Problem with older people?

[boris]

According to daily Jutarnji in the center of Zagreb there are over 100 first class apartments owned by older people which a terribly neglected, because these people have no money for upkeep. No way they would sell it or even move to an old's people home. The whole building it then affected.

Any advice?

[mambo]

Not only in Zagreb people don't have money to pay for the maintenance. When I look along the coast I see a lot of houses and apartments in a very deplorable state.
People simply don't have the money anymore to pay for anything and since the government keeps filling up their own pockets it is probably going to get worse.

[happy]

Send in the rich Russians.

[ray51]

Why would/should they want to get involved , with decrepit housing , pray ?

[Carol]

Have a municipality run scheme, where if the neighbours can't agree on how and when to repair/ who should pay what, send an inspector out and if the work really needs done (e.g. holes in the roof, a leaking pipe) put an emergency repair order on it and the municipality organises the work and repairs it itself. Then it bills the flat owners for the inspection, time, hassle and the work (plus interest) and sets a creditor note against their Vlasnicki List. That way the flat can't be sold/ inherited until the bill is paid.

(You'd need to do away with the owners having to be notified with this scheme - or any scheme - to work. Just send a letter to each property and if they are not there to take delivery then tough! Too many people avoid accepting signed for mail from the postman because it is usually something they don't want to hear).

That would sort out the neighbours who hold back hoping to bully everyone else into paying their share, and it would take the money off the people who are due to inherit the apartment (who should be helping their old folks out if they can anyway).

[boris]

Great advice Carol, thanks!