Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Have a great holiday!
Tecnicil.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Mr. Nelson Evora
Good luck Nelson! It was good to have you as part of the company!
For any enquiries and questions you had for Nelson please direct them to Denyse Evora (No relation) on devora@tecnicil.com
Many thanks.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Christmas is Coming
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Completions and Communication
We thought it would be a good idea to explain what we are doing at the moment with regards to communication. We have a team of people who are helping clients coordinate with the lawyers and the team we have on Sal Island. Our team may call you and try and find out where you are with regards to your completion.
Aspects to take into account: This is a service we are offering to help you! It may be that the person you speak to is not up to speed with all communication you have had with various members of staff in our company. We do not have a centralised system so if you have agreed something with Nelson, or Iain or Nuno, the person you speak to may need to check these details before advising you. Please take into account that this is quite normal in any business. Anyone who has called Orange Customer Service in the UK like we did on our last trip will agree with us.
The person coordinating this process is Denyse Evora who speaks excellent English and will be happy to answer questions on where your completion process is at any given time. You can write to Denyse on devora@tecnicil.com
Have a great day!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Pepper - Info and status
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Lantana - info and status
Lantana is as good a place to start as any. For those that have bought on Lantana or even for those that haven't, you might like to know some stats.
Lantana is made up of 127 units of which 118 are sold. The community, whose unit code in the Vila Verde Resort is C01 (So all apartments that are C01- are from this community). Lantana belongs to Phase II of the development of the resort and the apartments are now finished.
Here is a close up of where Lantana is within the resort, top left.
Snagging
Since notification for snagging we have had 52 snagging inspections carried out by clients and of these so far 9 have been totally signed off as ready. This does not mean we have to recitfy problems with the other 43, it merely means we are awaiting the reports to come back from the different parties that have snagged so we can see what needs to be done.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Reminder for mortgage Service
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Photos for Ficus
Have a nice afternoon,
Tecnicil.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Power and Water on Vila Verde
In the Republic of Cape Verde there is one main company responsible for both water and electricity across the ten islands and this company is Electra.
Potted History
Created on 17th April, 1982, Electra at that time was made up of three companies, EAM (Electricidade e Água do Mindelo - from Mindelo on the Island of Sao Vicente), CEP (Central Eléctrica da Praia - from the capital city, Praia on the Island of Santiago) and EAS (Electricidade e Água do Sal - we know where that is!).
The mission that Electra was charged with was a tough one. They had to find and provide a response to the energetic and water requirements for the main urban areas of Sal, Praia and Mindelo. And this response was expected to be continuous and ongoing.
To get a good of the circumstances and the state of development at that time, at the time of the creation of the company Electra provided electricity to 9,255 clients and water to 2,855 clients. You surely know that the population of Cape Verde at the time was quite a bit more than these number. It was climbing past about 300,000 at that time.
It was not until 1998 that Electra received the mandate from the government to fix its sights on extending the service to the whole country. Over the coming years Electra opened offices and installations on all of the islands. The logistics were terribly difficult but they worked hard and bit by bit extended the network to all urban areas of the country.
Now in 2010 we have a network that is able to sustain power and water in most parts of the country almost continuously. There are still power outs in some parts of the country but Electra is working hard to fulfill these areas and ensure that their mission of non-stop water and power is achieved.
Vila Verde
For our project, Vila Verde, the process has been painstaking and sometimes it has seemed to us, and to you we know!, that we just would never make it. However, we have now had power and water for some time.
However it must be stressed that the process for connection is not the same as in the UK.
First the resort is connected up, and this includes all of the blocks, the common areas, the pools, bathrooms, shops and so on. The connection is tested and then left switched OFF.
2. Electra to you
Once you have gone to title deeds there will still be no electricity. You have to take your deeds to the Electra office together with a copy of your bank details, some identification and some money. There they will be happy to guide you through the signing up process. If all the paperwork is correct then in around 4/5 working days (Can drag to 8-10) the power and water will come on in your property.
3. Tecnicil and You.
Please bear in mind that Tecnicil is NOT responsible for this process at all. We can neither speed it up now do it for you. Any delays in this connection are entirely down to Electra. This is not just a Cape Verde issue, in Portugal or Spain you would also have to go and sort out your own connections or get someone to do this for you. We would recommend using one of the snagging companies to do this. Your lawyers can also do this, but you can imagine the difference in cost of sending a lawyer to get your water switched on!
I hope this is helpful but if you have any questions please leave them as comments here and we can try and answer them all at the same time.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Photos on the Web album
From Cactus October 2010 |
Good afternoon to you all!
We have today added the latest photos for Cactus, Lantana and Raphis. Just clicking on the names should take you there.
In response to the questions about completion for Cactus, we estimate that Cactus will be complete in mid-December. We will be releasing snagging notifications shortly for Cactus.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the photos and wish you a very good weekend.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Completions Process
There are several steps to this process, some of which are a little "chicken and egg".
1. We finalise the word on your apartment and issue a notification to you for snagging and also request that the townhall for them to inspect so we can get our habitation licence.
2. You have 14 days to organise an inspection of the apartment. You can fly out and do this yourself or you can use a third party snagging company.
3. Once you have inspected and handed back your snag list we then have 28 days to correct any defects that are found. If there are none, then as soon as we get the habitation licence we will issue you with notification for deeds. This is always a 28 day notification.
4. If there are defects then once these are corrected and you have made a second satsifactory inspection, if necessary, then once again, as soon as we have the habitation licence we issue you with notification for deeds. This must happen no later than 28 days afterwards.
5. If there is a delay in the process due to mortgage applications or a need to clarify further questions it is vital that you communicate this to us. We have some units that are now outside the 28 day notification period by some margin.
6. If we have owners that do not complete the first thing we are forced to do is reduce or remove the compensation that is awarded to them for the delays on the build. If this does not result in deeds happening then we have to move to cancel the unit. This is not merely a punitive measure on our part, this is a measure that is in turn forced upon us by the banks that are the financing arm of the project.
If you have any further questions please contact the Commercial Director, Iain, on itozer@tecnicil.com
Have a good day!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
New Blog for Owners on Vila Verde Resort Santa Maria
Friday, October 8, 2010
Vila Verde from the air!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Photos for Pepper
Vila Verde Resort Santa Maria is really taking shape now and, although we have had to contend with the different delays, we are convinced that you will agree that the wait has been worth it.
http://picasaweb.google.com/VilaVerdeSantaMaria
Monday, September 27, 2010
Final Notifications soon to be issued
If you have any doubts about the completions process please do contact us on the usual emails and we will do our best to respond.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
MRI and furniture
Once again may we ask any clients who have purchased furniture from the overseas agent MRI - Macanthony Realty International - to contact us with regards to a matter that may interest them.
You can contact the Commercial Director, Iain Tozer, on email itozer@tecnicil.com
Many thanks.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Photos from this month, September 2010
http://picasaweb.google.es/VilaVerdeSantaMaria
Completions
Many thanks and have a good weekend.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Inspections for Lantana coming up!
Please contact us via info@tecnicil.com to coordinate these inspections with us. If you are using a third party snagging company they will know what to do.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
New photos and completion dates
From CANNA JULY 2010 |
We have posted some new photos on the Web Album. You can click here or go to the following address: http://picasaweb.google.es/VilaVerdeSantaMaria
We have also had the revised completion dates since the strike action has terminated.
They are as follows:
· C1: Lantana - Completion for 30.09.2010
· C2: Cactus - Completion for 08.11.2010
· C12: Raphis - Completion for 29.11.2010
· C13: Malaleuca - Completion for 10.12.2010
· Villas: Completion for 25.11.2010
· Townhouses: Completion from Septemeber 2010 to November 2010
If you have any questions please contact us on info@tecnicil.com
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Strike Over and back to normal
We wanted to clarify a few issues. Furniture is installed in more than 150 apartments now but there has been all kinds of fun and games in terms of inventory so some apartments still need certain items. For example, some terrace furniture is not in place in some units while others may be missing some aspects of bed linen. Please bear with us as we are working hard to sort this out for you.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Latest News
First of all the famous strike action. There are many reasons for this being bandied about in the public domain but the truth of the matter is that the reason behind the striking is the downsizing of the workforce. Now the resort is finishing off we clearly do not need the same size workforce as we had before.
Regrettably many of the workers did not agree with this policy and have caused disruption on the site with their strike and picket action. We are pleased to report, however, that the strike action is now over.
It may take us a week or so to get back to normal however, so work for the next fortnight or so may be disrupted.
Secondly, the summer is coming on and we have made huge advances in the resort, as I am sure you can see on the Web album. The overall opinion of owners is positive although we are aware of some niggling issues that are being addressed now, such as the light fittings next to the fridge!
One thing we would ask when it comes to commnunicating with Tecnicil. Some clients send an email and address their lawyers, the staff on Sal (Nelson, Carlos, Svetlana) and the staff on Praia (Miria, Nuno) as well as Iain. This is a sure fire way to confuse everyone as no one knows who has ownership of the email and thus you may not get a reply. So we ask that you direct all communication to the relevant party. To help you let's put a list here:
ALL issues relating to the properties themselves on Sal, snagging issues, arrivals, title deeds, hotels and meeting on the island.
Nelson Evora, Area Manager for Sal Island - nevora@tecnicil.com
ALL account information, outstanding payments, questions relating to payments or statements of account, to Miria Fortes on Santiago Island.
mfortes@tecnicil.com
More serious issues, complaints, concerns, admiration (!) or contractual questions in the first instance please write to Iain or Nuno
itozer@tecnicil.com
nmartins@tecnicil.com
For new sales issues (Yes there have been some!) pricing and other questions please write to helen@tecnicil.com
Many thanks.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Governor of Canada Visits our Resort!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/VilaVerdeSantaMaria
Friday, May 14, 2010
Update on insurance requirements
If you are IN the rental scheme you only need to get insurance to cover FIRE. You need not get anything else.
If you are not in the rental pool you can choose more or less what insurance you have. People with mortgages will need to consult with their bank to see if there is any special requirement. Rosemary at mortgages@tecnicil.com can also help you but if you have used another broker please direct your questions to them.
Many thanks and good evening,
Tecnicil
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Mortgages and Furniture
We will be happy to assist you and charge nothing for the service. We will place your application with two banks and also ensure that we can get the relevant feedback for you.
With regards to furniture, we are awaiting some further numbers of clients interested and then we will put together a quote for you.
Have a nice weekend!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
More meeting information
Furniture
Many clients expressed the wish for Tecnicil to provide furniture given the problems that others experienced with MRI and Furniture World Direct etc. It is known that our packages are all on the island.
We agreed to organise a package for anyone who is interested. This package would be different to the Premium Package and would not confer the right to join the scheme. As a result the package would not need to include the modifications and extras that we needed for the rental program and so it could be a much more economical prospect. We will find out if you can avoid the import duty on a package like this.
Many clients have already expressed interest in this so if you are interested please write to furniture@tecnicil.com and state your interest in this.
Meeting summaries
We'll begin with certain issues surrounding delays.
1. Force Majeure (FM)
At Tecnicil we are comfortable with the issues surrounding FM. Bear in mind that FM is NOT necessarily an acto of God, as many people seem to believe. FM is ANY loss to production produced by something beyond ones control.
The sand supply issue that many people seem to trivialise or suggest was easy to fix was very problematic. We had an agreement to use the sand on Sal Island and this agreement was broken. However, we did not then just nip out to the nearest building supply company to buy some more.
First of all we tried to sit down and renegotiate the agreement because we had sand stockpiled. These negotiations took a long long time and we were not successful. So we then had to begin the purchase process again. This can take time in and of itself. Once purchased it has to be imported again. And meanwhile we then have to reprogram the building works on site.
Anyway, all of this notwithstanding, we were aware that there was a lot of negative feeling amongst our client base because of our invoking FM so we decided to try and find a middle ground solution.
With Phase I communities the FN would have given us a delivery date of March 30th, 2009 and without FM we would have an outside date of Decemebr 31st, 2008. So we talked this through with the different client lawyers and agreed upon the date in the middle of this to use as a cut off point. So from February 15th 2009 all Phase I clients began accruing compensation.
For Phase II communities the cut off point WITH FM would have been September 30th 2009 and without FM it would be June 30th 2009. So once again we took the middle position and started the compensation for delays on August 15th 2009.
I hope this makes sense and would encourage you to contact us via info@tecnicil.com if you have questions or doubts after reading this.
2. Compensation levels
The compensation for delays is paid according to the European tracker rate known as Euribor. Euribor is currently at just under 1% and we apply Euribor at 6 months (For full information on Euribor please look here: http://www.euribor-rates.eu/
Also in the spirit of compromise we had applied the compensation rates in a slightly different way for the first 45 days.
For Phase I clients the compensation is calculated as follows:
1. February 15th to March 31st. All amounts paid to us so far at Euribor +5%
2. April 1st until 28 days after notification for deeds at Euribor +10%
For Phase I clients, please bear in mind that this does only run until 28 days after your notification for deeds which may have happened some months ago. So if you have not gone to deeds yet it does not mean you are still accumulating compensation.
For Phase II clients the compensation is as follows:
1. August 15th to September 30th: Euribor +5%
2. October 1st to 28 days after notification for deeds: Euribor +10%
Compensation for delays on Phase II is currently running therefore at Euribor +10% on the payment made to date.
To provide some examples. For investments to date of:
For 25,000 Euros you receive 229,16 Euros a month
For 50,000 Euros you receive 458.33 Euros a month
For 75,000 Euros you receive 687.50 Euros a month
For 100,000 Euros you receive 916.67 Euros a month
This compensation will be deducted from your final payment.
3. Water and electricity
There are now NO further issues with water and electricity on the site. There are many clients now who have organised this. It should be underlined that this needs to be done now by yourselves or via your representatives. We would recommend the use of a third party company such as the snagging companies as they only charge around 50 Euros plus the connection fees themselves. However, we are trying to solve the issue with Electra surrounding the necessity or not of a power of attorney for this.
Please allow me to insist one more time, Tecnicil have resolved all issues now with Electra but the actual contract, ie the connection of the system to YOUR apartment can only be made by yourselves or your representatives.
4. Completion dates
Many of you have seen the photos on the Picasa photo album we have (http://picasaweb.google.com/VilaVerdeSantaMaria) and you can see that we are in the final stretch now for Phase I. The final community for Phase I will be Ficus and that is set for June.
Phase II, which is only 4 communities, remember, will be totally finished by September / October 2010. You will be completing before the end of 2010.
Snagging will begin on Phase II units by the end of the summer. Please look at the photos and you should be able to see the different advances we are making.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Meetings and replies to come comments
Apart from the cold, the visit was very positive, we feel, and have also seen that there are, as is normal, similar concerns and questions.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
These visits
The idea behind these visits is merely to listen to questions and concerns and try and address them in the best way possible. We have not invited clients really, we have simply made ourselves available and then tried to combine our timing and itinerary with yours.
As the response is literally overwhelming we are trying to fit as many people in as possible but it's not easy. Even using half hour slots we can not attend to everyone and have been forced to adopt the following measures:
We have planned the trips and sent out apointments with 30 minute slots. If you can not make that time we will have to put your appointment off till the next visit.
We know this is not ideal but it's remarkably difficult to achieve this kind of planning with a small staff and such large numbers. Please rest assured that we are workingn to try and see as many of you as possible on this trip and we WILL post everything of use here.
Perhaps you could also post questions that you want answers to. The latest comments have all been about the trips and there have been little regarding the resort and current news.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Trips and dates
A quick explanation so you can see that there is method in our madness with regards to getting appointments with us in the UK.
We have sent out notifications to everyone, apart from using this Blog, and are now collating the replies. Essentially the idea is that we have said when we are arriving in the UK but have NOT confirmed later dates or venues as we need to assess numbers. Imagine if we set a date for Birmingham and everyone wants to see us in London!
One thing we have to make clear: This visit is going to last a whole week but we have far more requests than time available so we will have to organise a return visit. As it stands we have more than 95% of the requests for London, Birmingham and Manchester. It may be that on this trip that is all we manage to do but we will keep you posted. Please be sure that we will come back as soon as possible so that we can to everybody.
See you soon!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Trips!
We will arrive in London on March 20th and have some appointments already for that day.
It is our aim to stay in London till at least Monday 22nd. We will be seeing people on the Sunday as well. From there we will travel to Birmingham and will be in the NEC area as that seems to be easiest for people to get to. We will add some other venues as the appointments increase.
For concrete dates and appointments please write to completions@tecnicil.com this is an easy email address and has no necessary bearing on completions.
We look forward to hearing from you and seeingn you in the UK. Given the numbers we will have to plan a second trip anyway.
Friday, February 26, 2010
UK Visits
So our apologies for the delays but we are sorting flights etc now. We will publish dates in the next few days and they will almost certainly be for a London kick off the week after next.
Have a great afternoon.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
UK Visits, finally!
Firstly accept our apologies for the fact that we have not updated you on the trips to the UK that we had announced. Our original plan had been to go towards the end of January. However some internal events with Tecnicil meant that we have had to put this off.
The good news is that we have a green light and will be visiting the dark and snowy landscapes that we have seen on TV recently!
We haven't got dates sorted yet but will fix them soon. We aim for the end of February and our goal is to sit with any and all clients that wish to meet with us. We will have material with us to show you the site and how it is coming along, copies of contracts and the different plans that are in place for the next lap at Vila Verde Resort Santa Maria.
So we do hope to see you soon.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Installation of Furniture
We have added some photos to the Picasa Web Album which show the installation of furniture in one of the apartments. I don't think we will win any prizes for the photos but I am sure you can see the furniture looks great! We will add more soon.
http://picasaweb.google.es/VilaVerdeSantaMaria/FurnitureInstallation?feat=directlink
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tassel is now ready for snagging
Good morning to you all.
We are pleased to confirm that Tassel is now ready for snagging. Also the remaining units in Atriplex that had been trailing the pack are also finalised.
So one more milestone down! Please coordinate with your snagging representatives so that you can ensure they book an appointment with Nelson and get into inspect.
Thanks in advance and we look forward to seeing you soon in Cape Verde.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Become a follower!!!
Please become a follower of this Blog by clicking on the "Follow" button below the Index on the right.
Lok forward to seeing you there!
Tecnicil
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Payments, deeds, transfers and above all communication!
Mortgages for your property
Please write to Rosemary de Crus on mortgages@tecnicil.com and she will be happy to help. This service is free!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Our dates!
This is true, obviously, and we do apologise for the delays, both in the snagging itself and also in publishing the dates. The truth be told, there are very small items holding us up, and they seem to be the typical things that make it harder for the guys on site to give us an exact date.
However, if you look at the photos that we have published on the Web Album (And we will be putting more there) you can see that bascially we ARE there!
Please, please rest assured that we will post the opening of snagging very soon for those communities that are due and will post new dates in necessay for the next areas.
Meanwhile enjoy the photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/VilaVerdeSantaMaria
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Some more photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/VilaVerdeSantaMaria
Enjoy them and we'll add some more soon.
Please remember if you have questions please direct yourselves to info@tecnicil.com
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Atriplex has plants and lighting!
We have added some more photos. We do apologise for the delays but these festive periods have meant that our one and only photographer was a little distracted.
Anyway, we have him back on line now and here are the first shots in a round of many to come.
This time, as we are getting better at everything we do, I think you only need to click on the photo below and it will take you to the album!
January 2010 |
Friday, January 1, 2010
Important news
We are pleased to inform you that from today, 1st January 2010, the costs for deeds and registration of properties have been substantially reduced, under the new law already approved by the Government. We will send a copy of this to you via separate Email. Your legal advisors will also have this information.
We also take this opportunity to inform you that Tecnicil has now fulfilled all of the conditions and responsibilities with regards to the connection of utilities and that you or your representatives will now be able to sign up with Electra.
A third and also important item regards the electronic title deeds system. We are informed that the system is now able to function correctly for deeds of properties purchased with mortgages or other kinds of bank finance.
As a result we are pleased to say that you can move to deeds and we would encourage you to do everything to prepare for the signing of the deeds as soon as possible.