How is an after-hours strata emergency managed?
If you’ve ever picked up the phone late at night to report a strata emergency, chances are you’re already feeling stressed. Something’s gone wrong. It’s after hours. You want it fixed or attended to as a priority. And when things feel quiet after that call, it’s natural to worry and wonder: has anyone actually started […]
QNA Cost in Lot Entitlements
Question: What would the estimated range of costs be for changing lot entitlements in a strata scheme? I have a query relating to the process for changing lot entitlements in a strata scheme. I have read the details relating to the Act as to the various considerations in how lot entitlements could be calculated, […]
QNA Lot Owner Legislation Changes
Question: Is there any change in the new legislation for charging the excess to the lot owner when an insurance claim relates to only their lot? With regards to new paragraph 23A(3)(C), which indicates that the owners corporation can pass on: “an excess amount on an insurance claim if the claim solely relates to a […]
QA Air Conditioning Installation Rules
Question: I installed two air conditioning units for my apartment without approval. The owners corporation has insisted I move the external units to an unworkable location. Can they insist on this? I live in an 8 unit, 2 story apartment complex. I installed two external air conditioning units outside my unit on the first floor […]
QA Neighbour’s Offensive Decorations
Question: My downstairs neighbours have unsightly and offensive objects in their window. Our building is a very nice, refurbished block and their window display is inconsistent with the rest of the units. I am a lot owner in the process of selling my apartment. The tenants in the apartment below have unsightly and offensive objects […]
QA Emergency Lighting Fittings
Question: Is the Owners Corporation responsible for emergency lighting fitting maintenance on my unit lot? Currently, my Owners Corporation claim that they are not responsible for emergency lighting fitting maintenance on my unit lot which is located in an apartment building. Does the ruling of Fair Trading NSW, Owner Corporation are being responsible for the […]
QA Fixed Bank Deposit for Investment by Owners Corporation
Question: Can an Owners Corporation make a Fixed Bank Deposit for investment for 6 months, even though an OC is a non-profit Organisation? Answer: An owners corporation is a legal entity that is permitted to make a fixed bank deposit. An owners corporation is a legal entity that is permitted to make a fixed bank […]
QA Does the Owners Corporation Committee have power to reduce levies for a particular Lot?
Question: A landlord has suffered loss of rent due to repairs to common property. Does the OCC have the power to reduce that lot’s levies by the amount of the lost rent? Could an OCC pass a motion in favour of reducing a particular lot owner’s levy for a fixed period? Authorised works are being […]
QA Insurance Claim by a Lot Owner
Question: If a lot owner makes an insurance claim that affects the premium and that lot owner pays a higher portion, what happens when the lot owner leaves? Does the higher premium fall to the next owner of the lot? Answer: My instinct would be that the purchaser doesn’t inherit that. That is a spectacularly […]
QA Small 4 Unit Strata Scheme AGM
Question: For a small 4 unit strata scheme, are we legislated to hold AGMs or carry out any other activities in terms of the owners corporation? We’ve bought a unit in a 4 unit strata complex in Northern Melbourne. The only common property is the driveway and the only expense is the strata insurance policy […]