Mainecoons

It turns out our house sitter's daughter worked for a vet for quite a while and is very experienced in medicating cats so that problem at least is solved. We will be looking for a gentle and compassionate vet to come to our home and send Max over the rainbow bridge when it is time. We always try to have our cats euthanized at their home in the most peaceful manner, usually in one of our laps. First they are sedated and then the final shot is administered so it is basically painless and they go in familiar surroundings.

Is that cash recharge or credit recharge?

Maybe. I was thinking about applying heat with a torch like you do when stripping paint.

You're welcome. I wish I had read the many poor reviews of that stuff before I used it. For example: https://www.trustlink.org/Reviews/Flex-Seal-206411326

Don't. It is lousy. It is going to cost me serious dinero to get it out of this pond I used it on. Surface prep was totally as recommended, the stuff just doesn't stick. Look for an epoxy based joint sealer.

I see the Governor of Jalisco who does not smoke came out a couple days ago and stated the new law is excessive and very hard to enforce. In Informador. https://www.informador.mx/jalisco/Ley-antitabaco-Enrique-Alfaro-gobernador-de-Jalisco-considera-excesivas-nuevas-medidas-contra-fumadores-20230117-0149.html I don't think Jalisco is going to work very hard at enforcing this one. Good.

Looks like the best way to get rid of flex seal unfortunately used to seal the interior of a small yard pond is to sand blast the stuff off. Any idea where I might find someone with a sand blaster who can come and do the job? Thanks.

Nope, the house is totally original with just maintenance. First place I ever owned I didn't have to do a lot of upgrading on. Even still using the same original baths with carefully maintained original tile and the same Price Pfister faucets for which parts are still readily available NOB. They don't make stuff like that anymore.

On line only accepts Mexican credit card. I just recharge mine at Oxxo. Take it in, they scan it and you give them the money directly. Small charge for this.

Believe it or not, after living here for almost 15 years Ferret, we know all of that. We sold another house we owned in Riberas and the capital gain was based on the difference between purchase and selling, less adjustments for major improvements/expansions and inflation over time. I checked with our Notario and he confirmed this is how it is done and property tax assessment is irrelevant. I'm coming to the conclusion the problem here is a gross area in the size of the improvements under roof which we did notice until they double the tax in one year. It also appears the total property size is off by about 20 percent. We'll be looking into having the place formally measured as Ibarra suggested and gave me a reference for. I'll come back and post the results when I have them.

Great information Ferret and Ibarra, thanks!! I though capital "gains" was based on the difference between purchase and selling price minus adjustments for inflation depending on how long one owns the property. How would tax assessment feed into this? We definitely meet the resident requirement, we both are permanentes, have documentation for ownership, Mexican bank account, Mexican DLs and registered car. Been here going on 15 years.

OK, so only if it has a roof? The outdoor pool and two ponds not included? Believe me, there isn't 6700 square feet of anything under roof here. Thanks for the information, definitely looks like I need to dispute the measurements and assessment.

Ibarra, who did you hire to measure your place and what did it cost? Thanks.

If the first number is home size, they increased that by about the amount of a small roof top mirador we added a few years back. However, the first number is 662 square meters which works out to over 6700 square feet. That is far larger than this house is, counting both floors and the garage. It is near double. Are they including things like walls, sidewalks, pools, everything that isn't dirt in this number? The big hit is they doubled the assessed valuation overall. As near as I can tell from what realtors tell us, the place is now valued for more than it can be sold for. Hence my question as to whether they value at 100 percent or more of market value. How many here have an assessed value that is at or above the actual market value of your home as you know it?

First square meter number increased 12, from 650 to 662. That is about a 2 percent increase. They doubled the "valor fiscal" without explanation. 100 percent increase. Do they normally assess at 100 percent or more of market value?

I'm thinking I may go to Chapala and meet with the "Presidente" and offer him my house for that appraised value. I would be a very happy camper to get that amount upon sale, for sure. 😅 Meanwhile we have a huge pothole at the end of the street that is now 3 years old. A neighbor kindly filled it with broken bricks and sand. It is still better than any tope for slowing down the Tapatios on the weekend. LOL

We got hit with a whopper of an increase too. 9000 pesos. They claim the place is worth more than any Realtor we've had look at it and give an estimate of selling price. Looks like a lot of us will be paying a lot more for services and improvements in Chapala this year and thereafter. 🤒

That was the source I cited. Looking at that law I would say that is a fair observation. Let's face it, this is really about people of a certain control freak philosophy trying to control others, there is really no health reason to ban people from smoking outdoors in a dispersed setting. This is only one example of a general trend in that direction. Each day brings a new intrusion on the privacy and rights of others in the name of junk science for the purpose, really, of making them behave as said control freaks want. The final result is always 1984 followed by war and collapse because whether said control freaks like it or not, their forcing others in this manner is against human nature and when people have had enough of it they rebel. What I find really ironic here is proponents of such over regulation coming from a state that has legalized dope smoking thereby greatly expanding the number of smokers and health damage. That apparently is OK with said proponents of controlling others because they approve of smoking dope and the fact it is being found to be just as damaging to personal health if not more so does not matter because of that approval. And said state that has now many more smokers does not presume to outlaw outdoor dispersed smoking at all. What is strange to me in my old age is I can remember when said philosophy was all about expanding and guaranteeing personal freedom, not the opposite as it mainly is now. Sure glad I won't be around to see this play out.

Here's another rational look at banning outdoor smoking: https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/9/1/95 There is no scientific basis for banning outdoor smoking in dispersed settings. It is all about controlling others because one doesn't like their behavior and not really about health at all other than trying to coerce and oppress the smoker into giving up a habit which others (including myself) find smelly and off putting. I love that comment about kissing a smoker being like licking an ashtray. I've always felt that way and when I was first dating my spouse of now some 45 years together I told her much the same and that I couldn't really be in a relationship with a smoker. To my great surprise and ever lasting admiration she promptly quit and took up running which she and I did for decades until our knees said no mas. Also, I was raised in a smoking environment and have the borderline COPD to prove it. There is no question that chronic contact with smoker(s) in a confined setting is a serious health hazard. I was delighted when smoking was banned indoors in restaurants, theaters, and the like because for the most part I avoided those places because of the smoking. It is a stinky habit but in settings where others are not affected other than having their sensibilities offended banning it is authoritarian and oppressive.

This guy sums it up nicely for me. And Rick, if your health is in danger from someone smoking feet away from you on an open beach, you probably are either extremely fragile or maybe just over dramatic. BTW. he's a non smoker too. Just not hysterical about it. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/look-it-way/200907/is-second-hand-smoke-really-dangerous

I don't smoke and never will but this smacks of heavy handed authoritarianism and oppression. More and more Mexico seems to be getting the NOB government in your face constantly disease. What ever happened to live and let live?

Alan makes a lot of good points. The much touted redo of the Joco bypass actually left most of the uneven pavement due to poor foundation and only sorta fixed the worst of it. Improved, yes, but hardly a real permanent fix to a road that was built so badly it can only really be fixed by digging the whole thing up and building it all over again. It will continue to sink and they'll be out working on it again in a couple of years. BTW the San Luis Soyutlan bypass construction is stalled for lack of funds. Getting through that town is extremely difficult for the same reason traffic is greatly slowed through Ajijic Centro, namely the street parking and maneuvering in and out of parking spaces while backing everything up thoroughly. But at least they have the geography that permits a solution and that will eventually be finished. There is simply no similar solution available for Ajijic. We are built right up to and into the mountain. Ending all left turning traffic in Ajijic Centro won't work because it is so tortuous above the carretera to drive anywhere let alone circle the block. One thing that did occur as we drove through there around 1PM today is that eliminating all street parking in centro would definitely free up thru movement but would probably cause the businesses there to either close or riot in the street. Without the parking there could be 3 lanes which would allow for left turn lanes. IMHO that is the only admittedly limited solution available and politically it is most likely impossible. And the state are responsible for that Walmart mess. That kind of "traffic engineering" if proposed by an engineering student would draw a grade of "F" for unduly complicated, costly and hazardous. What could have cheaply been fixed with a four cycle single light with dedicated left turn into Walmart solution in front of the store as is the norm almost everywhere has turned into a great place for the street beggars and squeegee boys but certainly not motorists. However I understand the local body shops are quite pleased with it. And do we REALLY need 3 traffic lights in San Antonio? One on either end should suffice and did so quite nicely before. None of the streets south of the carretera in Ajijic are suitable for through traffic. As Alan noted, none of them really go through to a point where they could carry through traffic. At this point, a real fix for Ajijic Centro is a physical and political impossibility. The best bet seems to be to arrange schedules to the greatest extent possible to avoid the worst of it. So far that seems to be working pretty good for us.

Well, if the association won't let you put it out front of your place you can bring it over to my place and put it out front. It will be gone within the hour, guaranteed.

Well we went to the new Home Depot on Lopez Mateos Sur and they informed us their color machine is broken. "when will it be fixed?" "Shrug." Maybe el tienda mas norte en Lopez Mateos tiene uno." So still looking for a Berel store that has a WORKING color matcher. It is not hit or miss with a working color analyzer/matcher. Our past purchase of paint at that Home Depot was a perfect match for the previous paint. The color chip needs to be prepared carefully and cleanly with multiple coats over white.

Home Depot.