Garbage bags

We don't have a janitor to collect the garbage bags and take them to the skip outisde. So, please, keep your garbage bags inside your apartment until the moment you take them up. Do never let them outside your apartment, not even for a moment, as that's time enough for a visitor to take a picture.

Robberies in Finca San Antonio

Following the recent break-ins suffered in the community earlier this week, we would like to provide all owners with some general advice.

1º) We should all try to avoid trespassers coming into the community. Please cooperate and close the pedestrian doors behind you. Wait until the vehicles gates close behind you and you are certain it has closed properly.

2º) Do not open the external gate to unknown people. If you see someone strange in your community, call the Guardia Civil.

3º) Your apartment is yours, so you are the one to establish the level of security you want. Some people have an alarm connected to a company (Alarma Universal or Tecnyges are the more common), and connect it when they are out or when they go to bed. If you don’t want to go up to that level, make sure you lock everything, even if you go only to the pool area for a while.

4º) It has been reported that they have made a hole in the frame of the sliding doors of the terraces to open the handle. You can put locks on those handles or separate locks through the frames. Always lock these sliding doors when you go to bed or go out.

If you have been unfortunate to have suffered a break-in, it is very important that you report the crime to the GUARDIA CIVIL, their main office is situated in Fuengirola on Calle Mallorca. There is a translator on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 10 to 14 in case you can'’t speak Spanish.

At the station, you will need to provide full details of your property, dates, times and take your ID (Residency/passport). You will need a Police report number to enable you to claim any stolen items or damages from your private insurance.

If you have already reported the crime, please send us a copy of the police report so we can keep it on file.

LIFTS

Our Lifts have 2 communication systems:

Automatic. Every day, there is an automatic phone call from the Lifts to Otis' Head Office, notifying of any problem. This is always at the same hour (usually during the night). This is a preventative measure.

Manual. When a lift is stuck for any reason, by pressing the internal button, you can talk directly to Head Office, where they will send their lift technicians to the community as a matter of URGENCY.

If the lift is out of order for any reason, but there is nobody inside, the repair service is not considered as an emergency, so they may take few hours to attend. This is what happened on Thursday 15th July, when the lift was out of service between 1pm and 4pm approx.

If you ever have to phone, please remember that FINCA SAN ANTONIO is in Calle Haya, Mijas, Málaga, as the person answering the phone may ignore where you are calling from. It is also important that you mention the block you are in, as we have 4 lifts in Finca San Antonio. It will not be the first time that the mechanic arrives, sees one lift working and goes back without checking the others.

DECREE ON FOREST FIRES

Due to the high risk of fires in Andalucia, the Mayor of Mijas Antonio Sanchez has announced that, according to the Environmental By-Laws, during the summer period 1st of June to the 15th of October it will be TOTALLY PROHIBITED to burn garden, agricultural and forest refuge. BBQs will be prohibited in public and forest areas, including recreational and camping areas, even if these are equipped for this activity.

Urbanizations, camping areas and installations or activities carried out near forest areas must have a SELF PROTECTION PLAN, which will have to be presented to the Mijas Town Hall.

Neighbours will also have to take into account that it will be prohibited all year to: throw or leave abandoned matches or cigarettes or any burning object. Nor throw litter, plastics, glass, garbage, flammable material or any residue that could provoke a fire.

Activities related to the launching of fireworks, hot air balloons or any other type of
artefact that contain fire must ask for special authorisation to the Governmental elegate of the Junta de Andalucia, who will also inform on the safety measures to be taken.

Neighbours must also be reminded that the area, when using soldering or weldering machines, electrical generators, explosion or electrical motors / equipment as well as electrical transformers, must have a fire break of a 5 meter diameter.

To protect the neighbours it is necessary that the populated centres, buildings, industrial installations and urbanizations have a fire barrier of 15meters wide free of residue, shrubbery and herbaceous vegetation, keeping down the density of bushes and trees in the area according to the Self Protection Plan.

Also remind private owners that are situated under low and medium tension
electricity cables should remove all vegetation (tree branches, shrubbery, pastureland) in a radius of 2 meters from the cables to avoid fire.

The Environmental Department reminds citizens that this announcement has been made to reduce the activities that produce forest fires; fires that happen every year and affect thousands of hectares of Andalucian forest land. The Mayor of Mijas asks for the collaboration of all the residents of Mijas.

Bank expenses for returning a direct debit

Our bank, like other banks, has increased the cost of returning a direct debit. As it is unfair that this cost is paid by all owners, we will have to add 6 euros to each bill returned. This quarter, we have had 5 bills returned out of 52 sent.