The largest private apartment complex in Bulgaria’s coastal town of Pomorie "Sunset Resort", also known as the Dutch Village, remained in the dark due to an unpaid electricity bill worth 400,000 euros. This forced the administration to close its doors indefinitely and lay off nearly 500 people working to maintain it.
Pomorie is one of our most visited Black Sea towns not only in summer. Because of its famous healing mud, it is among the most preferred spa resorts at any time of the year. The closing of the complex, however, will deprive the apartment owners there of using the natural features for an indefinite period. There are 1,200 of them in total, as half of them have not paid the maintenance fee, which amounts to 1,500 euros per year.
Among them are 350 Irish people who for two years have refused to pay the fee for the common parts of their property. Then the Irish MEP Clare Daly intervened in the private dispute between the management of the complex and the Irish citizens, as she arrived in the seaside town to learn more about the case. The case was cited by Daly in an EP resolution on Bulgaria as a problem with the rule of law in this country, but an effective solution was never reached.
The accumulated amount due from the Irish owners alone to date is €900,000, this includes both utilities and maintenance costs. What is the reason they refuse to pay - the manager of the condominium Manol Manolov gives an answer:
"Property owners refer to Article 51 of the Condominium Management Act, which states that if they do not stay for 30 days, they do not owe a fee. In practice, the complex is maintained year-round, electricity and water are paid every month, and it doesn't matter if someone comes just for five days or for 5 months. Things must be distinguished and it would be good if the law changed in this direction. "
Despite the official closure of the complex, the owners have access to their properties, but there is no electricity, due to the amount owed to the electricity distribution company. So far there is water, but it is not known for how long. It is also not clear how the rest of the owners, who have paid their bills regularly until now, will be compensated. The complex will be opened only when the sums due are paid, but at least for now there are no such prospects.
Аccording to the mayor of Pomorie Ivan Alexiev, this situation will have a particularly negative effect on the development of tourism in Pomorie.
According to the information of the local administration, during the past summer season, the municipality of Pomorie has welcomed more Bulgarian tourists - 51,064, who visited the city mostly for the weekend, without generating serious income for the local economy. Therefore, the municipality relies for the development of the local economy on the foreign tourists.
"Nearly 2,800 beds remain empty from May to the end of October, and for Pomorie this is not at all a small number. If these contradictions are not ironed out, the complex will not work not only next year, but probably also after that.”
The only way out of the situation is urgent legislative changes to regulate the conditions for maintenance and life in closed complexes with private owners.
Based on interviews taken by Daniela Kostadinova (BNR-Burgas)
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