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CEBU CITY, Philippines — Apartment unit house owners of San Marino Residences, one of many properties developed by Landtraders World Properties Company on the North Reclamation Space in Cebu Metropolis, are crying foul over what they describe as years of neglect, monetary mismanagement, and alleged abandonment by the developer.
From damaged elevators and hearth hazards to mounting electrical energy money owed and unpaid affiliation dues, owners say they’ve been left in dire situations whereas nonetheless being pressured to pay exorbitant charges.
A home-owner who requested anonymity for safety causes reached out to CDN Digital to disclose the continued ordeal.
“Good night, ma’am. Not solely is electrical energy our downside, however the constructing itself, grabe, gi-abandon mi sa developer for a number of years na. The 2 elevators are damaged, and though we have now been complaining for years, they hold ignoring us.”
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The resident lamented that regardless of paying affiliation dues, upkeep points have been left unaddressed. She highlighted the truth that their charges had doubled over time with none enhancements.
“They hold accumulating affiliation dues however by no means spent it to restore or clear the constructing. Initially, they charged us P70 per sq. meter, however 2-3 years in the past, they elevated it to P130. We don’t perceive the place our cash goes as a result of they by no means do their job of conserving the constructing secure and livable. We’ve got hearth hazard warnings, however we don’t know the place to go for assist. It looks like we’re being ignored and deserted, but they proceed demanding fee from us.”
Landtraders has but to answer calls and messages from CDN Digital as of this writing. Makes an attempt to achieve the corporate by their official Fb web page and a number of contact numbers on March 4 have gone unanswered.
Tons of left at the hours of darkness
The scandal surrounding Landtraders escalated when Visayan Electrical Firm (VECO) reduce off energy to 3 of its residential properties—San Marino Residences, Corinthians Residences, and Royal Backyard Residences—attributable to unpaid electrical energy payments amounting to hundreds of thousands of pesos.
Regardless of owners asserting that they’d been diligently paying their dues, their funds have been allegedly not remitted to VECO, leading to mass disconnection.
The facility cutoff has affected greater than 392 models in San Marino Residences and round 270 models in Corinthians Residences, leaving households in misery.
Many unit house owners declare they’ve at all times settled their obligations on time, solely to be left at the hours of darkness attributable to alleged monetary mismanagement by the developer.
READ: Cebu’s actual property panorama in 2024: Transformative tasks shaping the area
Developer shifts blame
Regardless of mounting allegations, Landtraders earlier denied mismanagement, arguing that they’d beforehand superior funds for electrical energy in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Odette when some owners struggled to pay.
“Landtraders World Properties Company went the additional mile by advancing funds for the builders’ payments of its unsold models. This help was supplied to make sure uninterrupted operational companies. Nonetheless, as a lot as we wish to proceed providing this stage of assist, our diminishing stock limits our potential to maintain these advances,” the corporate acknowledged.
The developer urged owners to take duty for paying their dues to stop additional service interruptions.
Nonetheless, unit house owners strongly dispute these claims, declaring the corporate’s double requirements.
“Kung naay usa ka buwan nga wa ka kabayad, putlan dayon mi. Dili unhappy na tinuod nga dili mi kabayad tanan,” they mentioned.
(If there’s a month that we had not paid, they might reduce off electrical energy. It’s not true that each one of us can’t pay.)
Metropolis Corridor steps in
On February 25, Cebu Metropolis Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia directed the Workplace of the Constructing Official (OBO) to analyze the affected buildings. Whereas acknowledging that condominium administration falls below personal jurisdiction, Garcia mentioned that public welfare was in danger.
“It doesn’t anymore contain simply your organization; it entails the complete metropolis of Cebu, and as Mayor, I’ve to step in,” Garcia mentioned.
He warned Landtraders that its operations remained topic to compliance with enterprise, constructing, and occupancy permits.
Metropolis Corridor has additionally requested VECO to revive energy whereas owners work on securing particular person meters, a course of difficult by the truth that many unit house owners solely possess unsigned certificates from Landtraders relatively than notarized proof of possession.
Past electrical energy
Other than electrical energy woes, residents are coping with a bunch of different security and safety points.
A home-owner from Parthenon Residences, one other Landtraders property, revealed that safety guards deserted their posts attributable to unpaid salaries. Moreover, rubbish has been piling up within the parking space, resulting in unsanitary residing situations.
“Ang mga safety guard, ni-resign na lang kay wa na sila sweldo. Samot pa, ang basura sa parking space nagtapok na lang, walay mokuha,” the house owner mentioned.
(The safety guaards, they resigned as a result of they’d not been paid their salaries. Worse, the pile of rubbish on the car parking zone has develop into greater, no one would decide it up.)
Again in San Marino Residences, residents proceed to endure damaged elevators and unaddressed upkeep considerations.
“Want jud siya e unfold kay para wla na sila mabiktima kay ang landtraders daghan na sila apartment na below nila mama pero ila rjud gipang biyaan~ Hopefully mka get better tawn amo apartment kay dli ni siya ingon ani pag open,” the house owner mentioned.
(This have to be unfold in order that others wouldn’t be victimized as a result of Landtraders have many condos below them however they’d uncared for and left them — hopefully, our apartment may get better as a result of now it isn’t the identical because the time when it opened.)
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