ASOCIACION DE PROPIETARIOS DEL RESIDENCIAL DE MONTAÑA LOS ALTOS DE CERRO AZUL (APREMACA)

My wife, a Panamanian by birth, and I agree with Lyn and Hugo. We live in Cerro Azul because we love it. We also recognize that this is not a a wealthy enclave in some area in the United States.

Crime and security are problems irrespective of where one may live in Panama. I do not believe Panama is a Third World County, I have been to many over my 36+ years of military service, but it is a a Second World country. Panama is up and coming. Like all developing nations, she is having growing pains. Crime is no better in Patilla or other urban areas. Good grief, there are areas of New York City, of Washington, D.C. and all of other cityies such as Detroit, where crime and security are much worse and the cost of living is much higher.

The TSM we pay is modest. We still benefit far in excess of what we pay.

Would I like more say in what happens in my community? Yes. Would I pay more to preserve my community? Again, yes. Despite the issues and minor irritants, do I still feel Cerro Azul is the best place on the planet to live out our years (after seeing much of the world and having no desire whatsoever to make a return trip)? Absolutely!

Let us band together as a community to continually improve the same. Enough of the counter productive, if not destructive, complaining and agitation.

Should the community foolishly drive the Melo Group out as Administrator and should a single board of directors of a single home owner's association take the reigns; our TSM will hugely increase and the level of services will likely drastically decrease. But, alas, this is the price of democracy. Be careful what you wish for as you may get your wish...

Mark y Yari Ort
61 Torreon

I was informed that the office would like to be advised of all security issues.
It makes sense for them to keep track of violations. The office personnel can only do this if we inform them. Posting on this forum is a good idea as it increases awareness but making a report will contribute to better statistics.

On 26 Mar, someone reached in our unlocked car, in the driveway, and lifted about $15 form the small storage compartment (leaving the camera in the glove compartment). Many poor people are always looking for a quick cash grab. The car will be locked from now on.

I agree with Mark, there are security issues everywhere. Our community is not exempt just because we have basic security measures in place. Even if we tighten up those measures, crimes of opportunity will continue to occur.

Norm
175A Centinela

Thank you, Norm, for advising all of us about the recent incident. No matter how trivial it appears these are violations that cut deep into our sense of security. This shows how vulnerable we are and reinforces the need for open communication to keep everyone alert and watchful. The forum will be a useful tool in providing information we need to help maintain security in Los Altos de Cerro Azul.

You say the event occured on the 26th of March, last year? Or is that a typo?

Best regards,

Leslie "Marco" Lieurance
233 El Centinela

26 of Feb, sorry

We are going to address the question of why there seems to be an ever increasing number of people with no obvious connection to property owners, their families or personal guests, wandering around and making free use of things we residents pay for and generally abusing our property owners’ living space and rights.

Legally we are in a residential area with no commercial activities permitted, but in reality a number of establishments are bringing paying guests into our private community all the time. As part of their propaganda, they have the gall to offer free use of our so-called community facilities such as the club pool and tennis courts, nature trails, roads and swimming areas. All these are maintained at the expense of us, the property owners, and we never gave anyone the right to use them for commercial gain. Here are some examples from the web:

http://chagresnationalpark.blogspot.com Offers short-term accommodation for rent in a “spacious apartment ….. situated in Los Altos de Cerro Azul, a private community …... This community offers 24 hour security, high speed internet, tennis courts, a swimming pool and a restaurant. It also has several hiking trails through the tropical cloud forest with wonderful rivers and waterfalls around every corner.”
http://greenplanettourism.com/rates.shtml Connected to the foregoing, this site offers accommodation for many paying guests. Included in the 3-day program is“Property tour or free time to enjoy the club restaurant, swimming pool or play some tennis or explore the nature and the rest of the community. Picnic lunch at the river or at The Nest (Depending on the weather)”
http://gingerhouse-panama.com/activities.php Offers B&B accommodation. Among the attractions listed are:
Hiking - The Chagres National Park has many marked trails accessible within the community of Cerro Azul and close to Ginger House.
Swimming - Lake or community swimming pool.
Tennis - Hit the community court for a great workout.
The next website offers accommodation and tourism within our community as part of a more extensive tour (they are not the only ones): http://www.birdingpanama.com/pipeline_road_birding.html
Words fail us to describe the next website; look it up for yourselves -
http://www.onelifewarrior.org/2011/10/t ... -trail-run

In addition, (or perhaps because of the foregoing), there are other places taking in hordes of unruly paying guests and regularly busloads of people enter our area, and we have even seen people walking in. Who are they? This is not a tourist area, this is a private gated residential community!

Expecting Melo to do something about it is not unreasonable. We often wish we were back in the early 1990s when Melo used its own initiative to impose a strict control on inappropriate access to the area in general and especially to the bathing areas where at weekends there were guard posts you couldn’t pass unless you were a bona fide property owner or guest. And any contravention of the zoning laws was stamped out before it could take root. All for $5.00 per month in home owners’ contributions (TSM and the club did not exist until later, when Melo unilaterally invented them).

Melo today is both Administrator and Board of Directors of the existing residents’ associations, but takes no action in either capacity. Meanwhile, the property owners have no real legal clout so rather than fixing the situation it will just keep on deteriorating. We don’t want Melo to go but we do want it to do its job as well as cooperate in replacing the existing dormant HOA’s with one that really works.

Bill and Esther Adsett
Lots 142/143 El Torreón