Minutes of Dream Hills Urbanisation Committee Meeting
Held at La Casita Saturday 8th November ’08 at 12 noon.
Present: Maribel Morales (Pres.,) John Kerr, John Sinclair, Mags Harris, Lowri Mitchell, Tid Clifford.
Apologies: Jenny McCadden, Jan Rennison, Alwyn Rozenek (Sec.,).
The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted.
1. Cleaning. We have been monitoring the cleaning service carefully since September as several owners had complained that the service was intermittent and inadequate since the company changed the workers that month. As the cleaning had not markedly improved the company have now re-introduced the original workers. We need your help in evaluating their performance. Please let your rep have any comments in writing please, for the next committee meeting.
2. Bad Debt. This committee is both committed and determined to reduce the volume of debt owed to the urbanisation due to the non-payment of fees by some owners. It is unreasonable to expect responsible owners to subsidize non-payers for, what are after all, common urbanisation services. In September all delinquent debtors were written-to requesting that they honour their obligations and advising them that legal proceedings would be initiated when appropriate, to recover those debts. This has met with some success in 18 instances, but the exercise will need to be repeated again in the New Year. Despite the demands on the Spanish courts, we are also proposing to ‘fast-track’ many cases through the courts and after consultation with the administrators, our lawyer is to proceed with 21 individual cases. This list will appear shortly on the Casita notice board. Interest is accruing monthly on all of the monies owing and no debt will be considered paid until all of it is cleared!
On the negative side we are now aware that there are at least 10 houses on this urbanisation which have been reclaimed by the banks. Although these houses will be going up for auction next year, it is unlikely that the money recovered will be sufficient to repay the mortgages. It is therefore most unlikely that we will be repaid our urbanisation fee arrears in full and may at best recover just one year’s fees. This is extremely disappointing but it is something you should be aware of.
3. Financial Information. John Kerr, Jenny and Tid attended a meeting with the administrators at their office in early October. The purpose of the meeting was to clarify a number of issues in relation to debtors, to query certain financial transactions and to agree an improved format of financial reporting for the committee meetings and for the next AGM. During the discussions a number of points emerged;
(a) The financial year for the urbanisation starts on the 1st of May annually, regardless of when the AGM and the newly elected officers take over.
(b) As the financial information has to be sent to owners in good time before the AGM, the accounts are cut-off early, (on the 9th of April this year.) No accruals or highlighting of other anticipated expenditure for the remaining period of April were included in the accounts sent. This will be remedied in future years.
(c) When the new committee took over on May 29th this year, there was a negative balance of several thousand euro as there were insufficient funds available to pay bills for April and May. These had to wait until this years urbanisation fees were credited to the account. The position regarding outstanding bills will now be highlighted at each AGM.
Committee members now receive a regular monthly rolling report on the Income & Expenditure of the urbanisation.
4. Deposit Account. An interest bearing account is now being opened to temporary hold surplus money until the bills are due. Any monies received from the courts in relation to long term debtors will also be placed in this account in an effort to manage our funds more efficiently
The reserve fund, a legal requirement has, in previous years, had to be spent each year to pay the normal bills. This is wholly because of the non payment of urbanisation fees by some owners. Without a reserve or emergency fund, if money was needed to say, dig up one of the private roads or repair a drainage facility, an additional assessment would have to be levied on the owners to pay for it. Now that the urbanisation has been handed-over to the town hall, we are now responsible for our own problems. It is sensible management now to maintain our reserve fund.
5. Grill – Casita toilet door. There were a number of attempts to break into the casita during the summer, through the toilet door. A security grill needs to be put on this door. It is hoped that the cost of the grill will be shared on a 50/50 basis with the Casita fund. Quotes are currently being obtained.
6. Parking in the new phase. Maribel reported that the President of Inspiration refuses to meet or talk with her despite regular requests during and since the summer. Maribel will again speak to their administrators in an attempt to resolve this problem. Tougher options to restrict non Dream Hills cars parking on our private roads will be discussed at the next committee meeting.
7. Vandals. A non-drying anti-vandal paint will be purchased for the roof of the casita to stop youngsters climbing onto the casita roof, causing cracks to the interior. On November 1st graffiti was sprayed on one of the side walls of the casita. It has since been painted out. Unfortunately the cotegran walls at the side & back of the top pool have also been sprayed. If anybody knows anything about removing paint from cotegran please tell your rep. It is essential that graffiti is removed quickly otherwise it just encourages other vandals. Maribel will approach the town hall in relation to putting up ‘Under 8 only’ signs for the children’s play area.
8. Dog muck. A number of people are hosing their dog muck off their property and depositing it on the pavements, roads and in some cases the garden of the lower bungalow! This is totally wrong, disgusting and probably illegal. Please dispose of your dog-muck properly in the bins. Maribel will chase up some new ‘dog fouling’ information signs.
9. New Address System. There is still considerable confusion in relation to the new addresses. The town hall is basically saying that the correct address is that which appears on your pardon certificate – which does not even mention Dream Hills. However since more than half of the owners in Dream Hills are not on the pardon ….??? The post office has yet to agree and sign the new system off. But in the mean time and pending further instructions your new address would be – name…., Calle Lagunas de Ruidera ….followed by . ( the number on the nearest blue tile to your road), Dream Hills PTA xxx (PTA means door i.e. your house number),Orihuela Costa, Alicante 03189. Further changes will be communicated when received.
10. Security. The secretary of Neighbourhood Watch has communicated that there was no crime reported on the urbanisation during the month of October.
11. Any other business. For those of you who believe that the urbanisation fees in Dream Hills are high, we are including a survey of the annual urbanisation fees paid in a number of areas in this region, which appeared in a recent publication. Dream Hills is second from the bottom. Initials were used as some urbanisations did not want their full names displayed. We believe you may find it makes interesting reading.
Urb.,
Name Pool Security Apt House
I. 2 No 280+60
V.G. Several Yes 900+
A.A. 1 No 200
L.D. Several No 645
PdM4 1 No 645
S.G. 1 No 330 550
V 3 1 No 680
L.M. 1 No 230
L.A. 1 No 370
U.R. 1 No 230
E. No No 620
L.P. No No 1,200
E.C. 1 No 320
JdM 1 No 320
L.H. 1 No 320
D 2 Yes 147/165 220
D2 1 No 200/213 ?
The meeting concluded at 14.40.
Next Surgeries 12 noon on the 15th November and 27th December.
Next committee meeting on 20th December at 12 noon.