Comments on: Life and Presidencia

By: Victor

Victor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:04:50 +0000

In Spain if a flat-owner doesn’t pay the communal costs the rest of the owners can sue him/her to force the payment and if he/she doesn’t have cash to pay the debts he can have the salary or properties seized. Yes. But usually that’s not necessary. In my block we have decided to sue a neighbour who has been not paying for YEARS!!! We ended up having debts as a result of her own debts with the comunidad and had to pay her water expenses because they were about to cut our water supply!

By: Stephen

Stephen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:47:17 +0000

In Spain if flat-owners don’t pay their share of communal costs does the Presidenta/Presidente de la comunidad have to deal with the extremely awkward business of evicting people?

Can people lose their property completely? It’s just that here in the UK I knew of someone who was being threatened with the legal process of Forfeiture for not paying communal bills. With Forfeiture the flat becomes the property of the freeholder who is the legal owner of the communal parts of the building.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:38:24 +0000

In our house we feel the heat and cold differently. As a young married couple I was invariably warm and Gill was cold. In winter it was expected that I would warm her side of the bed whilst makeup was being removed. Woe betide me if I did that now. Due to a well known effect that occurs to ladies of a certain age Gill is now invariably hot. I, on the other hand, no doubt due to medication for hypertension, am frozen. 40 degrees in Madrid last summer was not uncomfortable, at leas before the humidity kicked in. Last year saw a situation where the outside temp was minus 4, the bedroom window was open. there was no heating on and we had on only a very light summer weight quilt (she says 6tog -more like 2 I reckon). Whilst I was virtually shaking myself to bits shivering and every joint was seizing up, Gil was huffing and puffing and sleeping on top of the covers….. she reckonsshes going to buy me an all in one furry Tigger suit for christmas.

By: Lee

Lee — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:47:01 +0000

I will bet you anything she had the radiators turned off. Next time someone complains, check it out first. (Take it from someone who called the washing machine repairman only to find out that the plug was a millimeter out of the socket and not making contact……)

By: Londoner_at_heart

Londoner_at_heart — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:46:46 +0000

We have our “junta” tomorrow and I’m terrified I’m gonna be the next presidenta… my neighbours are truly scary. I’ll threaten with changing the crappy and very noisy front door we have (I’m the only one living in the ground flat so nobody else cares) if they elect me -hopefully that will make them think twice.

I was presidenta in another block 6 years ago and it was a horrific experience (88 flats in 2 blocks!). I believe the definition of luxury is not having any neighbours. Lucky you, Mike…

By: Mike CJ

Mike CJ — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:36:40 +0000

Can’t empathise about heating – we don’t need it here in The Canaries! But I do feel your pain about being a community president. I did it for two years, and hated it! So much so, that I vowed never to live in a community again, and we haven’t!

By: Richardksa

Richardksa — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:52:17 +0000

The surprising thing here is that while outside is pleasently warm, (I have been walking around outside without a jacket,) in my appartment, which only gets the sun for the first couple of hours in the day, it is definitely chilly. The heating doesn’t come on until sometime in the afternoon, usually when I am about to go out, and goes off around eleven pm, which on several evenings a week is before I get back. But then it’s well known I am the strange Guiri who keeps unusual hours, so even if I did complain it would do no good

By: Graham

Graham — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:25:24 +0000

Oh and it was 26 degrees here in Valencia today and we had our heating on first thing this morning for the first time after installation on Sunday. I had to open the windows and turn all radiators off at 7.30am!!!

By: Graham

Graham — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:24:13 +0000

I was presi for a year in our townhouse complex. The pool motor decided to flood and break don at least six times. I seriously considered the second option of paying an administrador to do the job for me. The most fun part was chairing the meetings. It was the only time in the ten years we have been here that not everyone talked at the same time because I kept shouting at everyone to shut up “por el amor de dios”. I now avoid residents’ meetings like the plague.

By: Alan Malarkey

Alan Malarkey — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:06:43 +0000

Interesting slice of life guys, probably without parallel in the UK. Maybe we could identify it as part of the new democracy and brand it a centre left policy. Was she elected to this position for her apparent long suffering qualities?