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I’ve done lots of reading on this site before joining up and posting this. There are many problems at my block of units, I know what options may be pursued to try and solve them, but I don’t know which one to attempt.
Our building is 36 units in Sydney. The running of it has most or even all of the problems I’ve read about here. From noise to parking problems, from common property not being kept shipshape to common gardens being taken-over by owners and tenants. And many more.
But everything stems from the one, major problem: an Executive Committee borne out of a coup and inappropriately obtained proxies, organized and run by a bully of a woman with her offsiders, plus a few wimps recruited to make up the numbers and keep everyone else out.
Anyone not in the clique is scared stiff of her, and for good reason. A couple of clear-thinking and sensible owners were so damaged and sidelined by lies and gossip, they are persona non grata and won’t ever gert involved again.
Our Annual General Meeting will be in May or soon after. I know what options are open, such as getting the strata role and writing to everyone; or maybe doing something more immediate, such as going to the Office of Fair Trading of the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal and asking for intervention by an Adjudicator.
Trouble is, any whiff of this by the incumbents or the network of gossip mongers, and I’ll be tarred, feathered and run out of town
Things really need to be fixed and soon. Even waiting for the AGM seems too long, especially if we end up with more of the same here. Andthe thought of heading to mediation or an adversarial scenario like the CTTT is unattractive.
Without going to any trouble, can anyone tell me the best single path to take?
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A sad but all too common story and arguably the greatest challenge for those looking into reform is how to address this sort of situation.
It is very hard to give advice because the problem is not really solvable. It is a common problem and it is only through legislative change that this sort of “little kingdom syndrome” will hopefully become a part of the history of strata.
Go to the open forum on strata reform (here) and spell out your story and demand changes that will stop this sort of situation – even if you have no suggestions for changes demand those getting paid squillions by the State Government to deal with the reform earn their money and think of something.
I know the problem of burning through people prepared to be on the EC and we have a 3x bigger pool to call on. The present EC are hanging in and slowly winning a bit of ground with each battle but it is a ridiculous amount of work for volunteers. I like to think the small but noisy group who have opposed every sensible move of the last few years is gradually getting discredited. However, we have the high ground on being on the EC. I guess from their point of view we are the clique who has taken over, certainly that is the rhetoric put about. It would be harder from the outside. Unless things are really desperate I would suggest tackling one achievable issue at a time and make sure you go to the general meeting with all the expert opinion readily to hand etc. Get a couple of allies and don't exhaust yourself on every issue all at once. Pick the issue that will make the others look most silly and irresponsible.