Tag Archives: La Yacata

November 4, 2023 · 7:43 am

Knock, Knock, Knocking on La Maestra’s Door

Things are moving along on the quest for organization and utilities in La Yacata. We had another community meeting and collected enough to pay for the avalúo catastral, the study done by the Presidencia to access taxes and property values in the upper quadrant. The next step is to pay the predial, the actual tax fee. Brick by brick, as they say….

Anyway, even though I was exceedingly clear at the meeting that I was ONLY available after 4 p.m., that has not deterred the vast majority from knocking on the door starting before 7 a.m. And what do they want? Oh, it varies.

Some “couldn’t make it” to the meeting and wanted to know what it was about, even though I had a sign posted on the door with the main points covered. Of course, to be fair, a good percentage of property owners are illiterate, so the sign doesn’t help them figure things out, so I need to go through what we covered several times a day for those folks. However, the other percentage are just too lazy to read the sign.

Then, several came to pick up their new certificates. Remember, we’re trying to determine ownership of as close to 100% of the properties as possible. That meant I compiled a list of possible owners and posted it on my door, at my sister-in-law’s tortilla shop in town, and on the mesquite by the road. I also read off the list during the meetings we’ve had and asked anyone who knows these individuals to tell them to come and see me (after 4 p.m., mind you).

Next come those who bought lots some time ago but never got around to registering their ownership. One couple brought folders and folders of papers, and I went through them paper by paper to find the original documents, only to find that none of the certificates had “cedo los derechos a” (I transfer ownership to…), and they needed to go back to the person they bought the lots from to get that written on the documents making the property transfer all nice and legal. When they came back I went through the papers again. This time, I discovered that the original certificate and contract of one of the lots were not the same as the reissued certificate. Apparently, there was some mix-up with certificates, and the originals had been lost, misplaced, or something. The transaction could go through since the most recent certificate had been verified by the current mesa directiva (board of directors), but I took possession of those other certificates since we can’t have excess property certificates floating about.

Then there were those that have everything in order but wanted to double or even triple-check. One elderly man arrived after I had set out on my walk with Cocoa and literally chased me up the hill. I put Cocoa back in the house (he can’t abide anyone) and looked at his documents, which were all in order. I had also reassured him at the last meeting that according to my records (showing him the registry), the two lots were correctly registered to his sons, and he didn’t need to do anything further at this time. Another woman came by to double check she didn’t owe anything. She didn’t. I checked my records. Her lots were registered, and she had already paid the cooperación (voluntary fee) of 250 pesos toward the lawyer’s fees, which is the only fee we’ve levied in 10 years.

Then, there were those who were ready and willing to pay something towards the transactions, projects, and work we were trying to organize. At the last meeting, a motion and vote carrying the motion were made to start making regular deposits towards the water, sewer, and electric projects so that there wouldn’t be a HUGE bill when it came time to start the installation. However, I don’t want all that cash in the house, so the Assocación is going to open a bank account, and people can start depositing funds there.

We haven’t done so yet because #1, we need to ratify the members of the mesa directiva again, and #2, everybody now needs an RFC (tax ID number Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) to open a bank account, and they are a pain in the tuckus to get via SAT ( Servicio de Administración Tributaria). Not only do you need an RFC number, but you need a second document, Constancia de Situación Fiscal, which requires yet another transaction. When I was working at the local elementary school, my boss, who was an accountant, registered me for an RFC. However, I didn’t have the second document. I went to visit her and asked how to get that one, and she explained what I needed to do. I was able to do it online with minimal frustration, and now I’m all good, but the remaining members of the mesa directiva still don’t have theirs.

Anyway, until the bank account is set up, I can’t accept their money. Let’s hope they remain open to contributing when that does happen.

Then there was the neighbor, by far the worst of the bunch. Or maybe it was my reaction to her. She knocked a few minutes before I was scheduled to teach a class. I answered the door. She wanted to know what the last community meeting was about. I told her. I also told her she needed to register her lots. She told me that she didn’t because La Yacata was an ejido, an area designated as common land without a deed. That’s not true. La Yacata is classified as a fraccionamiento privado irregular (a private neighborhood not meeting urbanization requirements) currently, and we’re working towards becoming fully compliant. Then she said she hadn’t registered her lots because there was no registry for La Yacata. That’s not true. I turned in the most current padrón (registry) to Desarrollo Urbano (Urban Planning department) at our last meeting. Then she said she hadn’t registered because there’s been no progress towards urbanization, which is true mostly due to property owners like her. And finally, she said that my husband knows her. That’s another true statement, but it’s irrelevant. She’s from the same little town my husband was born in, and yes, my husband knows her since we’ve tried several times to buy the lot next door from her.

Finally, I had enough. I lost my temper. I had classes to teach, after all. I asked explicitly what she wanted. She wanted to give me her phone number so I could call with updates about the community meetings. I told her she needed to register her lots first. She asked how to do that. I told her she needed to bring all her original documents to me. I’m pretty sure I was trembling with rage at this point. She said there was no reason for me to be pissed off and left. It’s very doubtful that she’ll register her lots. She’s had more than ten years to do so. She’s been told several times over the years that it’s necessary, so claiming ignorance isn’t going to cut it with me.

I told Super Prez about this last interaction, and he said we need to set a deadline for lot registration and move on to the next item. So that’s a proposal that we will bring to the next meeting. The issue that will arise for those who have not registered their lots is there will be no escrituras (individual deeds) unless and until everything is in order. Those that have everything in order will be able to pick up their escrituras with no delay when the time comes. It’s like a game of legal chicken–who’s going to cave first?

Meanwhile, they keep knocking on the front door, whistling perched on their motos in front of the house, or shouting through the front window, “¿No está la Maestra?” (Is the teacher here?), which upset Bear and Cocoa enormously. When I’m teaching a class, their frenzied barking at the intruders means I need to mute my microphone and hope they calm down soon. And if I get fired because of these constant interruptions, well, I’m not going to be happy about that.

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Interested in reading about the initial efforts at urbanization in La Yacata? Check out La Yacata Revolution: How NOT to Buy a Piece of Heaven in Mexico.

Find it on Amazon

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Filed under La Yacata Revolution

Tagged as La Yacata, living in Mexico, Mexico

October 1, 2023 · 5:57 am

Roof Project 2023

Almost exactly a year after the last roof project was completed, we managed to scrimp and save enough to get the final third-floor room roof finished. Unfortunately, the intersection between money and time coincided with Mexican Independence Day celebrations, so we had to delay roof-building gratification until the Monday following said festivities.

There was the issue of a rather large swarm of bees that had taken up residence in the chimney. My husband has tried to smoke them out on more than one occasion, to no avail. To avoid angry bees during the tromping up and down while the roof was being poured, we covered the entrance with a blue blanket. It wasn’t foolproof, but it did keep most of the stinging insects contained.

Bruce, Fred, and George were tied in the back by the pool bright and early so that the coladores (roofers) could do their stuff and get the ramp set up. That took nearly no time at all, and so most were sitting around waiting for the materials to arrive. Two enterprising guys went exploring and came back with nopales (cactus) on a stick from up the hill. They requested a knife and cut the spiney bits off–CACTUS FOR DINNER BABY! One of the two also brought his slingshot in case a rabbit, squirrel, or bird presented itself.

My son was tired even before starting. As his fear of heights prevented him from ascending the ramp to the third floor, he was the water boy as usual–bringing buckets and buckets of water to the cement mixers from the pool.

The materials arrived a bit late; it being the Monday after all the Independence fun, several of the workers at the ferretería failed to arrive for their shift. A phone call and run into town got things moving, and the roofing activities finally commenced.

Since this is only a smallish room, half the size of the room below it, even with the late start, they were done by noon. The haze finally cleared away, and the workers sat beneath our jacaranda trees in front of the house, which Cocoa and Bear did not approve of.

Around 1, the circus moved on. All that was left was a bit of tapping to solidify the cement setting, and it was finished–the last roof.

The wood guy, though, has been a pain this time around. He wasn’t the same guy we usually rent the framing wood from, and this guy wanted half up front. Ok. Then, the day AFTER the roofing, he came by again and wanted the other half. Umm. No. Generally, the wood rental is paid upon completion of the cement drying period — 22 days. He came twice more that week. As I hadn’t expected to need to have that money on hand, I didn’t have it right then. On his third trip to La Yacata, I was able to hand over $1000 pesos, and he seemed okay with that, the remainder to be paid once the wood is removed and picked up.

Needless to say, there wasn’t a lot of extra cash in my pocket during September, even with a nice book royalties check. Here’s hoping October is a little easier in the financial department.

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Read more about our off-grid life in La Yacata in A to Z Reasons Why La Yacata is the Place to Be in Any Disaster: A Prepper’s Guide to Mexico, part of the La Yacata series.

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Filed under Construction

Tagged as building in Mexico, homesteading in Mexico, La Yacata, off-grid living in Mexico

April 22, 2022 · 6:41 am

La Yacata is Sometimes More Interesting than TV

Things have been rather blase here in La Yacata. Not a lot going on. However, on Sábado de Gloria this year, we were treated to an episode nearly as exciting as “Cops.”

The day started out ho-hum enough. We had some chicken soup culled from our flock. This one happened to be an egg eater, and you know, once an egg-eater, always an egg-eater. So it had to go. My husband was having a high time cooking with his barrel grill (it’s literally just a barrel with a hole cut in the side to add the wood).

Anyway, as I was getting ready to go on my daily swim, my husband called me over to the back porch. It turned out that someone had started a fire and the entire section of La Yacata behind the house was on fire. That someone most likely belonged to the crew that had a late-night party on the lot with a “pool” and pavilion area. Perhaps trying to clean up, they lit a fire that quickly got out of hand. It is the dry season, after all.

The blaze was enormous and fast. It moved along the lots at a breakneck pace. Then it hit the lot where the owner had piled up about 100 tires, and the neighbor had been dumping his cow poop, and man, did it ever gobble those up. Clouds of billowing black smoke covered the sky.

The black smoke was enough to alert someone from town who sent Protección Civil. They arrived first, followed by the police. The third to arrive was the fire truck. When they saw that it was now a tire blaze, they set to work.

Or, more accurately, they sent a woman to do a man’s job. You know, it’s all about equal opportunity and all. Although it may have something to do with the fact they only have one firesuit, and most of the firemen’s bellies were too big to fit in it.

So anywhere, here’s this girl that weighed maybe 100 pounds soaking wet out there in the field with the fire hose battling the blaze. The buff police officers were busy taking videos. The other firemen were still sitting in the truck.

A few other police vehicles arrived, and even more officers with bulging biceps were milling about. A second fire truck arrived. The new man they sent out into the flames was at least 70 if he was a day. The second truck had some hooks that the fire guys started to use to move the tires out of the way, but it was mostly too late. I saw a few consider using their wet mops to beat out the fire, but I guess they figured it would have to burn itself out.

The fire continued on up the road and up the hill, at least a mile. Eventually, the fun was over, and everyone left. I went out for my swim finally.

Although the fire was put out, those piles of cow poop continued to smolder overnight. The air quality was horrendous the next day and the next. We did make the local news site, so there’s that!

Maybe La Yacata needs a theme song….

Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?