Question: One of our EC members has called a general meeting to terminate our current strata manager and appoint a new one. He states there is a dispute about the length of the current agreement. Should the meeting proceed or be postponed until the disputed term has been settled? I am a member of…
Question: Some lot owners have requested a motion that the lot entitlements be updated. Can all costs incurred for the amending of the entitlements be payable by the owners requesting the amendments? We are holding a special meeting this week and some of the lot owners have requested a motion that the lot entitlements…
Question: Can significant matters that require special resolutions be raised verbally under a general heading at the AGM? At our recent AGM, two matters were discussed that were not specified on the agenda. Both items were raised verbally. The first was under ‘Maintenance’. The second matter, requiring a special resolution, was introduced in our Zoom…
Strata Hub is nearly ready to go live! As you will have read from our previous newsletters, the NSW Government has introduced a new portal, Strata Hub, to enable ease of access to key information relating to strata schemes. There has been a delayed start date due to the large number of strata schemes…
Question: The building manager has taken over common area, installed a lock and now uses this space as a storage room. Can they change the room description and use without consulting owners? I am in a lot owner in a NSW residential 3 floor unit block. We have a common area drying room on…
Question: An EGM was called to dismiss the strata manager. When sending out the agenda for the meeting, the strata manager added information to our explanatory notes. Is this legal? The majority of the committee are deeply dissatisfied with our strata manager. We requested an EGM be called and we put forward a motion to…
Question: Does the strata committee have the right to block me replacing my non-working aircon unit with a similar unit? I have applied to strata committee to replace my ageing non-working air conditioning unit with like replacement. I have sent detailed plan of replacement to the committee. There are no new attachments or invasion of…
Question: I’m seeking approval for new floorboard, but the committee insists upon a specific and expensive underlay. Can the owners corporation determine what underlay I use if I’m able to meet their requirements with a product I have chosen? I’m seeking permission from the Exec Committee to update my old floating floorboards to new…
Question: Is my landlord or the strata obliged to provide tenants with access to all common areas? We have no access to the common area rooftop. I rent in a block of 42 apartments. Although there is a common area on the rooftop, not every resident has been given a key. Is my landlord…
Question: I’d like to carry out minor renovations to my unit’s bathroom and kitchen. What is a reasonable amount of time for the committee to approve minor renovations once all plan documents have been provided? Answer: The owners corporation has failed to exercise its function if it does not exercise it within 2 months of…
Recent changes have been made to cash DEFT payments made at Australia Post. Do these changes affect me? These changes will impact you if you pay your rent, strata levies, insurance premiums or other DEFT bills via cash at Australia Post. What alternate payment options are there? The payment methods available are determined by your…
Question: My lot has a huge disabled parking spot for my adaptable unit. It’s big enough for 2 small cars. Is there a regulation or law that restricts me from parking 2 cars in this space? My lot has a huge disabled parking spot for my adaptable unit. It’s big enough to park 2…
Question: Without a specific bylaw referring to this, can an Owners Corporation or the Strata Committee insist that a Real Estate Office erect their signs only on a Particular Area of the Common Property? We have one owner in our small I live in a block of 12 units in Sydney NSW. We do not…
Question: Does all correspondence received by the committee ‘in and out’ have to be read at the general meetings? It seems that, in our complex, the owners corporation committee only reads out selected letters. Answer: Usually, only selected letters are read. That is the role of the Secretary of the Owners Corporation. There is…
The Strata Schemes Management Amendment (Information) Regulation, 2021 (NSW) commences on 30th June 2022. Owners Corporations will have to provide information annually to Fair Trading in the approved form: for the first time— if the first annual general meeting of the owners corporation is held on or before 30 June 2022—by 30 September 2022, or…
Question: A lot owner in our small block has consistently been in arrears with levies. Although they are on a payment plan the situation is not improving. Do we have other options to recover the overdue levies? We have one owner in our small strata block of six that has consistently been in arrears…
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: Do we need permission from the owners corporation to install an entertaining area, including a sink and lighting, in our villa’s backyard? In a Villa complex can an owner build an entertainment area in their backyard? The structure’s roof is attached from the facia board under the eaves of the back of the villa to…
Question: The Owners Corporation is undertaking remedial waterproofing on a common property rooftop terrace which is included in our title. They have asked us to move our large pots and spa. Shouldn’t this be there cost? The Owners Corporation is undertaking remedial waterproofing on a common property rooftop terrace which is included in our…
Question: Our Strata manager demands we remove vines from our lot because they are changing the appearance of our complex. We have planted vines around our lot which have grown but are not covering any other lot. Our Strata managers insist we are changing the appearance of our complex and are demanding their removal….