2005 News archives
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2003 News archives
2004 News archives
2006 News archives
2007 News archives
LAS GOLONDRINAS JANUARY 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
Despite having no rain for months and bright blue skies for the whole of January we have experienced some of the coldest weather recorded. Nighttime temperatures plummeted during the month to 7 degrees below freezing and daytime temperatures have been hovering below 10 degrees due to high winds and the chill factor. Have a look at the picture below to see what I mean.
(click picture to enlarge)
COMMUNITY FEES
The deadline for paying Community fees for the first six months of this year ended on the 31 st of January 2005 and any Owner who has not made payment will not receive the “prompt payment discount”. Community fees are due in January and July of each year and to qualify for the “prompt payment discount”, you must pay them in full by the end of January and July respectively.
COMMUNITY BANK ACCOUNT
The Community Bank, Banco Atlantico, has been taken over by Banco Sabadell and the new details are as follows:-
IBAN ES71 Account number: 0081-7454-71-0001009104
Banco Sabadel Atlantico de La Cala de Mijas
Swift: BSABESBB
This is the information I have received from the Administrators regarding changing your Direct Debits for Community Fees:-
“Only those Owners who currently have their bank account with Sabadel Atlántico have to advise their bank of the changes - the others Owners are ok and they have to do nothing at all. Saludos - Angel Nozal”.
SWIMMING POOL
Due to the “Cold snap” we have experienced in January the pool temperature has dropped like a stone, as the pool heaters do not function below 7 degree Celsius.
SECURITY
I am pleased to report that we have had no security problems during January and I notice that several Owners have installed windows locks as per my comments in previous News Letters.
MOBILE PHONES
Just in case you don’t know and you are using mobile phones to phone the UK you can buy “Phone Cards” that can be used from any landline, telephone kiosk and mobile phone that will greatly reduce the costs you are currently incurring. The cards are called “Fortune” and can be purchased in €10 or €30 units from places such as the cigarette shop located in the Euromarket. The units on the cards last for 1 month from activation.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS FEBRUARY 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
Obviously I spoke too soon in January’s “News Update” when I said we have had no rain for months as it has poured down almost everyday since Sunday. The hollow next to the 4 th green on the Las Lagos course on Mijas Golf is almost completely full of water – see below and yes it is snow on the mountains.
(click picture to enlarge)
COMMUNITY FEES
I am please to say, at this moment in time, all the Community fees have been paid for the period January – June 2005 with the exception of one Owner.
SWIMMING POOL
Due to the continuing “Cold Snap”, especially overnight, and the pool heaters only being able to operate above 7 degrees Celsius I have temporarily turned them off until the weather returns to normal. For the last six weeks we have been almost consistently recording overnight temperatures below four degrees and on many occasions below zero degrees.
I wish to remind everyone that under Spanish Law it is strictly forbidden for anyone to bring pets of any kind into the pool area.
Unfortunately I still continue to receive complaints regarding children making excessive noise in the pool area. These complaints are not only from Owners using the pool area but also from Owners whose Apartments are located close to the pool. For the comfort of all concerned I would ask all Owners and Rentals supervising children in the pool area to ensure that noise levels are kept to an acceptable level .
MOBILE PHONES
In last months “News Update” I referred to phone cards you can purchase to make cheap phone calls to the UK and other European Countries from your Spanish Mobile. Roy Futcher, our Vice President, has now discovered a phone card called “Eurodirect” that costs €6 and provides approx. 800 minutes of calls to landlines and approx. 30 minutes to mobile phones in Europe placed from your Spanish mobile, most landlines and public telephone kiosks. These cards can be bought in most shops selling phone cards. I bought mine in the Internet shop situated on the La Cala roundabout. In addition to the €6 for the card you will also have to pay a local call charge each time you use “Eurodirect” from your Spanish mobile phone.
Elton John, Rod Stewart, UB40 etc.
It was reported in the Costa Del Sol News this week that between May and September of this year the Hipodromo Race Track will be staging “Summer Concerts” featuring Big-Name acts land have already booked the artists mentioned above. Obviously, for those who are interested, I will keep you informed regarding dates and when tickets go on sale.
WEB SITE EMAIL
I am pleased to inform you that Las Golondrinas residents are now able to request a private email account in theirownname@lasgolondrinas.net
To request an email address please click onto this email address webmaster stating the email name you wish to set up, e.g. johnsmith@lasgolondrinas.net
Once you have received confirmation that your new private email address is active please follow the instructions below to use the account in programs such as Outlook and Outlook Express:
Outlook/Outlook Express
1. Go to Tools> Accounts..> Add> Mail...
2. In the 'Display name' box enter your name as you would like it to appear when people receive emails from you, (e.g. John Smith )
3. Click next.
4. In the 'email address' box enter your new lasgolondrinas email address (e.g. johnsmith@lasgolondrinas.net).
5. Click next.
6. Ensure that the top option in this window is set to 'My incoming mail server is a [POP3] server'. In both the incoming and outgoing mailboxes enter: mail.lasgolondrinas.net
7. Click next.
8. In the 'account name' box enter your new las golondrinas email address and in the password box enter the password, which will have been provided to you by the Webmaster.
9. Click next.
10. Click finish.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS MARCH 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
Easter has now come and gone and I am pleased to tell you that the weather was, in the main, glorious for all of our Owners & visitors to Las Golondrinas over the period. The Swimming pool was used extensively and the temperature hovered around the 30 degrees Celsius mark.
SECURITY
We will, in the next few months, be embarking on the busiest time in the Las Golondrinas Holiday Calendar and to avoid a repeat of the problems we had last year I would ask all Owners to review and update the external security of their Apartments, i.e. fitting window locks etc. I would also remind each and every Owner that we have had attempted break-ins to top floor Apartments so everyone must be vigilant regarding this matter not just those Apartments on the ground floor.
SPARE KEYS
As you are probably all aware a spare key is held in a secure area for the vast majority of the Apartments.
These keys are essential for the smooth running and safety of the Community and allows entry to the property to rectify problems if and when they occur. There are still a few Apartments we do not have keys for and I would ask these Owners to either allow us to hold a spare set or at the very least give us a local contact number.
Over the course of the last few months we have had to enter several Apartments to rectify leaks etc., that were being reported by Owners living underneath the Apartment with the problem.
Should any major problem occur where keys are not held we are empowered under Spanish Community Law to enter these Apartments, by whatever means available, to affect a repair. Any costs involved gaining access, repairs, securing the property etc. would be charge to the Owner(s) of the offending Apartment.
SWIMMING POOL
I have instructed Juan to construct a small “Crazy Paving” rectangle by the first shower unit as you enter the pool area in order to avoid the previous problems in the past of wetness and mud on the grass.
COMMUNITY RULES
I would ask all Owners for their continued co-operation by adhering to the Community Rules, especially with regards to the pool area regarding ball games, diving and bombing, as it is difficult in the extreme to insist on Rentals and Visitors sticking to our rules when they see Owners regularly flaunting them.
It has been agreed, by the majority of Owners, that ball games, in the pool area only, will be allowed each day from 5pm to 7pm.
Ball games, roller-skating, cycling etc are strictly forbidden in any other areas of the Community especially the gardens.
Elton John, Rod Stewart, UB40 etc.
As promised in the last News Update please find detailed below the concert details as published in the last edition of the SUR in English.
----------------------------
Mijas Costa: This week the dates have been announced for some of the concerts to be held this summer at the Mijas Racecourse The programme includes:
LENNY KRAVITZ: JUNE 11th
ELTON JOHN: JUNE 29th
THE HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA: JULY 9th/10th
ROD STEWART: JULY 13th
UB40 REGGAE FESTIVAL: AUGUST DATE TBC
JAMIROQUAI: DATE TBC
BRYAN ADAMS: SEPTEMBER 11th
THE ENGLISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA: SEPTEMBER 24th/25th
Tickets will be available from www.ticktackticket.com or the ticket hotline on 902 150 025 priced between €45-100.
----------------------------
As you can imagine these tickets will be extremely popular and I would suggest you book early to avoid disappointment.
TRANSLATION SERVICE
Sonja Ramos who was formerly with our Administrator can offer the following chargeable services that you may find useful now or in the future.
Translation Service:- Spanish/English/Spanish
German/English/German
Accompanied Interpreter Service to the Police, Lawyer, Notaries, Bank etc.
Arranging Spanish Wills, Insurance and all other Spanish matters.
You can contact Sonja by telephoning 0034 609 93 18 57
WEB SITE
We have just updated the Web Site to include a Web Analyser to show the effectiveness of www.lasgolondrinas.net and I am please to report that our site had 239 visits during March of this year.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS APRIL 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
The weather during April has, in the main, been excellent and the pool has maintained a fairly constant temperature of 30 ° C plus. Yesterday saw it reach 33 ° C. Assuming the weather continues it is more than likely we will be able to switch the pool heating off.
DRAIN PROBLEMS
Over the course of last 3 months we have had to contract Mijas Agua to rectify flooding problems caused by underground broken pipes located on the roadway just before the archway outside block 2. The cost of these 2 repairs to the Community was in the region of € 2,000.
During the last five days a major water leak has been discovered exiting from the drainage hole in the garden wall below the archway next to block 1. The investigation and repair of the problem is currently taking place and I am advised by the Contractor (Amado) that the likely cause of the problem is another broken drain.
The Community Insurer’s have been advised as the cost of repair could be reasonably expensive and hopefully we will be covered for this type of problem.
SECURITY
As you are all aware we had 6 reported actual break-ins / thefts and about the same number in failed break-ins last year. This year we have had 2 actual break-ins – both were garden Apartments.
In response to numerous Owners’ concerns about security and safety I have investigated the following.
The installation of the above measures, in my opinion, will greatly increase security and peace of mind for all of us.
Most Communities thefts are done on an opportunist basis by those types of people who are only looking for easy pickings with a quick and simple exit.
I also believe it will have the effect of greatly enhancing the appearance of our Community and also the potential of increasing the value of our Properties.
Currently we have a surplus in excess of € 27,000 and the total cost of the above proposed installation is € 20,780.
I propose we consider a levy of €100 per Apartment, payable in July 2005 with our 2 nd half Community fees, to contribute towards the total cost of the installation and therefore maintain a Community surplus of approx. € 13, 000.
In order to progress this matter further I would ask you to email me at robertson@cyber-club.net , as soon as possible, the following information:-
OUTSIDE LIGHTS
I have instructed Juan to replace all the outside lights, above the entry gates, with new automatic sensor light units that will come on when anyone comes within 12 feet of them during the hours of darkness. The light will turn off after a predetermined time. The cost is approx. € 54 per unit and will again increase our Security and reduce the amount of electricity we use due to some of the current lights being left on all the time.
SPARE KEYS
I covered the issue in last months News Update on the importance of holding spare keys on behalf of Owners in case of problems. Just a few days ago there was a flood in one of the Apartments and unfortunately I did not have a key for the Apartment below to investigate whether there had been any damage caused by the flooding.
I look forward to receiving your emails regarding the Security issues.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS MAY 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
It just seems like yesterday that I was sending you pictures of snow on top of the mountains and here we are at the start of June already. The weather has been reasonably good during May with the odd bit of rain now and then.
DRAIN PROBLEMS
I am happy to report that the major leak was less problematic than was first reported to me and was repaired within 2 days at a total cost of less than €500 so I will not be making a claim on the Community Insurance.
SECURITY UPGRADE VOTE
In order for the Community to go ahead with the proposed plans a 3/5 th majority must be obtained from the Owners in line with Article 17 of the Spanish Laws of Horizontal Division. This equates to receiving 42 or more positive votes.
To date we have received 56 Owner votes out of a possible 69. The result, so far, is that 52 Owners are for the proposal and 4 are against, therefore the vote is carried.
As per the proposal an additional amount of € 100 will be deducted with your July to December 2005 Community fees.
Work is planned to be finished by the 12 th of July and should take 7 working days to complete. Most of the work and noise will be at the entrance to the Community but there will be approximately 2 days work necessary at the pool area to “Tack Weld” the scrolls to the boundary railings and modifications to the gates to accommodate the locks.
It has been decided, for simplicity sake, that the two gates in the pool area will have manual locks installed with one key to fit both.
The Pedestrian gate at the main entrance will have a digital lock to accommodate the entry of friends, supplier’s etc. without having to walk to the gates and unlock them. The cost of extending our current apartment telephone entry system to the pedestrian gate would be prohibitive and could lead to abuse by passer-bys, children etc.
For security purposes there will be one permanent code for Owners and a secondary one for friends, suppliers etc that will be changed on a regular basis.
Any change of secondary codes will be notified to you by email.
Each Owner will have delivered to their Apartment a new gate remote control and if anyone requires more than one please advise me within the next 2 weeks so I can order them. The cost of an additional remote control, at this moment in time, is €25 which will be charged to your Community Account.
Obviously the first time you visit Las Golondrinas after the 12 th of July 2005 you will have to enter via the pedestrian gate (remember the code) to collect your new gate remote control.
“Rental Agents” must be advised of the above. Anyone renting or visiting Las Golondrinas, during the installation period must also be informed of the possible disruption and noise, which hopefully will be kept to a minimum.
OUTSIDE LIGHTS
The new outside lights have been delivered but unfortunately they are proving problematic on installation and will need to be changed. I will keep you informed of the progress.
POOL RULES
After the last pool inspection, and in accordance with the Spanish Laws on Community Swimming Pools it has been necessary to install a much larger fixed “Pool Rules” sign, which has now been installed in the top right hand corner of the pool area.
As we are nearly reaching our busiest time I would ask for your co-operation with regards to the pool rules concerning:- only 2 sun-beds per apartment, ball games etc only being played at the correct time and keeping the noise level of children to an acceptable level. If we observe the rules it is much easier to insist Rentals and visitors do the same.
WEB SITE
The Web Site now incorporates a daily weather report for the Malaga region and if you double click on the sun you will see the 10-day forecast.
Geoff & Denise Brown – Apt. 11
Geoff & Denise have joined the increasing throng of resident owners and made the move to Las Golondrinas full-time.
Geoff specialises in Italian decorative wall finishes including Polished Plaster and stone finishes such as Travertine and Marmorino. He also offers a complete decorating service using DULUX paints.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS JUNE 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
June’s weather has hit us with a “Bang” and the temperature has been in the low to mid 90’s every day with a reasonably high humidity factor. The evenings are proving to be extremely hot and sticky as well – thank God for Air-Conditioning.
SECURITY UPGRADE
I have been advised that the work for the new gates, fencing will commence this Week-end and for two to 3 days we will be without the security barrier and the protection it provides us with from unauthorised parking – please be patient.
The logistics of the change over to the new “Gate System” will be as follows.
Should any Owner have any concerns or comments regarding these arrangements please contact me immediately.
Lastly there will be, inevitably, an element of noise from the installation and I would ask for your co-operation until the work is completed.
SECURITY UPGRADE LEVY
The €100 levy will be collected from your bank account at the same time as your 2 nd half year’s Community fees and not as per the letter sent to you by the Administrator stating they required you to send them a cheque for the levy.
OUTSIDE LIGHTS
The replacement outside lights have been delivered and are in the process of being fitted and the installation will be completed shortly.
SUN LOUNGERS
May I remind Owners that the 2 Sun Loungers per apartment “Rule” came into effect from the 1 st of July and will continue until the end of September 2005. Can you please ensure that if you rent your apartment your rental agent and tenants are aware of this rule.
Sun Loungers and pool furniture must remain within the pool areas and not taken to Apartments.
POOL RULES
For the comfort and safety of all users of the pool and surrounding areas I would ask that all the “Pool Rules” be observed especially those ones concerning ball games, and excessive noise. It would be unreasonable and unfair to expect Rentals to observe our rules if Owners are regularly flaunting them as It makes my job so much more difficult during the busy periods.
CAR PARK
Can everyone please ensure that they park their cars considerately and carefully as several of the brick surrounds around the trees have been damaged and have had to be re-built.
GARDEN / BALCONY PARASOLS
There are no Community restrictions regarding the use of parasols on the balconies, garden and basement areas but please do not use the “Beer Garden” type of parasol that has advertising slogans on them as this is not the type of image we should be trying to promote. Perhaps if you are using parasols consideration should be given to installing custom made awnings, in the agreed Community colours, as it is not all that expensive and the benefits are far greater than parasols.
BBQ’s
If you are having BBQ’s on your balconies please ensure that you locate them in a position that avoids unsightly damage to your paintwork or that of your neighbours. Please show consideration to your neighbours in all matters regarding excessive noise, especially after midnight, smells and smoke. Your co-operation is appreciated.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS JULY 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
As you can imagine Las Golondrinas is at its busiest with the advent of the school holidays and the weather is what everyone expects for this time of year – scorching.
SECURITY UPGRADE
I am pleased to report that the “Security Upgrade” is now completed, albeit 3 weeks later than quoted, but thankfully under budget. Please see the picture section of our Web Site headed “Security Upgrade”.
The two entrance gates and railings to Phase 2 have had new scrolls fitted along with locks. Each gate can be opened with the same key and should you require one please collect it from me.
I have agreed with the President of Phase 2 that only Owners should be given keys and for security purposes not distributed to Rentals etc.
SID & HEATHER SIMONS
I have been requested by Sid & Heather Simons of Apartment 31 to seek an opinion from all the Owners on the installation of a fence / railings running the length of the front-line golf course wall to make our Community totally secure. It should be borne in mind that any decision related to this would have to be done with the full co-operation and agreement of Phase 2 and the management of Mijas Golf course.
Email me with your thoughts on the matter.
COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS
Future Community events such as BBQ’s etc will be advertised on each block’s notice board giving at least 48 hours notice
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS AUGUST 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
I must be mad. August has only finished and the last of the children have only gone home to start school again and here I am in the throes of organizing our New Year’s Party. For those who are making their way out to their Apartments in the next few weeks I am pleased to say that the weather is still exceptional and bearing in mind the lack of rain over the last 6 months I would ask all of you to conserve water as much as possible.
Disruption of Water supply
During the 2 nd half of August Mijas Agua experienced a major pump failure, which resulted in virtually all of the Mijas Golf Communities being without their main water supply for approx. 5 days. I am pleased to report that we were able to avoid being without water by purchasing 72,000 litres of water over the problem period. The cost to our Community was €540 which 50% will be borne by fase 2 as they share our water reservoirs. I have also instructed our Administrator to claim payment from Mijas Aqua, as the problem should have been resolved in hours rather than days.
New Year’s Party
As mentioned above I am arranging our 5 th New Year’s Party, which will be held at the Tamisa Hotel again, and I would be grateful if interested parties would let me know as soon as possible. Cost, menu’s etc will be sent to you as soon as I receive them from the Tamisa.
Apartment Flooding
Due to a large amount of cleaning wipes being flushed down the toilet and subsequently causing a blockage in the main sewage pipe of block 9 raw sewage flooded into the drains of both the toilet and shower room of the 2 garden apartments. It is extremely important that only toilet paper is flushed down the “loo” and if you have employed the services of cleaners please ensure they are made aware of the situation. There is no doubt that the cleaning wipes came from an Apartment situated in block 9.
It should be noted that Community Insurance does not cover the costs of unblocking the drains or the subsequent damage to personal property located within the Apartment.
Pedestrian Entry Gate
A few people have had problems operating the digital lock that opens the pedestrian gate.
Unlike a mobile phone’s keypad you only have to tap the key once to get the appropriate letter even though it may be the 3 rd letter on the button whereas if the letter was “R” on a mobile phone you would tap the key 3 times.
Apartments for Sale
I have had numerous requests from Owners to include within our Website details of Apartments currently for sale. This request not only comes from the Owners who have Apartments for sale but from Owners looking to possibly upgrade to larger Apartments.
Should you wish to have your Apartment’s details placed in this section of the Web Site please send me by email or post the relevant information. The sales information from your Estate Agent would be ideal.
Web Site
Since March 2005 we have had in excess of 2,100 visits to our Web Site and if anyone has any suggestions for improving or enhancing it please let me know.
Lights
All but 2 of the automatic lights above the entry gates of each block have been fitted and working well. Blocks 3 & 4 had faulty lights and had to be changed but due to the August Holidays we have not been able to secure their replacements. I have been assured that they will be fitted within the next 2 weeks.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS SEPTEMBER 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
The bad news is that for the last two mornings we have woken to dark clouds at Las Golondrinas and on my way to golf yesterday I even had to put my windscreen wipers on for at least a minute. The good news is that it only lasted a couple of hours before it became sunbathing weather again.
Ruby Bye
It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of my neighbour and friend (Apt. 38) Ruby Bye, who passed away peacefully in the early hours of last Friday. I am sure you will wish to join me in passing on our deepest sympathy and condolences to her Son Andrew and Daughter-in Law Brenda. Ruby was the nicest and liveliest 89 year old Lady I have ever met.
Water Shortage
With effect from the 1 st of October the following measures, to conserve water, will come into force as instructed by Mijas Town Hall
ONE. - To recommend the population to avoid all excessive consumption of drinking water for domestic and industrial purposes, and to adopt all water saving measures to be announced.
TWO. - The use of water resources is forbidden for the following purposes: street cleaning, filling public and private swimming pools, public and private park and garden irrigation, car washing outside authorised establishments, ornamental fountains that do not have a closed water circuit, public showers and taps. Nevertheless, purified residual water can be used provided it offers the required public health guarantee. Similarly, water not apt for human consumption may be used provided it has been expressly authorised.
THREE. - The irrigation of golf courses with drinking water is prohibited.
The Town Hall will collaborate with private users to implant a progressive system for the use of water from alterative sources, such as the reuse of purified water, well water, etc., for the irrigation of private gardens, in the same way as occurs with public spaces.
All these measures will contribute towards ensuring our water reserves and avoiding, unless the weather changes, the adoption of more restrictive measures in the future.
All of which is made known to the public, and all residents are kindly asked to collaborate in the observance of these rules, which will come into force on 1 October 2005.
Mijas Town Hall, 29 September 2005
THE MAYOR
New Year’s Party
Should anybody else wishing to come to the New Year’s Eve Party at the Tamisa Hotel please contact me by email as soon as possible.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS OCTOBER 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
I know that Hallowe’en has just passed but the biggest fright I got this month is when I looked at the calendar and realised it is only just over 7 weeks to Christmas. The weather has been remarkable for this time of year and despite a few bouts of rain it has been mainly sunny with an average daily temperature of approx. 24C and an overnight temperature of approx. 17C.
Break-In
This is one piece of news I would have rather not have given you but we had a break-in at one of the garden apartments on the front line during the recent school holiday. The thieves (3 gypsy women) know that it is easy pickings during the holiday period and despite having security blinds the “Rentals” went out without closing them and leaving items of value in full view. Entry was gained by smashing the window with a rock and opening the patio door. It should be noted that window locks were fitted but not locked, making entry to the Apartment so simple !!!.
The Apartment was managed by Trish & Barry Henderson and after the break-in I received the following email from them and I strongly suggest you keep a note of the following Number – Just in case:-
“Thank you for all your help on Saturday. Have sorted out the crime report today at Fuengirola police station for the break-in.
There was a much easier way of reporting the break-in. If you ring 902102112 you get through to a central office and can speak to somebody in English. They took all the details then forwarded them to Fuengirola where we picked up the crime report.
Please keep a note of this number for future reference for anyone who may find themselves in this situation.”
Water Shortage
We are still under a Water Shortage order and I would ask everyone to conserve as much water as possible.
New Baby at Las Golondrinas
After our recent sad loss last month I am delighted to announce the birth of a baby boy, Kayden, to Carlos and Amanda who are long term Rentals at Las Golondrinas.
New Year’s Party
This year is proving to be the most popular for the Las Golondrinas New Year’s Party at the Tamisa Hotel. At present we have 42 adults and 8 children attending therefore additional places are becoming extremely scarce so if you wish to attend please contact me as soon as possible.
Gardens
Juan is in the process of giving all of our gardens their “Winter Haircut” in order for them to be in first class condition for next year. The lavender bushes situated at poolside are being replaced with more colourful and manageable bushes.
Apartments for sale
Just a reminder to our Owners that our Web Site has a section available to them to advertise the details of their Apartments. If anyone is interested contact me in the first instance. From March to October of this year we have had on average 395 visits per month to our Web Site.
Restaurants & places of interest
Due to popular demand I will be constructing a section in our Web Site during December listing some popular local Restaurants and places of Interest to visit.
I have negotiated a 10% Community Owners discount with Moochers Restaurant in Fuengirola. To qualify for the discount please produce your N.I.E / Residencia card or Spanish Driving Licence.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS NOVEMBER 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
It is almost time to put up the Christmas inflatables again. I know they are for the benefit of the Children but it certainly gives Las Golondrinas the Christmas touch for all concerned, no matter what age they are. The Christmas lights and decorations in Fuengirola and surrounding areas have all been erected and will be switched on shortly.
The weather is changeable but reasonably sunny and warm but yesterday saw us have nearly a whole day of rain.
Thyssen / Miconic
As you are all aware we changed our lift maintenance contract, during last year, from Thyssen to Miconics and reduced our annual costs for lift maintenance by 50%. Miconics also proved to be a far better and more reliable Company regarding response times and overall service.
Thyssen took our Community to Court for “Breach of Contract” and during November 2005 finally won their case against us.
When the new contract was negotiated with Miconic the matter of “Breach of Contract” with Thyssen was raised and they told us in the event of any legal action being taken against the Community they would defend the action, on our behalf, and pick up all of the costs involved. I am pleased to say that Miconics have kept their word and paid for the “Breach of Contract” to the tune of €5,900 plus all legal and ancillary costs.
It is quite refreshing to deal with a professional Company who keep to their word and to this end, and after discussions with our Administrator, I have extended our Contract with Miconic for a further 3 years.
AGM
The AGM will be held at the Tamisa Golf Hotel on Tuesday the 27th of December at 11:30am on the first calling and if there is not sufficient people at the meeting the AGM will take place with the numbers present at 12:00.
I am extremely disappointed to note that, to date, I have only received proxy votes from 11 out of our 69 Owners.
To make your Community vote count all you have to do is email either myself at robertson@cyber-club.net or the Administrator at nozal@anozal.com with the name of the person you wish to act on your behalf at the AGM.
As in previous years the AGM will only discuss matters related to the Community and should any Owner have individual problems or queries they should contact me directly by phone or email.
If you have any suggestions or recommendations to improve the running of the Community, for the forthcoming year, please email or phone me and I will raise your points during the AGM.
New Year’s Party
For all of the Owner’s and their guests who are attending the our “New Year’s Party”, can you please ensure that you pay for your tickets on or prior to the 31 st of December 2005.
If anyone has any special menu requirements please email me with them as soon as possible.
I am hoping that the Tamisa will collect us from Las Golondrinas in their mini bus (I will advise you by separate email regarding this) but all transport arrangements for coming home must be organized by yourselves. I would suggest that you speak to Sandra Russo at the Tamisa Hotel – 952 58 59 88 regarding the procedure for booking Taxis etc. for your homeward journey
RESTAURANTS & PLACES OF INTEREST
This is taking longer than I thought but I intend to have it finished during January 2006.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
LAS GOLONDRINAS DECEMBER 2005 NEWS UPDATE - return to index
I hope each and every one of you had a very merry Christmas and I wish you all a prosperous and happy 2006. As in previous years the December News Update is extremely brief, as most of the news is reported in the AGM Minutes.
Water Deposit
Due to the continuing severe water shortage I will be asking for your support in approving the expenditure that will be necessary (approx €14,000) to build an additional water deposit, which will be for the sole use of watering our gardens and cleaning the Community areas. The water we will use in the new deposit will be recycled and will be delivered to the deposit by lorry. The water is free but obviously we will have to pay for the transport.
Unless action is taken immediately we will be in great danger of losing all of our gardens within the next few months. Even if we have an abundance of rain within the next few weeks we will not have the water ban lifted for some months.
I am awaiting a feasibility study regarding this project along with detailed costings.
This problem will not go away and this is the only real and sensible long-term solution available to our Community.
Another possible problem area is the continued use of fresh water for our Swimming pool but a possible low cost solution that is currently under investigation is making it a “Salt Water” pool. I will keep you informed of any developments in this area.
AGM
The 2005 AGM took place on Tuesday the 27 th December at the Tamisa Hotel and I would like to thank all of the Owners who took the trouble to attend and also to the Owners who completed their Proxy forms.
The minutes of the meeting both in English and Spanish will be posted to our web site within the next 10 days.
NEW YEAR’S PARTY
We just seem to be going from strength to strength with the New Year Party and this year we had an attendance of 50+ people from our Community.
Kindest regards,
Eddie Robertson
Community President
|
|
