Businessmen and leaders linked to horizontal property met this week during a convention of the sector, in which, among other topics, it was possible to have an appreciation on the impact of the Police Code on buildings and complexes subject to this regime.
EL TIEMPO consulted several analysts, who agreed that despite the fact that some provisions were declared unenforceable, a large part of the articles remained unchanged.
For example, the president of the College of Horizontal Property Administrators of Bogotá, German Molino, pointed out that the Police Code gives the real estate control bodies tools so that “life is not complicated and issues are handled expeditiously, so as not to go against what should guide the day to day in the co-properties ”.
According to the manager, its impact has been positive because, in many cases, people have come into order and order has been generated. Even so, he acknowledged that being a recent expedition, there is still much to do.
Better coexistence
Molino added that its rigorous application could harmonize procedures and improve relations between citizens and the police. Along the same lines is the lawyer specializing in the matter, Nora Paton, who defined as “a gain” the fact that administrators have the possibility of accessing the police immediately in the face of specific problems, such as altering the tranquillity and insecurity, among others.
However, he called on the community to commit itself, in a more forceful way, to what happens in its co-properties.
“Their role is fundamental since no matter how hard the police make an effort, people are required to report the situations that affect them,” emphasized the lawyer, who – by the way – on May 30 will speak about this and other issues in Bogotá, during the ‘First Symposium on Horizontal Property and New National Police Code’.
Paton went further and that is why he recalled the collapse of the Blas de Leo II building, which occurred on April 27 in Cartagena. In this regard, the directive asked a question: “What are the causes for these events to occur if there are regulations such as the Safe Housing Law and, precisely, the National Police Code?”
When analyzing a case like this, the lawyer called for reflection not only from the authorities but also from individuals so that they become aware that it is necessary to carry out prior control and during the execution of the works to avoid such unfortunate events.
As part of the provisions are the Earthquake Resistance Standard (NSR-10), Law 1796 of 2016 or of safe housing -whose regulation is in process-, Decree 1077 of 2015 or Unique Regulatory Decree of the Housing Sector, which establishes the requirements for obtaining urban licenses and, in line with horizontal property, the Police Code, which empowers the community to report situations that affect it or that impact others.
For this reason, after the normative analysis was presented, Paton asked another question: “Why, in the face of such an irregular situation as the high height of the building in Cartagena, did the neighbours not report it? Normally these and third parties have the opportunity to become a party and then file the legal remedies “, he said. The reflection remains.