Are expenses too high?

Q.

OUR AGM is coming up and we wonder how can we stop the Administrator’s gravy train.

He has presented a water project for €380,000, street lighting project for €333,000, cleaning of green area for €303,000, plus €474,000 to bring court cases against non-payers. We are told the owners’ contribution to these projects can only be calculated by way of catastral value and not by Community coefficient values.

For the water project I pay €831. If calculated by coefficient values, it would be €304. Your comments will be appreciated.

P.F. (Costa Blanca)

A.

Something has been left out of the story.

It looks as if your Community is being put into correct legal form so that your town hall can take over the roads, lighting and water supply. They will not do this unless everything is in good order.

The costs are set by negotiation with the town hall, not by the Community itself.  Because of this, your share of the charges is indeed based on your property’s official rated value, valor catastral, and not on your Community quota or share.

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.