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bajajazz
Nomad
Posts: 386
Registered: 12-18-2006
Location: La Paz, BCS, Mexico
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DEATHS DUE TO SHODDY CONSTRUCTION
I have been told that two albanils were killed and eight others injured when a wall collapsed in a condominium project they were working on in La Paz
last Thursday, May 1st. The location was somewhere near Colina del Sol, or between there and Lomas de Palmira. Does anyone know the details of this
event?
Also, 13 owners of properties in the new BellaTerra development just below Lomas de Palmira are in a headline- making feud with the project's
architect regarding the absence of promised services, water, sewer, etc. It must indeed be profoundly disconcerting to spend 200 dollars a square
meter for a lot, then build a house valued at another 450 to 650 thousand dollars and find out there are no services to supply the house systems.
The crappy quality of the rampant building and the outright scams going on around us is of concern to those of us whose property values are being
degraded by their proximity. We have watched some new construction with a certain amount of dismay mixed with amusement, e.g., bricks that are mostly
sand laid with a thin gruel of mortar with no concern for levelling, the slipshod work finally covered over with a thin coat of plaster that may or
may not survive the first hurricane.
But now that on-the-job deaths are occurring as a result of this lousy construction there's nothing at all funny about it anymore. If the stories
I've heard are true someone is guilty of negligent homicide. Does anyone in a position of authority care?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65300
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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What are "albanils" ?
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jodiego
Nomad
Posts: 319
Registered: 2-16-2007
Location: San Diego
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Mood: ever hopeful
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
What are "albanils" ? |
Albanils are masons.
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sd
Nomad
Posts: 487
Registered: 3-19-2008
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Albanils are Masons.
I didn't know either.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65300
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thanks Jo... I hope that wasn't a Free Mason secret that you revealed!
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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The Truth
The Truth is:
The masons are not masons ...
The electricians are not electricans ...
The plumbers are outragious ...
And the painters don"t know prep ...
And all of this exists because there is no trade apprentiship and there is NO LISCESING of trade personel.
I just watched a thirty year verten (so he says) elec/plumber distroy a new casa. He may have had years of experience, they were based on
years of doing it wrong.
The most common reply by workman I have heard this year is "We have always done it this way" and "It is easier for us to do it this way"
both unacceptable answers to legitimate questions.
They desperately need testing and liscencing ....
But, it will never happen , so homebuilder beware ... watch their every move ... inspect each procedure before alowing them to move on to the
next project ...
Because, YOU will have to pay to make it all right ...
And there is basically no recourse or recovery.
Oh well,
That's all I had to say,
Just a thought,
CaboRon
You can let me have it now 
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bajalera
Super Nomad
Posts: 1875
Registered: 10-15-2003
Location: Santa Maria CA
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A couple of years ago we had a so-called plumber who grounded a wire to a plastic pipe.
\"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest never happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.\" -
Mark Twain
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajalera
A couple of years ago we had a so-called plumber who grounded a wire to a plastic pipe. |
It's only funny if you don't burn out your two thousand dollar computer ..... or your refridgerator .... or burn down the house ....
CaboRon
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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I'm a certified real estate home inspector. It is better up north, but I still see things that would fit right in south of the border.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
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When our $20,000 brain mapping and neurofeedback equipment blew, it was an "act of God", really dumb god there, didn't connect the ground wire for the
entire complex. It was hanging over the post that it was supposed to be attached to. I heard from the mouth of an "electrician" that "we don't connect
that wire down here, they only do that in the North". So there you go!
Having said that I have seen some amazing and creative constrution down there that one could only call "art". I saw a Culapo (sp?), a rounded,
circulare ceiling, layed out by sight and put up without any measurements. Beautiful brick work. Go figure!
Iflyfish
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Roberto
Banned
Posts: 2162
Registered: 9-5-2003
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| Quote: | Originally posted by morgaine7
| Quote: | Originally posted by CaboRon
And all of this exists because there is no trade apprentiship and there is NO LISCESING of trade personel. |
Actually, there is trade apprenticeship. I'm sure you've noticed that the work crews on your construction projects include younger men, likely as not
relatives of the maestro. They probably do menial tasks if they're new, but those who are more experienced may do advanced work under
supervision. You can sometimes hear the maestro explaining particular techniques to the others as he works.
Kate |
Of course there is. What we have is a typical example of a gringo (and I use that term appropriately) moving south because it's cheap, who has no
appreciation of the fact that things DO get done differently. What would you figure CaboRon would score on the language comprehension test? My guess
is he speaks no Spanish, and sits back criticizing ***** ****** 24/7. Any takers?
This is the same guy who, for a couple months, posted "NEVER STOP IN BAJA NORTE". Turns out, Baja Norte was a self-designated area between the Border
and Maneadero, and even THAT is pretty f'ing funny (or sad, depending on your perspective).
[Edited on 5-5-2008 by Hose A]
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stanburn
Nomad
Posts: 145
Registered: 10-4-2007
Location: Santiago, Colima, MX
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According a an albaņil I have used before, the apprentice period is 15 years.
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Peacefull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Roberto
| Quote: | Originally posted by CaboRon
I live here because it is beautiful and cheap ....
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And you certainly picked the capital of CHEAP in Todos Santos!
What's the price of booze over there Rum, uh Ron? |
Roberto,
So, slander is your specialty ? What a low life.
Don't know what the price of booze is because I seldom drink.
And what would that have to do with shoddy construction in Baja California ?
Do you even live in Mexico ?
Have you ever built a house here only to have your valuable electronics destroyed because of cave man electricians ?
I notice you don't post your residence in the column to the left.
You are probably sitting in the states acting like you are some kind of authority on Mexico.
Maybe you should llive here full tilme, and you will get a sense of the reality.
And Roberto, There is no place for personel attacks in civil discussion.
CaboRon
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
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The wall in question was a 40x4m dividing wall between a SAAB and Associados project and DECOPE on Colinas del Sol. Apparently plans called for a full
(presumably with foundation) retaining wall, but only a "standard" block wall was built on sloping ground.
According to a source in the Cruz Rojo, 4 dead and 20 hurt.
Fingers are flying.
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ElFaro
Nomad
Posts: 231
Registered: 9-16-2007
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My neighbor who is Mexican and works for the U.S. govt. at the border was building an addition to dbl. the size of his house back in 2004 before the
Harris fire burned it all to the ground in Oct. 2007. He is always looking for ways to cut corners and try to save $'s in everything even though it
ends up costing him more in the end. So at the start of the addition project (2004) he hires through a friend of a friend a Mexican guy (Tresero)
from Tijuana who had done some minor room addition work but had never really taken on a project that was essentially the building of a house. This
guy doesn't speak any English. My neighbor acting as owner/builder has Tresero doing all phases of the project...foundation, framing, flooring,
plumbing, electrical, drywall/plaster, stucco, roofing, windows/doors, counters/cabinets, finish work, etc. Tresero has experience at some things but
is a master at none. He has minimal hand tools and almost no elec. tools. He was not up to the latest code changes and requirements for those
building in the fire prone areas of back country San Diego. Since my neighbor was NOT privy to the building codes and relied on Tresero, he simply
built things the only way he knew and then they called the bldg. inspector to tell them what to correct !! It was unreal as Tresero had to go back
time and again and either tear out shoddy work and redo it or he had to make laborious and costly corrections to satisfy the inspectors when he simply
could have done it correct the first time!! After several months and just before final inspection Tresero and my neighbor have several arguments over
payment and workmanship and results, etc. Tresero eventually bails for other work and leaves my neighbor in limbo as a bunch of requirements by the
inspector are needed to be completed before final. In October 2007 the Harris fire roars through and wipes out my neighbor's house and addition
before he could get final inspection. Unfortunately my neighbor thought he was going to get a great addition at bargain basement prices by going
cheap with Tresero but he ended up paying more and losing in the end.
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Kell-Baja
Nomad
Posts: 360
Registered: 1-18-2003
Location: San Diego
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There is no place for personal attacks in civil discussion.
Must say I do agree with this line.
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bajalera
Super Nomad
Posts: 1875
Registered: 10-15-2003
Location: Santa Maria CA
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Wrongo! There IS a place for personal attacks. Scroll down to Off Topics.
\"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest never happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.\" -
Mark Twain
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Eli
Super Nomad
Posts: 1471
Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: L.B. Baja Sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: Some times Observing, sometimes Oblivious.
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Leara, every once and a while I get the urge to check out Off Topics, what is the secret pass word anyway? How do I log on there? I can't imagine why
I would want to, but it bugs me not to have access.
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
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Mood: mellow
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Eli
Over 6 and under 14
Actually it's "over 18"
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3881
Registered: 2-9-2004
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Eli - the PW is "over18" as indicated
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