We urge you to delay celebrations
Taking into account the high proportion of COVID-19 cases linked to parties, this is a text for the future. Now, with the virus active and resurgent, Feliu recommends to postpose the celebrations.
In this context, from July the 9th the mask is mandatory in Catalonia at all times regardless of the safety distance between people and whether they are indoors or outdoors. In addition, you must comply with the recommendations for swimmingpools detailed in our previous article.
In 2020 celebrations can be a source of conflict. Therefore, we want to anticipate and give you the keys on how to approach a celebration in an owners' community or to oppose it. Let's be clear, we are talking about parties located in homes or in the community of owners, never about concentrations in the streets.
As long as parties do not cause inconvenience and respect every city schedules, celebrations in your home does not concern the owners' community. If, on the contrary, your rest is disturbed, in this link you can denounce it.
If you want to celebrate something you have to inform yourself on the townhall website about what noise limits exist for each time interval. In addition to excessive noise, other behaviour is prohibited: going to the common areas to drink alcohol, vomiting, defecating, fighting, causing damage, etc. You will answer for these to the police.
Bearing in mind that during the celebration the rights of those who do not participate in it are restricted, it is advisable to inform the Community of the situation and consequently to ask the members of the board for permission beforehand.
Ideally, the internal Community rules should have been approved before your request. This way each owner will know beforehand which behaviours are not allowed. Do you have any doubts? at Finques Feliu our Estate Agents can help you.
Next we explain how to introduce an item in the agenda so that you can vote:
1. Send a letter to the Presidency or the property Estate Agent with the request: if the Presidency or the Administrator give a positive answer, the proposed point, if it does not contradict the statutes or the internal regime, can be included in the order of the day discussed and voted.
2. Wait for the vote to be authorised: if the simple majority of owners/the proposal is approved, the green light is given.
3. Warns of the party with visible signs on the staircase: it never hurts to think at all times about a sick person who needs to rest. Thus, negotiate that the party always takes place far from the home of that person.
Above all, remember, a request that is contrary to the statutes or the internal rules: it is null so can be challenged.
Do you want to oppose the celebration before it takes place? To do so, take your refusal to the Board and obtain enough votes to do so. Think that if the organizer ignores the refusal of the Board to the celebration, already declared illegal, this can be denounced.
Let's move on! Who pays for any possible damages in common areas during the celebration -or because of it-? As a general rule, the maintenance of common areas has to be paid by the owners through their fees. However, in this case, the general rule would be perverse because it can protect those who violate it. Therefore, the cost of his/her behuviour will fall on this person or his/her guests. In the event that those who cause the damage are minors, their payment will fall on their legal tutors (most of the time the parents).
The swimming pool is also a space of common use. In it you cannot carry out attitudes such as: swim with clothes, consuming alcohol or narcotic substances, making physiological needs inside the water. If you face of this type of attitude, we advise against direct confrontation. Take note of the time and place of the event and report it as soon as possible to the Guardia Urbana and inform the members of the Board.
Finally, we would like to highlight the mediation work of the Presidents and Estate agents between divergent interests. We wish you a great party and in case you are against it, for example, you can enjoy the great literature.