Troubles With Building Administration

RyanHairStylist

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Does anyone here have problems with their building administration?

I'm sure most of us do..... So I would love it if some people could help me out.

Here's the issue.:confused:

I live on the top floor of a building, and with most top floors there is problems with the roof leaking into my apartments.
I was originally above the door, and now it is effecting my neighbor, my self and really a lot of the people in the building...

As well because of this problem it has gone into the walls, and now is separating the wood floor in the kitchen and affecting the spacing and pushing some of the wood up.

I am currently doing small renovations to the place so it feels like a home to me(knowing i will never get that money back)

I am waiting to redo the floors at my cost because I have scratched them and want the all super shiny for me(I'm paying for)
And want to put up corner molding/base boards to finish the walls that I have just repainted.
What is the point when the roof is gonna leak; wreck the floors, and new moldings.....

I might as well just throw the money out the window and hope for a miracle:eek:

I have asked and pleaded with the Portero, Building Committee, and the Building Administration.... over the course of a year
They have said time and time again "Oh yes we know we will fix the problem, yes it approved, in 2 days don't worry etc.." ONE YEAR LATER!
(I have learned so much patience within my self about getting things done here, trust me I KNOW but..)

I am at my wits end. :mad:
Here comes the rainy season AGAIN:(

I have been in Argentina for a while now and know its difficult to know what/what not to say, how to say it, when, and with whom to recieve the most effective results.

Today was the last straw with the owner.

So what are my options?
What are my legal obligations?
Do I continue to pay the expenses knowing that they won't fix the problem?(Which I have just paid off today.)
What exactly is the owner responsible for?
Do I keep paying the rent?
Is there laws that protect the renter with consumer defense?
How do i get in touch with them?

I just want to make sure I get all of the information correct. I want to nail her to the wall; legally with out screwing my self in the process! Still being able to keep my home. (I love the view)

I want to contact a lawyer who knows about this sort of thing.. I can afford one that isn't North American Priced, I just want to have the basics fixed in the place and I am not asking for anything extraordinary.
(which I am currently doing with my own money)

HELP!

Thank you in advance!
Ryan
 
Hey Ryan,
Your best bet is to call your landlord invite him/her over and show them what is happening to the property. Unfortunately, unless he gives you a special power, you cannot sue or do much against the building managers, but he can and is entitled to do so. Unfortunately not paying the rent or building expenses is not an option, unless you can prove you have been undergoing this situation and nobody is willing to fix it ( valid legal proof that is ) Do you have a regular 2 year contract? If you have a regular 2 year lease you can always join " Union de Inquilinos" they are very cheap and specialse in these matters ( and are on the tenant´s side ) they will tell you exactly what to do and how to proceed. Do you speak Spanish fluently?

Unfortunately, sometimes nobody seems to care, or with a temp lease you have less rights. We have just moved out of our apartment 2 weeks ago, after renting it for 5 years, becasue of a similar problem ( it was the rooftop floor too ), apart from that we didn´t have enough water pressure...and nobody cared, I am local, I did everything I could, and I couldn´t get it solved. ( we had a temp lease that we renewed every 6 months )

On the brighter side, we found a much better place, same neighborhood, bigger, comfier and cheaper. There are tons of rentals available, do not take any more c***p. That is my best advice.
 
Hello Ryan

Try to seek advice through a lawyer from adecua but for sure anyone here should start sending a certified letter to the either administrator or owner or to both to fit the place and this letter should be sent as soon as possible and they will understand what to do without hesitation. The letter will also have into account what you spent in making the place better but there is no other way for you to get an answer to get things done at once.
all the best
Reina
 
Are you the owner of the apartment, Ryan?

The owner - either you or your landlord - should meet with the administrator to get the whole story. S/he will probably blame it on the Consejo de Consorcio (usually 3 owners who approve non-emergency expenses larger than X pesos). Or on the failure of the consorcio to approve the expenditure at the most recent Asamblea to change the "membrana" on the roof.

Most consorcios meet annually to review and approve pending maintenance and upgrade projects. Owners are advised a month or so in advance, and they should always either attend or leave a power of attorney with a trustworthy neighbor.

The most typical reason for long-delayed repairs is either that the consorcio hasn't been able to get a quorum of owners to approve the cost of necessary repairs or that the quorum chose to postpone the expenditures in order to keep down monthly expensas. In either case, there's almost nothing a lawsuit will do other than run up legal bills and exacerbate problems with the neighbors.

At minimum before starting a juicio, check the Reglamento for your consorcio to see what maintenance obligations are stated explicitly.

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago with the side wall of our building ("medianera") that hadn't been repaired or painted in many years and was causing an interior wall to blister and crumble. After considerable frustration trying to get the expenditure approved, I had the administrator ask the Consejo to allow me to undertake the urgent part of the repair that affected my apartment, and I hired a guy to do it. It cost about USD 150, and was well worth the cost. (Btw - If you decide to hire someone yourself, this kind of waterproofing and membrane repair is usually undertaken by a plumber.)
 
RyanHairStylist said:
Does anyone here have problems with their building administration?

I'm sure most of us do..... So I would love it if some people could help me out.

Here's the issue.:confused:

I live on the top floor of a building, and with most top floors there is problems with the roof leaking into my apartments.
I was originally above the door, and now it is effecting my neighbor, my self and really a lot of the people in the building...

As well because of this problem it has gone into the walls, and now is separating the wood floor in the kitchen and affecting the spacing and pushing some of the wood up.

I am currently doing small renovations to the place so it feels like a home to me(knowing i will never get that money back)

I am waiting to redo the floors at my cost because I have scratched them and want the all super shiny for me(I'm paying for)
And want to put up corner molding/base boards to finish the walls that I have just repainted.
What is the point when the roof is gonna leak; wreck the floors, and new moldings.....

I might as well just throw the money out the window and hope for a miracle:eek:

I have asked and pleaded with the Portero, Building Committee, and the Building Administration.... over the course of a year
They have said time and time again "Oh yes we know we will fix the problem, yes it approved, in 2 days don't worry etc.." ONE YEAR LATER!
(I have learned so much patience within my self about getting things done here, trust me I KNOW but..)

I am at my wits end. :mad:
Here comes the rainy season AGAIN:(

I have been in Argentina for a while now and know its difficult to know what/what not to say, how to say it, when, and with whom to recieve the most effective results.

Today was the last straw with the owner.

So what are my options?
What are my legal obligations?
Do I continue to pay the expenses knowing that they won't fix the problem?(Which I have just paid off today.)
What exactly is the owner responsible for?
Do I keep paying the rent?
Is there laws that protect the renter with consumer defense?
How do i get in touch with them?

I just want to make sure I get all of the information correct. I want to nail her to the wall; legally with out screwing my self in the process! Still being able to keep my home. (I love the view)

I want to contact a lawyer who knows about this sort of thing.. I can afford one that isn't North American Priced, I just want to have the basics fixed in the place and I am not asking for anything extraordinary.
(which I am currently doing with my own money)

Thank yo
HELP!

u in advance!
Ryan

Ryan,

You sound like a decent guy. Most people have problems in their buildings but not many admit to it. If I were you, under the circumstances you describe, I would move. It will not get better. Maybe worse. All of the nice things that you are doing for the apartment will not get you appreciation or consideration. It is more likely an invitation for abuse.
 
Ryan

forgive me but i have not read all the responses to your problems. Buy you said you rent so i am wondering when your lease is up? Personally, i would look at my exit strategy in this situation. I say this because you already know what type of people you are dealing with and it is unlikely they will change.

Maybe you can use your time and effort to research and find your next place to live. I think it would do you the world of good.

It reminds me of a job I hated everyday i walked into the office. I wS constantly reminded of it everyday. I was obligated to stay there for a year but after 6 months my thoughts and energy were searching for something better. Once I found my new job, it was a piece of cake putting up with the current job because it was only temporary.

This situation has taught you (and me) of all the little details that we want to address before we find the place that we want to call home here.

Hope you resolve all these issues and find yourself in a placr that you can truly relax and call home.
 
Hi Ryan,

Just following up to see whatever happened to you.

My own experience tells me that the happiest people and the people who have the least problems in their building are people who do not even have a building administrator. Or, an encargado.

You might want to keep this in mind for your next apartment.
 
OK so after finally hashing it out with the landlord, and fighting with the Building Administration......

The Roof Membrane has finally been not only fixed, but replaced entirely. :D

Just had to get a little messy to get it done of which I am told is the way things are mostly accomplished here...:confused:

Luckily my neighbor finally phoned a lawyer because she was having the same problems too, and her family has had apartments in the building for years.

And was FED UP...

I guess it's one of the great things when you finally become acquainted with your neighbor after a year. It's nice to have a neighbor that actually knows the system, and has been so kind.

The Building Policy states that anything in the walls, floors, roof, that has to do with or caused by the structure, safety and state of the building it self, is their responsibility.

The battle is finally over with the Building for now.

I now know I have to pay the expenses. That is Law.

What can I do with my landlord?

What about paying the rent in full if something breaks that is the responsibility of the Landlord not the Building?

After a year of asking to fix the runny toilet where I had to reach my hand in the tank to flush.... (which I'm paying the water Bill, the broken2 Peso seat that was made of plastic was like a razor in a not so comfortable place, of which I replaced the Seat for the correct model), fixed it my self.

Saved the receipts, then payed the rent with deductions of about 200 Pesos.

She didn't like it very much, but to be honest at this point I Could care LESS...:rolleyes:

I do have an Apto-Professional Contract for 2 years; Signed and Official!

The owner keeps throwing in My face "you don't have a Guarantor"
... Does that matter?

It is written in the contract what is her responsibility to fix, and what is mine. I'm not asking for anything but the basic safety components and pluming, gas, and electrical safety.... THE BASICS

(Note: I still don't have electricity in my bathroom)

I am re-doing the floors (the cost of applying Hair Dye and staining the floor), adding trim, wall molding, and so many things to make it more appealing for me and the clients that have to come here.

The Funny thing is, She doesn't get the fact this is INCREASING THE VALUE and really only benefits her.

She has verbally agreed if I actually gut and redo the Kitchen and Bathroom, she will cover the costs. If I do the work for free (which really is kinda worth the effort). And After all of the recent crap and useless drama, I will be getting that in Writing to avoid a backlash...

Does that give me extra rights; to have a 2 year contract signed?

With the Apto-Professional Lease maybe I can finally get a Real Salon open in here, and save money from having to rent a Street Level Space to open something up. And just rent an apartment in a different building and keep this one just for work and to Paint.

This way I don't have to worry about breaking the lease..

I know the work I am doing to Make it look better will never be reimbursed, and we all have had apartments where we dump a lot of money in them, for our own level of accommodation....
My home is my sanctuary and I'm protective of it. Its the only bit of peace I have in this Dynamic Crazy City.

The people in my neighborhood have said the rents should be coming down due to the state of everything, which intern could be good for me and save me money.

I will have to see how the following months go to see if I should just get a different apartment. To switch apartments can be a big hassle and hard to find unless you know all the right people, of which I do not.

Might just be time to register with the Renter's Association!

To be totally honest.......
I would kind of like to keep my place...."OJALA" try and buy it one day in a far away dream land..

It's the view that keep's me working and living in a box!

Thank you again for all the help, links, support and understanding of the situation.

Ryan:D
 
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