Brief history of a gardening project

Versión en español

1. The reform of gardening

On January 18, 2022, Imont Services, which had been the law firm hired by the Hacienda Riquelme Board until December 31, 2021, sent a communication to the sub community presidents addressed to the owners. Not all of them received it because there were presidents who did not forward it. Among other accusations, Imont blamed the previous Committee and HRGRA for a lack of transparency in resort management. In our opinion, this has been manifesting itself for a long time in many issues that affect homeowners, particularly in everything related to gardening.

Any owner is aware that the chronic lack of irrigation water requires a search for solutions and changes in the landscaping of the resort. But Hacienda Riquelme is a Mediterranean-style resort. Its trees, plants, wild areas, and landscaping in general respond to a design, on which many owners decided to invest. For years, arbitrary changes have been introduced without consulting the owners. Certain areas of the resort, those located in the vicinity of the apartment owned by a member of the Committee, already shows a concept of gardening which introduces a radically different style, foreign to the original landscaping. The result of these non-consensual changes is due to the particular interest of a few and has a negative impact on gardening and on the original design of the resort.

These arbitrary actions on gardening have been spread in an uncontrolled and capricious way to other parts of the resort. Examples of this are nonsense pruning, suppression of wild areas, systematic planting of cypresses, abandonment of gardening in many areas, substitution of large areas of lawn with stones, abuse of herbicides prohibited in other European countries and other unusual actions. In addition, the Committee presented, with the hope of very quick approval, a gardening project in line with what has been described.

A group of homeowners who studied in deep that project found it not ecological, crazy, and expensive. It was also found that information about alternatives, better adapted to the resort and cheaper had been withheld from the owners. The Committee's proposal violated the original design, harming those who had invested, for this reason, in this and not in another resort. Besides, this project did not address effective solutions to the problem of lack of water.

Even more serious was the duration of the contracts that were about to be signed with the company that manages the gardening of the resort and with that of the golf course. Above all, this company has produced an often highly criticized performance. Those who do not understand the language of a country, much less understand the idiosyncrasy, should not be surprised by the accusations and unpleasant comments that certain controversial decisions can provoke.

2. The Open Forum

Accusations of lack of transparency and the opposition to the gardening project, created an atmosphere of tension.

The Committee then proposed organising open and periodic forums in which the owners could freely and in person ask previously submitted questions. Some are very uncomfortable that since the first open forum was cancelled, nothing has been heard of the initiative since.

Mediterranean style pruning of an olive tree?

3. The gardening working group

The above situation caused discomfort, complaints, and accusations, often censored on social media. Given the situation, the Committee decided to delay the approval of their project until October 2022. The president of the resort, who had been in office for many years, felt very offended by the opposition encountered and resigned to stand for re-election, although he would remain as Phase President.

The Committee agreed to the formation of an independent group of owners to study alternative solutions. Prestigious people signed up, most of them British and several Spaniards. There were professionals from different sectors, including a lawyer, and a naturalist as team leader.

After significant delays in the constitution of the working group, in a first meeting, HRGRA undertook to provide all of the information requested, in order that the new committee would understand the situation in full and the steps already taken. Efficient work had to be done, without duplicating efforts. However, three months later, in mid-June, still not a single document had been provided. Working without information is a clear boycott for those who only want to contribute to improving the state of gardening at the resort. Thus, barring unforeseen events, this working group will only be able to deliver a report with recommendations. 

4. Questions and answers about landscaping

On June 2, 2022, the owners received communication No. 58 containing a long list of questions and answers to many of the issues raised by the landscaping modification project. The statement simply supported the Board's proposal, ignoring the really important questions that had been published in different media (Facebook, Whatsapp groups, blogs). Many answers seemed both superficial and often ill-informed.

5. Conclusion

Rights are not voted away; they must be respected. The resort landscaping has been managed for years at the whim of a few, modifying the original style beyond tolerable and threatening to do so again. Information has been withheld from owners and critical opinions have been censored. Those responsible have acted as if Hacienda Riquelme were their private ranch, not a resort with 1,864 apartments and a similar number of owners. We must not tolerate this malpractice that violates the rights of those who do not agree with certain decisions. Therefore, we denounce the arbitrary actions of a few and ask for better solutions.

Note: this post has been reviewed by an owner who is an attorney.

Who misses the cypresses of Tuscany?