Non cooperative President

Our community has a majority of English people.

However at the annual general meeting the president refused to speak English, saying ' we are in Spain, I am the president, I will hold the meeting in Spanish'. (in English) despite being asked to hold the meeting in both languages as has been the custom in our community.

One of the English members had sent additional items to be added to the meeting's agenda, but had not received a reply. The president stated he had not received them as his computer was broken and would not add them to the agenda of the meeting. The validity of both the meeting and the proxy votes was called into question but the president refused to answer with his stock answer of 'sue me'

The English people left the meeting as they could not understand nor participate in the meeting.

I feel this meeting was invalid as it disenfranchised members of the community.

The president has since refused to forward documents presented at the meeting by Email e.g. the accounts.

I would appreciate your view.

We are are similar problems with a president and Administrator, but no seems to reply on here?????:(

I have 'asked a lawyer' on this site but they have gone to ground!!!

Frustrating, better for the reply to be 'can't do anything'

Dear BirdBrain

Apologies for the late reply. The lawyers that normally answer the queries on the forums have gone on vacation. Hopefully, you will get an answer shortly.

Kind regards

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Birdbrain

Our community has a majority of English people.

However at the annual general meeting the president refused to speak English, saying ' we are in Spain, I am the president, I will hold the meeting in Spanish'. (in English) despite being asked to hold the meeting in both languages as has been the custom in our community.

One of the English members had sent additional items to be added to the meeting's agenda, but had not received a reply. The president stated he had not received them as his computer was broken and would not add them to the agenda of the meeting. The validity of both the meeting and the proxy votes was called into question but the president refused to answer with his stock answer of 'sue me'

The English people left the meeting as they could not understand nor participate in the meeting.

I feel this meeting was invalid as it disenfranchised members of the community.

The president has since refused to forward documents presented at the meeting by Email e.g. the accounts.

I would appreciate your view.

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Dear Ms EK

Apologies for the belated reply as I was on holiday break.

Checking my records, your legal query had already been emailed to us as a private query on the morning of the 1st of July 2010 and was replied to an hour later by myself by email.

There is no legal obligation to hold and AGM or EGM in both English and Spanish. It is advisable your Community groups and amends the Community Bylaws to make it mandatory to hold Owner's Meetings (AGM's and EGM's) in both languages as English speakers seem to be the majority.

The gist of my reply was that if he was proving non-cooperative then you would need to sue him.

More on this matter in my article:

Comunidad de Propietarios: Avoid Problems with Your Neighbours in Spain - 26th June 2009

The above article has a link to the Horizontal Property Act in English which may prove useful.

Yours sincerely
Raymundo LarraÃ*n Nesbitt