Since FE Guanajuato was designed to assist rural communities in various ways, I decided it was time to ask for their advice on who we could contact and what we could ask for. The representative suggested that we compose a letter to be sent to both the governor of Guanajuato and the Mexican president, AMLO. She said these letters should be handwritten, and she would get us the correct address.
SuperPrez wasn’t as gungho as I was on this project. He felt that if it was as simple as writing a letter, everybody would do it. I wanted to give this assignment to another community member to get more individuals involved because I didn’t have the time. However, after considering the different options and their literacy level, I opted to just write it myself.
My goal was to make the reader cry. I know that seems counterintuitive, but we had to find a way to stand out from other petitioners. If we appealed to their emotions and told a good story, that would be a good publicity opportunity since it was an election year, well, then maybe, just maybe, we’d get some assistance.
I spent over a week on the letter’s composition. Then I sent it to Super Prez, who made some suggestions, most importantly to ensure that we did not mention or refer to the current municipio administration. Finally, I had my son double-check my Spanish, making sure I wasn’t accidentally using translated English idioms or phrases that could be misconstrued. I also told him to ranch-ify it a bit. Although it remained extremely formal, as in all written correspondence in Mexico, certain phrases were more often used in this area than others. I wanted to include as many of those as possible.
Then, I highlighted the difficulties encountered by some colonos, such as health problems, poverty, robberies, and, most importantly, the lack of basic utilities in La Yacata. Next was a list of those colonos who have died without their Yacata dreams being fulfilled, like my mother-in-law, and included the Actas de Defunción (death certificates) I had on file. I told you, I wanted to make the reader cry.
The next section discussed how La Yacata had been trying to meet the standards necessary for regularización for years and included the packet of papers from the muncipio that proved that. I also emphasized that we had never asked for financial support from any organization before. Then, at Super Prez’s suggestion, I briefly outlined our water, sewer, and electricity projects.
I ended the letter with a final plea for recognition and access to whatever support was available. Super Prez and I added our names, addresses, and emails. Then, it was time to present this to the colonos and get their signatures.
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Although we were all gung-ho to get some estimates for the sewer hookup, the powers that be in the presidencia told us that we needed to focus on the water project first. As they were willing to entertain the idea of legalizing the illegal pozo (well) that Chuchi commissioned and then sued us over, we needed to reexamine the perforation.
After the well was closed by the water commission and the lawsuits ran their course, we made a sort of roof to cover the open hole to the abyss. This was to prevent any animals or humans from falling to their deaths and give some measure of protection to the tubes that were installed in the event we could make use of it sometime in the unforeseeable future. That was done about 10 years ago.
In November, we commissioned a well study that involved uncovering the site, taking depth measurements, and dropping a camera down the hole to see its condition. Unfortunately, someone deliberately threw a boulder down the well, and it was lodged about 100 feet down, so the well study company could not get accurate readings. Three guesses on who I suspect of doing the dastardly deed.
This well study, which isn’t useable as it is incomplete, cost 7000 pesos. We’ll need someone to come out to clear the boulder and clean any debris at the bottom of the well. The estimate for that job is about 90,000 pesos. Next, a new study will need to be done (another 7000 pesos), and then a water quality and quantity study to see if the water table can handle a drain on it at that location, and that will be about another 13,000 pesos.
The total expense would only be about 200 pesos per lot, divided equally among the property owners. However, as we discovered with the demanda (lawsuit), not even half paid the 250 pesos that saved our properties from repossession. And as we have a small window of opportunity to take advantage of the presidencia’s offer to legalize (next year being an election year and all), we can’t wait for the grumblers and chin pullers to open their wallets and pay up.
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.
Surviving Mexico 