House Owners Association – Quinta do Paraiso

A not-for-profit Association, founded in the Netherlands in October 1981, and also registered in Portugal since August 1992.

We provide a forum for the discussion of the common interests of the property Owners, and we are recognised by the incumbent Management as representing the Owners interests.

Specifically, we negotiate and are a party to the annual ‘Management Contract’, which provides a source of income for those Owners who wish to rent out their properties;  and we have the right to audit the income received.  At the same time, we also represent the interests of all other Owners, including residents, and those who prefer not to let out their properties.

We hold our Annual Meeting, usually every March, in either the Netherlands or the UK;  and we have also facilitated formal meetings at Quinta do Paraiso in each November, 1994, 1995 and 1997, in accordance with the Portuguese law concerning ‘aldeamenta turistica’.  More recently, it has been clarified that this legal status does not apply to Quinta do Paraiso, and we await a proposed constitutive title for ‘touristic apartments’ with interest, particularly as this may impact on Owners rights and costs, and on the flexibility of letting arrangements.

The association is funded by an annual subscription, currently euros 45. 
Our previous funding, by deduction of a small percentage of Owners’ rental incomes, has been suspended since 1999, as our costs have declined, thanks to the largely harmonious relationships now in force;  whereas in 1993/4, the Association directly secured Esc. 20,5 million (= euros 102,250) of funds on its members’ behalf, following the bankruptcy of the previous management company.

The next Annual Meeting will be from 2.15pm-4pm on Saturday, 8th March 2008 at the Motel Breukelen, near Utrecht, Netherlands.

We are keen to consider how we can better represent those Owners who do not have a ‘Management Contract’, and are considering holding our 2009 meeting in Portugal. If you are unable to attend on 8th March 2008, please write in with your suggestions.

For more information, or to join, please contact the Secretary of the House Owners Association: marloessiccama@hotmail.com