Community charges

Community charges are generally set each year at the Annual General Meeting. The budgeted and actual costs for the previous year are set out and the following year's costs will be based on the previous year's actual costs. Just because people have not been able to use the pool or other communal areas, doesn't mean that there haven't been any costs for those areas. There is still water and electricity consumption and also labour costs for any community employees, who may or may not have been laid off. Because of the pandemic it's unlikely that there has been an Annual General Meeting yet for 2021, so once the actual costs for 2020 have been audited and the new budget worked out by the 2020 President, Secretary (and committee if applicable), it could be that the community payments for last year have a surplus and could reduce the budgeted costs for 2021. Contact your President or administrator.

Well down the road in Camposol I wonder why we are having to pay our IBI when we have no street lights on half the place and roads with potholes big enough to house the homeless! 😂 I would happily pay it and Community charges if we got anything for it. 

Community charges are not like Gym membership Brian, it's your home or second home it still has to be kept in a good condition and not left to get into a state of repair, any monies that you or I pay, will still go into the community pot to benefit us all. 

If everyone on Camposol paid their ‘rates’ it would help, plenty do not pay their attitude being I am only there for holidays. If the council cannot get IBI out of people how are the committee going to get community charges? Sectors A & B have street lights and reasonable roads, Sectors C & D have always been the problem areas.

I hadn’t thought about people who don’t pay their dues. I thought the fines were quite hefty for that. Problem all round though with people who only live here part time (though that’s going to change with new Brexit rules etc surely), if they don’t contribute. 

Do they still expect everything to be hunky dory when they are here but don’t think they should pay for it. Isn’t there a pro rata system? I don’t know but with the place half empty due to Covid, I don’t suppose there’ll be any progress yet. 

Totally agree Steve,i would not want our community to fall into a state of disrepair by any means ,my point was with hardly anyone there for best part of over a year... does everything still have to function at normal levels,thinking about it,i know you cant stop grass and plants growing,so yes i understand the need for gardeners, but if the pools are shut or not being used? I think my biggest grievance is probably the fact of certain owners not paying into our community at all,and seem to be getting away with ,not fair on everyone who pays regularly, ive found these owners often have the gall to still rent out their  properties,or perhaps im just a bit miserable ,been a long year 😀

I totally agree with you Brian, I absolutely detest people who don't pay community fees, I know their are some people who for what ever reason are unable to pay, but their are also people who have no intention to pay and try to get away with it, these are the ones who we should take to task, let's hope they will eventually get what they deserve. 

It's been a long time since I had to pay community fees thank goodness, my current villa is independent. Unless things have changed, if you failed to pay your fees, the admin company could take you to court and fine you. If you still failed to pay, taking your property was an option. Is it really worth the risk?

The same applies with the IBI. Fines stack up with the debt, and when the time comes to sell the property, the debt will come out of the proceeds.

I have found this with a lot of Brits in Spain over the years. Always someone who wants to break the law and they usually brag about it.....from my observations anyway. It used to be the same with declaring UK cars; illegal airport runs and black market work and rentals! Thankfully Spain is catching up with it, but it does spoil it for the many law abiding Brits!

I have always said wherever you live, if everyone paid their dues it would make it all cheaper for everyone. And it’s those that brag about getting away with paying TV licence, road tax, all other taxes etc that must be too stupid to realise they are basically thieving/living off the honest people. How proud they must be!! 👎