grey cells" have just had a shock with this document.  Unless it comes under Section 14 regarding internal rules.  Again - someone else may be able to have this info at their fingertips.  If it isn't written, down anywhere,  could you include this in your proxy form question for the next AGM -  if it is held at a time when you can't be there?  Better still, run for President  (someone said that you could do this job externally) and that will solve the language problem!



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18 Aug 2008 8:56 PM by semijubilada Star rating in London/Torrevieja. 1052 posts Send private message

Good idea to sack the administrator but have you got someone else to take their place?

Sounds like you've got problems Irene if the current Presidente doesn't want to continue, normally they hold onto the job for ever.

In an ideal situation you need a mixture of nationalities in the hierarchy.  Someone though must be onsite to take all the flack
(now we know why yours wants to quit)

It can be done by non-residents, I met someone whilst doing jury service who was managing her community on Costa Del Sol, but you must have a deputy or someone who is a resident.

On our little community no one has a good word to say about our president but who do they go to when they have a problem.  It's a thankless job as no-one wants to do it but they all know how it should be done.

I've never been to our AGM as they are always in August, my neighbours went to one in their first year of residence.  He had chaired meetings before and couldn't believe the free for all that ensued.  Can't remember what the argument was about but it was probably over the amount of fees due each year.

I received the minutes of the meeting and nothing was mentioned.

As to the community paying for translators to attend meetings.  I disagree, I'm sure if this was happening in UK and we had to pay for a translator to attend meetings we'd all be up in arms.  Why do we expect it to be different in Spain.

The cheapest thing to do would be to pay for the minutes to be translated but if you wanted to have a translator to attend then all the English or any other nationality would have to pay for this separately.  Especially if you want to keep the annual community costs down.

Not so long ago a community near me had a lot of trouble with their AGM mainly due to a disagreement over proxy votes and trying to get rid of the administrator.  It was posted on youtube amd as far as I know still hasn't been resolved,  Makes for interesting watching - Lago Jardin is the name of the urbanisation.



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18 Aug 2008 9:11 PM by irenemontague Star rating in liverpool/carvajal . 794 posts Send private message

Hi all i have asked would someone  come forword and put there name forword before the AGM so we can vote for them no offers yet and it would be good if they can speak  a litle english as our president does not .I also think there are things we have not been told and who ever takes on the job its going to be hard to run if there are going to be a lot of changers ?in services thanks for everyones input bye irene



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18 Aug 2008 9:27 PM by abbbb1 Star rating in Essex and Ciudad Que.... 306 posts Send private message

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I know that it's more expense, but maybe an outside firm as administrator would solve the problem? Especially when such a large amount of community money is at stake.

On our community, at the AGM there are enough residents to do the translations - no cost!, but there is a firm employed to translate the minutes into all the relevant languages before sending them out.  They don't charge an horrendous amount though.   Just as well - it would definitely cause an uproar if they did!  Talking of uproar, and of AGm's being a "free for all" - that is the feedback that I have about our one!!  Maybe it's a tradition or something!



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18 Aug 2008 10:01 PM by Poppyseed Star rating. 897 posts Send private message

Our AGM on 9 August was a debacle. I had written to the president to request items on the agenda, my request was ignored. All in Spanish when a third of residents are English speakers. The president  (tiny lady) tried to physically attack an owner twice and had to be physically restrained.

I do think every fee paying member of a community has the right to know whats going on and be able to participate in the proceedings. It would be beneficial for the community to have everyone involved and informed so I do think translators are essential and should be funded by the community. Even those people who are learning the language could not follow the proceedings. In the UK in this situation I am sure translators  would be provided or there could be accusations of discrimination. At the AGM some people thought they were voting for one thing and found out later they'd voted for something else, hardly a democratic process. It can also lead to much misunderstanding and rumours abound. I really don't see how anyone could object to providing translation services.

Since our erstwhile president sacked the administrator without an EGM or explanation all correspondence is only issued in Spanish too.

Regards,

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