Question: Recent minutes did not mention the attendance of the (non owner and non proxied) son of an owner. I am being told that only owners names will be listed as attendees. Is this correct? Recent minutes did not mention the attendance of the (non owner and non proxied) son of an owner. The owner…
Question: Is a proxy vote valid if the resident hasn’t been advised on the issue being voted on? What should the correct process be? Answer: It depends on how the proxy form is completed It depends on how the proxy form is completed. If the “form authorises the proxy to vote on my/our behalf on…
The Strata Schemes Management Amendment (Sustainability Infrastructure) Act, 2021 No 1 (NSW) (the “Amendment Act”) has introduced important amendments to the Strata Schemes Management Act, 2015 (NSW)(the “Act”). Keeping of animals You may have seen the media coverage of the landmark NSW Court of Appeal decision in Cooper v The Owners – Strata Plan No. 58068 [2020] NSWCA 250 (“Cooper”) which…
Question: Is this general meeting valid? What about the quorum? We have just had an EGM stated as (DATE) with pre-meeting voting closing (24 HRS PRIOR). The notice of the meeting was misleading. On one side of the header, it says: The meeting will be held on (DATE) via electronic vote commencing at (TIME) Next…
Question: My wife and I are co-owners. Do we really have to submit proxy forms for the other when only one of us attends a meeting? My wife and I are co-owners. My reading of the act is that if one of us is not at the meeting then the other speaks and votes for…
Question: How many owners in a complex of 12 units are required to vote against a motion at an extraordinary general meeting. Answer: It depends whether you are asking about an unanimous, special or ordinary resolution. It depends whether you are asking about an unanimous, special or ordinary resolution. No one can vote against…
Strata Committee Meetings Can a Strata Committee member at a Committee meeting ( not an Owners Corp meeting) have another committee member act as their proxy if they know they be absent from that meeting? Answer: Not as a “proxy” per se, but effectively, yes, with the consent of the strata committee, as per the section…
Question: Can a proxy vote be voted out by other members at a Strata meeting. Answer: No, a proxy vote cannot be ousted by other owners at a general meeting because all owners are entitled to vote in person or by proxy. No, a proxy vote (unless the proxy vote is ruled out of…
Question: We wish to change strata managers. What is the procedure regarding the Strata Management company during this process? Do they have a vote? Can they vote against the change? Answer: Care must be exercised to comply with the terms of the contract appointing the current Strata Management Company and with the strata legislation….
Question: As a special resolution is carried if “not more than 25% of the value of the votes cast are against the resolution”, can I confirm that “not more than 25% against” is different from “75% or more in favour”? The Act says a special resolution is carried if “not more than 25% of…
According to Strata Community Association (NSW), here is the definition of: Proxy Voting: An owner who is unable to attend a meeting may authorise (give their proxy) to another person to exercise their vote. This is achieved via proper completion of the prescribed form. Quorum: The minimum number of owners required for a meeting to proceed….
Question: Do the changes in the Strata Schemes Management Act limiting the number of proxy votes an individual may hold, also apply under the Community Land Management Act? I live in a Neighbourhood Association and want to be clear as to how many proxy votes an individual may hold under the Community Land Management Act,…
Lot owners from NSW have questions about dealing with proxy votes and the quorum requirements for annual general meetings. Leanne Habib, Premium Strata provides the following responses. According to Strata Community Association (NSW), here is the definition of: Proxy Voting: An owner who is unable to attend a meeting may authorise (give their proxy) to another person…
Question: I believe you wrote the following article which I read in Strata News @ 215: Q&A Proxy Vote Requirements for Annual General Meeting I have a similar issue arising with proxies in my own 5-Lot 2-storey townhouse Strata Plan 35133 in Tweed Heads NSW. Can you tell me the date your article was written…
Question: Leading up to our AGM, our Strata Manager was holding too many proxies, so divvied them up to lot owners. Can this be done? Can you also explain the quorum requirements for annual general meeting? Answer: For the quorum in your scheme – at least ¼ of persons present or ¼ of unit entitlements….
A LookUpStrata reader wanted to understand whether it is allowed for a Building Manager to use their proxies to vote on the negotiation of their agreements. The Caretaker / Building Managers wanted their Management agreement returned to 10 years instead of the 7 years left on original agreement. They also wanted their remuneration doubled for both of…
Leanne provided a response to a LookUpStrata reader’s question regarding proxy voting forms. Click this link to read the full question, and our response.
This is one from the archives. A LookUpStrata reader wanted to know whether storage spaces in their strata titled building could have legal votes at a meeting equal to the vote of an apartment owner? In summary, the answer Leanne Habib provided was that the storage lots will have an equal vote to the apartment owners…
LookUp Strata has published an article on proxy voting following a question received by a reader. This article is based on a response prepared by Premium Strata’s very own Leanne Habib. Hit this link for the full article!
You may be aware that the NSW Government is proposing sweeping changes to the existing Strata Laws. The State Government has now released a so-called position-paper in which they outline their proposed changes. This law reform is aimed at protecting residents and at the same time simplify certain processes. This becomes increasingly important in NSW…