Residents committees

[tl2222]

I understand that all residential complexes have a committee, run by a president? Other than knocking on every door and asking my neighbours (have spoken to a few) is there any way of finding out who our representative is? We have been here 4 years and have paid our annual community charge by direct debit, as instructed by the couple who sold us the house - but still have no idea where the money goes and what, if anything happens to it!

[fifi]

Your Lawyer should be able to tell you who is running your Community. They may have set up the direct debit for you. Some are run by a Company. Also you could check old AGM correspondence which should provide some details. Perhaps if you name the Complex on here someone will be able to tell you.

[Deso]

Seems rather strange that it is an annual payment . Most community charges are monthly.
You would normally have an administrator dealing with the finances of the community.
As Fifi has said, the name of the community would help or have a look who the DD is going to.

[calculator]

Every complex should have a notice board, with all the details.

Alternatively, cancel your payments and let them come to you.

Why haven't you been informed about the yearly AGM?

[Captain Sensible]

Yes, you should get a notification by post or email about the annual AGM.

Speaking to your neighbours might be the answer.

[Johnrgby2]

Yes, you should get a notification by post or email about the annual AGM.

Speaking to your neighbours might be the answer.

They are not all the same, we get notified via the notice board, which is fine for us it is a two minute walk away and we pass it 4/5 times aweek, not so convenient for many others, we had a meeting this year and last, but prior to that it had been 3 years.

[Can the Man]

I understand that all residential complexes have a committee, run by a president? Other than knocking on every door and asking my neighbours (have spoken to a few) is there any way of finding out who our representative is? We have been here 4 years and have paid our annual community charge by direct debit, as instructed by the couple who sold us the house - but still have no idea where the money goes and what, if anything happens to it!

Why don't you ask the bank for details of who the money is being paid to.

[Deso]

We really need an answer from the OP with name of complex or administrator.

Without this basic info we don't know what we are dealing with.

[tl2222]

The complex is Mirador del Este, on chipmunk mountain, we are on Calle Ayoze. The notice board (located on the wall of "Casa Budha") has never been updated since we have been here and none of our neighbours know of any committee. We have never received any correspondence about an AGM or anything else!
I will speak to the bank and ask where the money is going - thanks for the advice.

[malabu]

I understand that all residential complexes have a committee, run by a president? Other than knocking on every door and asking my neighbours (have spoken to a few) is there any way of finding out who our representative is? We have been here 4 years and have paid our annual community charge by direct debit, as instructed by the couple who sold us the house - but still have no idea where the money goes and what, if anything happens to it!

Community fees are normally every month, so don't understand the annual charge, are you sure its Community charge and not your yearly payment for taxes, car, bins, etc,

[Deso]

The complex is Mirador del Este, on chipmunk mountain, we are on Calle Ayoze. The notice board (located on the wall of "Casa Budha") has never been updated since we have been here and none of our neighbours know of any committee. We have never received any correspondence about an AGM or anything else!
I will speak to the bank and ask where the money is going - thanks for the advice.

I have always thought that those were individual properties rather than part of a community. Are you sure the annual charge is not your IBI, Council Tax?
If so it would be going to 'AYUNTAMIENTO DE ANTIGUA' on your bank statement. Should be somewhere between â,¬200 and â,¬300.

Update.

Just done a bit of googling and found 2 for sale on there, may be old ads but one talks of â,¬14 and one â,¬55 community payments.

I'm intrigued now.   

[chollis]

My understanding is that the complex you are on had shared facilities when it was built for the water supply and as such maintained a community to pay for the water storage and tanker deliveries. When the complex switched to a mains water supply the community was no longer needed as there are no shared facilities to be maintained. As others have said, community charges are usually monthly so any annual charge you paying is likely to be for something else such as council tax. Hope that helps.

[keithal]

As someone who owns a house on Miradores del Este and has done since 2003 perhaps I can shed a bit more light on the question of community committee and charges as they apply here.

In theory yes there is a community president and committee but they seem to be totally inactive. The charges spoken of as 144 euro/year or 12 euro/month are the (theoretical) community charge, but my understanding is that virtually no-one is paying them anyway. As given in an earlier reply there is very little if any community liability, possibly just the road side verge on c. Tibiabin under the Hoya 19 development. There is also the possibility of there being some community equipment still attached to the water deposit on Tibiabin, or the supply pipes to that from the main supply.

The last time that the "community" was active was when we transferred the water supply from the deposit to the mains and there was an issue of back payment for the water consumed that had to be dealt with. Some residents wouldn't pay up what they owed and some had moved away leaving empty properties. Of the rest some of us made up the deficit and were "let off" paying community charges until the balance was redressed - in effect we'd paid several years charges "up front". That was some years ago and we haven't been asked to make nay more payments to date!

My understanding is that the person who was president at that time still holds that position as there hasn't been any move to replace him, but he no longer lives in the Miradores del Este community anyway.

Personally I don't feel that the lack of an active president or committee is in any way detrimental to the neighbourhood, the properties are very much "self contained" and don't have facilities in common so very much the same situation as any road or street in the UK, and one less layer of red tape to deal with.

[keithal]

tl2222 - personal message sent.