Local trouble

I received a letter yesterday, by registered post, from M Sire, the owner of the vacant space on the ground floor where I temporarily dumped a load a debris during my renovation, demanding that I relocate the water supply to my apartments.

My water supply runs through this space of his and not in a particularly well thought out way - but then so does everybody elses water supply and indeed electricity supply too. As far as I can see they were all installed at the same time and all well before I bought my apartments.

I had a chat with Bridgitte about it and asked her opinion - she phoned the notaire that had handled my sale and was pointed in the direction of the rules and regulations governing the building which is now in her hands as Madame La Presidente. It turns out that all pipework not inside the proprietors own flat is the responsibility of the managing agents, i.e us as proprietors jointly.

That is good news - M Sire is the only proprietor that owes money and he now has to face all the owners rather than just try to bully me separately. It will be interesting to see if he turns up at the next meeting, which is imminent, to pursue his case.

I'd actually be very happy to see the pipe re-sited because M Sire has stated his intention to sell - mind you he wants €20,000 for an uninhabitable space with no bathroom or kitchen - he is clearly bonkers. Bridgitte referred to him as 'con', which my dictionary translates as bloody stupid but I am sure that it must have a much more colourful translation from the way that the phrase was delivered - I can certainly think of plenty of different words to use .

So the matter will go on the next agenda and Bridgitte will draft a reply to him and we will see what happens after that.

In the meantime, my Irish guests left to be replaced by London Aussies on a two day break without their kids - which means that I am all Aussied out in both suites - cripes mate. The new guests apparently hitch-hiked through here some 15 years ago and have vague memories of it all - isn't that sweet.

I have a bit of a weekend from hell actually - after a room change today and then another tomorrow, I have a double changeover on Sunday - which means a lot of cleaning, washing, ironing and airport drop-offs and pick-ups - not to mention dinner on Saturday evening. I don't normally accept one night bookings, but with Debrah in London this weekend on account of an early Monday departure on a photo-shoot trip to Turkey, and a dinner to do on Saturday night for the Aussies, I figured that I may as well fill the vacant night.

It should keep me out of trouble anyway.