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"No good deed..."

This gets my vote for "The most worthless thread of the month" award--------LOL...…(maybe the year)

CG doesn't deserve this grief. He has been one of the most consistently helpful posters on this board for many years. I hope that will remain the case for many more years to come.

I am another one that doesn't want to take on the responsibility of payments for SS, IMSS, etc. If a worker is an independent contractor, this is, in my opinion, THEIR responsibility, not mine. I am not going to take on the job of checking that all that is needed is done, done correctly and paid for between 6 people. It's not the $$. I don't want the extra paperwork and hassle. If she decides to participate, she should set up her own rules, get her own contracts and set her rates of pay to include these expenses. These are not children or incompetent adults we are speaking of here. Maybe it's time so many people stop treating them as if they "...just don't kmow any better, these poor people." Don't lecture me about finquitos, either. Again, I've been there and done that. If I couldnt afford a finquito, I wouldn'r have hired someone in the first place.

It's the closest hospital with the right equipment for an emergency situation. That's worth a LOT.

Has anyone gone to a lawyer or an accountant about this new law m, it seems that the questions could be answered better than on a forum.

I hate the heat here, it makes me cranky--and I come from Florida! However, in Florida we lived in a air-conditioned house, went to an air-conditioned car, and then ventured into air-conditioned restaurants and stores. In Florida's hot and humid season--which you probably know is about May through October or November--we had relief only in the wee morning hours and late evening hours. Opening the door after 9 in the morning was like walking into a sauna. Here, I have several hours in the morning I can breathe freely, and even now I can get by until about 1 or 2 before I close all the windows and doors in my house to trap the cool air. So during the worst weather here I am not a prisoner in my own home. We also installed a very small pool (3.5 m x 4 m and 1.5 meters deep) just to dunk in and cool off. Now I dip into it at night, before going to bed. When we don't use it as a pool we turn on the waterfall feature and use it as a fountain. Like I mentioned earlier, we also have a mini split a/c in all the bedrooms which we keep at 24 degrees, about 75, during the night. With 3 of these going every night from 9 until 4 in the morning (timers to go off) we owe CFE (electric company) about 150 kWh thus far since April 8. We have solar panels that cover everything, like the pool pump, fountains (plural) TVs, washer, microwave, toaster oven, etc etc. but it is cheaper to owe CFE about $25 extra every year for air-conditioner use than it is to install more solar panels. When you come here to visit, and assuming you look at various properties, take note of those which feel cooler than others, especially in the late afternoon, the hottest part of the day. Feel the cross-ventilation, if there is any, See which direction the windows and doors face, watch for sunlight streaming directly into the house and heating up everything in sight. Our house has black granite counters which suck up heat like a vacuum cleaner and radiate t from the kitchen into the dining room. So I planted bushes in front of the windows. I cut the bushes back 2 feet in November, to allow the sun into the house. Then they start to grow again in February and by May they are tall enough to block all the sun coming in. Also, if you own the property you can install tejabas over the windows, awnings made of tiles (or sheets of tile laminate) on brackets which hang above the windows to block out direct sun. They look like wall shelves, kind of. Plus they shield rain from entering your open windows. BTW I saw my earlier post on April 23 saying our internal house temps were 73-75. Now, one month later and definitely hotter, the laser thermometer shows 78-80 inside my house during the hottest time of the day. In conclusion, I would say it is tolerable to remain here if you devise ways to reduce the heat in your home. That is the most important thing: keep your home cool.

Computer Guy; sorry never intended to hijack your thread; just a sarcastic comment. The Ilox installers are professionals; at least mine was and why would they cut a Telmex cable when it could easily be tracked back to them. My guess is that some posters checked their Telmex line after porting to Ilox and found it didn’t work or at installation Ilox asked if they could disconnect the Telmex line, or something else. Anyways, why do you want this info; to take it to Ilox with a complaint ? good luck on that.

Someone is really trying to just argue and argue some more. And, for what? It is not pleasant at all to be on this web board and have to read posts from someone who just wants to be antagonistic and snarky. Computer Guy, I wish I could help you out with some info, but my Ilox hasn't been installed yet.

As I understand it, your maid and gardener are not considered independent contractors if you actually tell them what to do. In that case, they are considered employees. An independent contractor would be like a plumber who you hire to figure out what's wrong with your drainage system, and fix it. In other words, you aren't telling him what to do, you are assuming he already knows what to do and leave him to it. If you tell your maid what you want her to clean that day, or instruct the gardener as to what you want pruned and transplanted, etc, they are considered an employee. If you use a cleaning service that has a number of employees they send out, the service is an independent contractor and are liable for the benefits paid to their employees.

I posted it as soon as I found it. "Several" minutes before you did

I totally agree with cstone

I offered commentary, and I also gave you a post of a person whose TelMex line was cut. See how that works?? Posting on a public forum is always a two way street, with many detours and bumps in the road. But you already know that.

All excellent ideas! I do not have an air conditioner and have maintained the inside temp of my house at around 73 F. inside when it's 90 F. outside. The thermal drapes work well but the two biggest impacts I introduced were 1 ) outside shade sails or awnings on the outside of the window to stop the sun from even hitting the windows and 2) creating a whole house venting unit from a small (9 foot square) interior courtyard. The hot air just naturally seeks the highest spot and dissipates. The glass slopes down to the south and up to the north with the small venting windows at the top of the north side. Now, the glass is covered with shade cloth and the windows are open. In the winter, I take the shade cloth off and close the venting windows. The sun provides passive solar heat gain and helps to heat the house whereas, right now, the same structure is helping to cool my house. So far, so good.

This guy showed up around here for a few weeks and became an instant expert. And he isn't just maligning Lakeside, he's attacking Mexico as well. He is extremely negative to the point of going right over the top. He was ignored here which pissed him off. From time to time we get some "burps" of criminal activity. The local population knows where their bread is buttered so they manage to tamp it down pretty quickly. Note that any place that brings relative affluence up against relative poverty is going to have its share of petty theft. This is the kind of stuff you can prevent with simple care, awareness and common sense. We've lived here 11 years and find it no less safe than many places we've lived in the U.S. Here, however, you are more responsible for your own personal and property safety. I don't know anyone who is leaving because of crime. The principal reason people leave is either medical or family too far away or both. That hasn't changed in the time we've been here.

We no longer drive in Big City downtowns, not here or in the US. Over the past 11 years we were sent separately to a specialist and to a lab in downtown Guadalajara. As I recall, we paid Ajijic drivers 800p and 900p for these round-trips which included apprx. 2 hour wait times for our visits/tests. If I see a specialist or have a test done at the San Antonio Hospital, I would compare their medical charges versus the Guadalajara medical charges PLUS the cost of carfare. Those of you who drive downtown will view this differently.

So let me get this straight. In the country you came from, given any situation (employer, insurance, taxes, purchases etc.) that concerned you, if the laws or rules changed and would thereby make your cost for that "service" higher, did you get to yell "Oh no! I already had this under the old rules..... so I am grandfathered in and exempt from these changes!" ?? Pretty much doubt that, but just askin' ........

Comparables…..

We aren't in the U.S. or Canada. Start thinking in pesos. What are the comps locally for a Hospital stay overnight? Only one I can think of is Ajijic Hospital. What do they charge? That is your comp so far until the new Hospital on the Libramiento opens. Comparing prices to GDL doesn't do anyone any good if you don't want to go there, or can't. Comparing prices to other Cities in MX doesn't do anyone any good, we live here, not there. My opinion...

If you want a consult go to your own doctor; why waste the hospitals time. Like going to the ER when you have a sore throat. I've paid anywhere from $500 (GP) to $1000 (specialist) lakeside and GDL. If it means I don't have to spend an hour + each way driving to GDL for surgery or to see a specialist, I don't care what it costs. Same as when your shopping, if you REALLY want or need to have something specific, you don't look at the price you just suck it up and buy it. FYI 1.5 yrs ago San Javier charged $3400 for a standard room - small & farthest from the nursing station.

I have banked with Bancomer for about 20 years. With the changes in technology in recent years, all of my statements are available on my cell phone, using the Bancomer app. I don't have or use "that dumb little device with the codes". Bancomer sends me a notice immediately any time I make a purchase, if a bill is paid through my account, etc. I look at my account every other day to make sure there's no problem with my account. I actually prefer this kind of banking; it took me a while to get used to it, but it works like a charm. Bancomer also asked me to download their "Wallet" app, which means that if I make on line purchases (for example, an ETN bus ticket bought on the ETN website), I use a digital account number that is different from my debit card number and which has its on security code. Using Wallet, I am protected from online bank fraud. If I were you, I'd go back over to Bancomer and tell them you want to install both their regular app and the Wallet app on your cell phone and start using them. Both of these things seemed burdensome and too new-fangled for me at first, but I have now happily come into the fold. The minimum balance on my Bancomer checking account is 4000 pesos. It's a checking account, but I have never had or used checks.

Spanish would definitely be an asset in SJC. You don't have to be fluent but a general knowledge of the language would be helpful especially if you are living and shopping in the town.

Make sure you get on the bus marked "directo" otherwise it may make stops along the way, especially at Ixtualacan (sp???).

Well, the bank representative told me I had a chequing account, although I was under the impression I had cancelled that some time ago and reverted back to a savings account. Writing cheques in Mexico is very difficult as I had many rejected, so that is why I went back to a savings account. What put me off was the 4000p minimum balance with no interest and when I mentioned this to the rep. he suggested just getting a basic account which has no minimum balance. Since it was opened I have not deposited anything into it yet. You had better ask at the bank about depositing cheques. I never do that so do not have the answer. Sorry.

Some things were not discussed in the contract so I pre-empted the problem by sending an e-mail in both languages to iLox and received a confirmation. The content stated that I would be keeping my Telmex line and would want a new iLox number for their installation. I also gave them my e-mail address and my cell phone number so they could communicate with me for the purpose of installation. I had put that information on the application but it did not make it to the contract. I have a somewhat simple installation since they won't be going anywhere near my Telmex line which comes in at the back of my house. My desk is at the front of the house and they will have to drill a very simple hole to put the modem ON the desk. I never assume that any installer of anything knows what they're doing and I watch carefully... in any country.

I understand that Mexican law says the domestic is a different category of worker, because s/he works inside the home. My question is more hypothetical: what makes her different than the pool cleaner, other than the fact that she works inside my home, as opposed to outside the building? I would assume it is a cultural issue, because the house cleaner is to be considered more like a family member because s/he is inside the home. I would prefer to have her an independent contractor, just like my yard "guy" and pool service and Merry Maids were in the US. BTW, in answer to your question about the 20%, look at Sonia's page, the top section. After the paragraph about INFONAVIT: "An employee making for example 1000 pesos a week would cost the employer approx. 800 pesos a month for this coverage. It is important employees are provided Social Security and to be based on full wage. The ramifications are huge." 800 pesos is 20% of 4000. ____________________ We are coming back to the argument, and that of others: this is not what we originally agreed to when we hired our housekeepers. We were not required to become business owners (been there/done that) who are required to do the additional bookkeeping involved in a business with employees.

The date of this article is 2015; in 2019 we have a new administration, new laws going into effect. All the Mexican sources I am trying to follow show that there is a pilot program going on now, that multiple employers of a single domestic will share proportionately in the expenses incurred in registering that person for their Seguro Social benefits. Some sources say that the expense will be divided among the employer, the employee, and the government; others do not give this clarification. It will all shake out soon.

Within the homeowner's property, a line may be disconnected with permission from the homeowner. Perhaps it was necessary to provide space for the new line. Nothing to argue about, or to chastise Ilox about.

Maybe he see's a business opportunity here repairing cut Telmex lines. A couple of years ago when my line got cut by a contractor It took 2 weeks for Telmex to show up to repair it.

We've owned 2 homes here; one was too warm in the hot months, the other too cold in the winter months. I think this is common in the villages where homes are either oriented East-West or North-South on a fairly strict grid. Luckily our hot and cold periods here are fairly short.

Still more info needed - I'd ask them to show you, bill by bill, what the credits were over the last 12 months, as they "aged". You may have had a big whack of credit that became a year old and was thus dropped, that would be in line with the policy. I know looking at only the summary info given on the bill can make it seem like 2500 kWh just "disappeared" all of a sudden - while certainly not typical, it could have happened that way, depending on production and consumption patterns and changes.

Update:: Went to Telcel in the plaza today, noontime. Rep said the entire SAT area and CV is out. The problem is the tower serving this area, it is non-functioning. They have a team working on it and it should be cleared by tomorrow (translation: possibly this Friday, probably next week...maybe) Finally I am able to translate!.

It's very unfair for the people who actually require or benefit from legitimate service dogs that every dog owner who wants to take Fifi everywhere with them are getting these fake service dog certificates. A real service dog is trained to do many things for it's owner, not just be a companion. And real service dogs are never left alone- they are with their owners 24/7. Many accomodations that would have accepted service dogs in the past are now reticent to accept anyone with a dog after having so-called service dogs left alone in the room barking and whining and scratching at the door, obviously ill-trained and most definitely not a service dog.

a maid or gardener can be an independent contractor or an employee. I would think that the ones who work for several people could pass for contractors when the ones who only work for one person are employees , but I do not know how the law look at it.. am sure we will fnd out eventually...

Maybe because he is persona non grata on Inside/Lakeside.

Quite being a snark and just be helpful, okay? Nobody needs this.

You are beyond the point of simply splitting hairs. You are engaging in rhetoric, and poorly at that. Furthermore, you just happened to post that link while I was typing my reply to suegarn, so our posts crossed. If you had simply offered that in the first place, we wouldn't be having this silly discussion.

It's a one-sided commentary if you only want to hear from people who say they had their lines cut, and are unhappy with Ilox. A two-sided commentary is where you hear from people with good experiences and bad ones.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon's_razor " Insnide Lakeside members who also hide on here " ("happyjillin" aka, aka.....) Most members of Inside Lakeside use the same handle on both boards, and the one I can think of who doesn't is easily recognizable. Typical attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill. For shame. 👽

Pedro/Ned Small. Is that you yet again? SunFan

No, we won't overpay the finquito, but will make sure it's properly calculated (thank you, Rolly!!!). We've had to pay finquito before and will, reluctantly, do it again. Why is this such a shock to everyone that not all of us want to hire under this new law?

Yes, really!!!!! Geez, just because we don't agree with your choice doesn't mean ours isn't just as valid. Yes, we always give a pay raise and yes, we know that we have to pay a finquito AND WILL DO SO. We employed them under one set of rules and the rules have changed on us. We choose not to continue under this new rule. Don't assume the worst of people, or that they're ignorant of the employment laws, just because they choose to do something other than you. We simply don't want to get bogged down in what could be a lot of legal red tape. Hopefully, not, but I don't have a lot of faith in any government implementing a rule with minimal pain.

Again, from Rolly Brook, Termination Pay: The labor laws are very pro worker. Nowhere is this more evident than in the draconian termination law. When an employee is terminated, he is entitled to termination pay; unless: 1. The employment was for a specified period of time, such as while building a house, or for house sitting for the winter while the owner is away, etc. It is best to have the time stipulation in writing. 2. For just cause. This is a very complicated issue, and you may need the help of a labor lawyer if the employee appeals to the labor review board. Just cause is spelled out in detail in the law. The termination pay shall include 3-months salary plus 20 days for each year worked plus prorated vacation and Christmas pay. 20 days means 20 times the daily rate which is 1/7 of the weekly rate. Example: A maid worked 2 days per week for $50 pesos per day for 4 years. That is $100 per week. There are 13 weeks in 3 months. Her daily rate is not $50. It is 100/7 = $14.29. So her termination pay will be (13 x 100) + (20 x 14.29 x 4) = 1300 + 1143.20 = $2443.20 plus any Christmas and vacation pay that may be due. If this termination package cannot be paid at the time of termination, regular salary shall continue until the termination is paid in full. If the employee quits voluntarily, termination pay is not required. A common tactic to avoid termination pay is to induce the employee to quit. One must take care with this because the law cited above spells out what an employer cannot do to harass a worker and his family.

Thank you Gringa Gal for your lovely review and to everyone else for your thoughts. When you have spent as many years in this industry as I have (over 50 ) you realize that listening to feedback both good and bad is important. I came to Mexico in my 30's. First in Puerto Vallarta, then Guadalajara and 30 years ago began coming to the Lake to cater private parties and then opened my first restaurant here. I have learned you can not please all of the people all of the time but that you do need to be flexible and adapt. That was the case when I opened La Terraza as a Mexican Modern concept originally. A year ago no one was doing that type of food and now in Ajijic alone there are 4 to 10 (depending on your interpretation of the term). I admit I like to stand out from the crowd and in talking to customers I had a lot of people asking for recipes they remembered me doing 25, 15 even 10 years ago. As a side bar let me say it is humbling to have people remember your cooking so vividly. That is when I began considering La Terraza Gourmet and going back to my roots in the California French Restaurant Revolution in the 70's. One of the challenges of doing that quality of food in a retirement community is menu price. I knew I could not provide the quality without raising prices which would be a deal breaker for many on a retirement budget. My solution was to give value with that price instead of the trend in restaurants (and airlines) of charging a la carte for every little thing). So the menu is a price fixe in the evening. You can relax while browsing the menu with a table appetizer (included with your meal), You can enjoy a choice of at least 2 of my popular soups, you have a salad course and then your choice of entree. AND I have tried to offer a range of entrees depending on appetite and budget. Gringa Gal the dessert is not included in the entree price it is a la carte since many of my customers either don't do dessert or eat lighter after a 4 course meal (many chose to share a dessert with their dining partner). My vision for La Terraza Gourment was a casual elegant relaxed dining experience different from other restaurants in town - a niche not being served. In answer to just serving a single entree I do continue to offer that as a lunch option all the way up to 5pm. I hope that this explains a little bit of the theory behind the menu and as always I understand a restaurant is only as good as the last happy client. PS Computer Guy: When you are as old as I am there are some days that you do dream of retirement; but I have learned after retiring a few years ago that cooking for people is in my blood and I thrive on the interaction of customers and their feed back (it is like hosting a dinner party every day). When I am ready to finally step down I will let you know 🙂 )

We increase our maid/gardener wages yearly to compensate for the cost of living plus additional payments outside of what is required by law... We prefer to reward performance and quality work...

Thank heavens we have a wise newbie to show us our failings, Oorah!

The first two weeks in June are hot like May is, but the last 2 weeks are cooler because of the rains.

Thank you so much everyone for your fabulously informative replies. I'm so glad I asked locals! We're not the faint of heart type, have moved often and always research, visit and rent first before major moves. I like to know the good, the bad, and the ugly! TBH I suspect it would be safer than most American schools at the moment. We moved to Montana from Australia five years ago after reading about the good skiing in Bozeman in a magazine. While the USA is in a very sorry state at the moment we love Montana despite the fact that nearly everyone carries a gun and there is a major meth problem here. It is so funny in the gym changing rooms listening to sweet little old ladies talking about their cute new pink .38 or their new conceal carry purse. So I'm just about to look at flights and make my first appointment with Dr Barragan. Looks like we will be making at least three trips there this year so I will be much more personally informed. Thanks once again!

Mr. Dhal didn't like how crowded it was here and is trying to thin out the place for his return.

That comes under the special process for scofflaws, I think. 🤩 1. Drive carefully; your car is illegal 😎 2. Drive carefully; your insurance is probably invalid 😮 3. Sneak up to the border without encountering any transitos, federales, checkpoints, etc.🙈 4. Present your original car permit documents to Banjercito & get the receipt. Keep it.📂 5. If all of that worries you, see if Spencer can get you a Retorno Seguro and give you really good advice. 🙂 6. Once over the border, avoid Texas fuzz looking for uninspected & unregistered cars. 👮‍♂️