€38,717: Spent on awnings in 2025
€60,000: Budgeted for awnings in 2026
In 2025, the community spent €38,717 on "awning repairs". For 2026, the budget allocates an additional €60,000 to the same line item. Combined: nearly one hundred thousand euros over two years dedicated exclusively to the shopping centre's awnings.
Is there a report on which awnings were repaired in 2025? Where exactly? Who carried out the work? At what cost per unit? Were multiple quotes obtained? We don't know. Because nobody reports.
Walk through the centre. Look up.
You don't need to be an expert to evaluate this expense. Just walk through C.C. Cita and look at the awnings. How many look new or repaired? How many are broken, faded, hanging loose? Every owner can do this check in five minutes.
If the results of €38,717 are not visible, what guarantee is there that the €60,000 for 2026 will be spent any better?
€100,000 on awnings vs. everything else
What could you do with €100,000?
Awnings (2025 + 2026): ~€100,000
Annual electricity: €47,820
Annual maintenance & cleaning: €49,913
Lawyers for €1.9M debt: €3,568
Repairing the awnings is necessary — owners demand it and customers notice it. The problem is not the expense. The problem is that there is no evidence the money was spent properly. Without a results report, without photographs, without a breakdown, €38,717 is just a number on paper.
No report, no oversight, no transparency
In a well-managed community, an expense of nearly €100,000 should be accompanied by detailed documentation: what was repaired, where, when, by which contractor, at what unit cost, and whether competitive quotes were obtained.
Owners at C.C. Cita receive none of this. Just one line in the budget: "Awning repairs: €38,717". No breakdown. No before-and-after photographs. No justification for the increase to €60,000 in 2026.
Good practices for maintenance expenses
Any significant maintenance expenditure should be documented with: work description, exact location, contracted company, amount including VAT, alternative quotes obtained, and before/after photographs. This is not a luxury — it is the minimum standard that allows owners to verify their money is being spent correctly.
Questions for the March 7 meeting
1. Is there a detailed report on the awnings repaired in 2025? Where can it be reviewed?
2. Which contractor carried out the work? Were competitive quotes obtained?
3. Why does this line item increase by 55% for 2026 (from €38,717 to €60,000)?
4. How many awnings were actually repaired in 2025? How many are still outstanding?
5. Has a full replacement been considered instead of partial repairs year after year?
Do the test yourself
Before Saturday, walk through the centre. Look at the awnings. Take photos. Compare what you see with the €38,717 listed in the budget. And when the 2026 budget comes up for approval with another €60,000 for awnings, ask why.
If you cannot attend, delegate your vote. Article 26 of the statutes — even via WhatsApp.
Repairing the awnings is essential. But €100,000 without documentation isn't management — it's a blank cheque.