Horizontal Property
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Unauthorized occupation of a common area for a bar terrace by the tenant
In a community of property owners a common area of the building was being used as if it were an extension of a bar located in a premises. The tenant of the premises, with the involvement of the landlord (the owner of the premises), placed there furniture and terrace elements , occupying an area that belongs to all the neighbors.
The community, in a meeting , agreed to withdraw the authorization to continue placing those elements and communicated it by burofax with acknowledgment of receipt to both the premises owner and the tenant. In addition, the community sued the tenant to remove the furniture and leave the space as it was before, even requesting that, if she did not do it, the community could remove it themselves and pass on the cost.
In the first instance, the court dismissed the demand because it understood that had not been proven the action properly and that there had been prior authorization for years to place movable elements as a complement to the business. It also pointed out that complaints were not proven by neighbors, damages or municipal breaches, and that the notification of the minutes of the meeting to the owner so she could challenge the agreement was not on record. The Provincial Court overturned that decision and
ruled in favor of the community considering the minutes sufficient and assuming that the tenant knew about the agreement through the burofaxes, so the validity of the agreement cannot be disputed "in passing" or as mere opposition, but by challenging it.
The tenant appealed to the Supreme Court (TS). The TS noted that the Court of Appeals had not addressed her argument of lack of standing (whether she could be sued) which was relevant. Nevertheless, delving into the substance, the TS concludes that the community was exercising a action to defend a common element occupied without authorization, and that the tenant could indeed be sued because she was the one who owned and used that space with her furniture. Also, remember that the challenge of community agreements belongs to the owners, not to the tenants , and that the agreement was final because the owner did not challenge it, something that the tenant knew because she was notified.
In short, if the owner-landlord does not have the right to occupy that common element for the bar, the tenant neither can do it. The Supreme Court dismisses the appeal and upholds the sentence to remove the terrace elements.
Our professionals can provide you with proper advice on the operation of your community in accordance with regulatory requirements, as well as take appropriate actions to defend your rights-
Elevator maintenance
Nullity of duration clauses and excessive notice in successive contracts This case deals with a typical contract for “preventive maintenance” of elevators, which are not fulfilled in a single day, but are provided month by month (what is called in law a successive contract). A maintenance company sued a community of owners because it decided to terminate the contract before the agreed term expired. The company claimed two things, on one hand, that unpaid invoices were paid; and, on the other, compensation for “breaking” the contract early. The conflict revolved around two clauses of the contract where one set a duration of 3 years and the other required a notice of 180 days (six months) in advance if one wanted to terminate the contract. The community argued that these conditions were abusive in the case of a consumer (in this case, the community itself). In the first instance, the court ruled in favor of the company, ordering the community to pay both the compensation for early termination and the outstanding invoices (in addition to interest and costs). However, on appeal, the Provincial Court of Málaga changed the criterion, declaring the 3-year duration clause and the 180-day notice clause null and abusive. What is the practical consequence? If those clauses are invalid, the company cannot rely on them to demand a penalty or compensation for having terminated the contract early. Nevertheless, the community must pay what it actually owed, the outstanding invoices for services already rendered. The Supreme Court confirmed this outcome, the duration and notice clauses are considered null, no compensation is due for ending the contract early, and only unpaid invoices are owed.
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Urban leases
Does a reversible work by the tenant give the owner the right to terminate the contract?
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Urban Leases
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