Yzabelle Bostyn
A DUTCH expat has called in lawyers after waiting more than a year for urgent repairs to her Estepona home – warning that the lack of action is ‘putting lives in danger’.
Claudia Meekel, 58, claims she is being discriminated against after her urbanisation allegedly used funds designated to fix her property on beautifying other homes and grounds.
The admin worker from Eindhoven, the Netherlands, bought the property in Aldea de la Luna with the aim of working remotely there for two weeks every month.
However, two years into her Spanish adventure, she noticed the walls had become separated from the floor.
The local council visited the property last year, ordering community bosses to renovate the building, warning it would have to be ‘closed and sealed off’ otherwise.
A year later, Claudia claims repairs have only been started on one side of the property, leaving other residents at risk.
Despite this, the expat says the urbanisation is spending public money on ‘beautifying’ private properties, cutting down trees and erecting new fences.
“That’s where the friends of the community president live,” she told the Olive Press.
“Every time I try to bring it up, they push me away because I don’t belong, it’s discrimination”
She claims the damage is getting worse and that every month she ‘is more and more scared to live there.’
“People could get seriously injured,” she said.
“It’s wrong, the community is meant to create a nice and safe surrounding for the residents, not just the privileged.”
Claudia is just one of six property owners affected by the damage.
She claims she has repeatedly requested for plans and financial estimates on the work but is ignored.
Now, she has contacted a lawyer and the local council to address the issue and hopes residents can soon feel safe in their own homes.
The Olive Press contacted the urbanisation management company, Gestoria M3 for comment but received no response before publishing.
It comes after multiple reports of issues with community presidents along the Costa del Sol over the past year.
One British president in Estepona came under fire after allegedly giving himself a salary higher than the prime minister of Spain – for a role that is supposed to be done for free.
Elsewhere, Brits accused their presidents of buying votes and hiding account information after hiking up their community fees.
Often, but necessarily in this case, when a development is completed, the developer appoints the first administration company, who are therefore thankful to the developer, or even owned by them. At subsequent community AGM’s, if the development is not completely sold, the developer has votes and votes against anything against their interest. Also, many owners give their proxy vote to the administrator who votes with the developer. Thus, the years go by, and the administrator favours those who cause no trouble. Those who complain or ask to go against the developer are ignored. That could be the source of Claudia and her 6 neighbours’ problems over inaction. They need to contact all the other owners and change the administrator to one who will act for the urbanisation and not the developer and friends.