Why do they pay more?

Q. – I own a townhouse in a development with 24 houses at one end and 53 apartments in a block at the other. I pay my community charge as per the co-efficient. The problem is that the townhouse holders pay a higher community fee because they have more communal areas, although this has been adjusted over the years.

Now we have a big rehabilitation project of a substantial cost and this disparity is even greater. I got the architect’s percentage breakdown of costs, which was 60% apartments and 40% townhouses. This is a significant difference. Why do the townhouse owners have to contribute to their repairs?

B.H. (Costa del Sol)

A.- Because you are all in it together in one community. If there was a problem which affected only the townhouses, the apartment owners would have to pay their share. When the community has both villas or townhouses and an apartment block, one solution is to make two sub-communities or split into two completely separate communities because they have differing problems. Or perhaps you could simply vote at the AGM to make an adjustment.

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