Our eyes are the windows to our souls, the old adage says, but in strata windows can give you an insight into how the people in a block work together – or not.
In one post to the forum, Flatchatter Newlsie has an issue with the NSW Transport Noise Reduction Grants — the initiative to help residents plagued by transport noise.
“New double-glazed windows, shiny new balcony doors, and a quieter life — all paid for by taxpayers,” says Newlsie. “But here’s the catch: there’s only $4 million available each year.”
It’s hard to see how far $4million would go in terms of apartment blocks affected by noise. And that’s what’s worrying Newlsie.
“In our building, one lucky owner — living in one of the quietest units — somehow managed to secure the grant,” they say. “Thirty-five other owners are now demanding the same treatment. Who wouldn’t? Free double glazing!
The strata committee has raised serious questions:
- Was this application in line with the intent of the grant — to help those truly suffering from transport noise?
- Shouldn’t the lots facing the major highway be prioritised instead?
- And does the recipient have to comply with the Design and Building Practitioners Act (NSW) 2020?
Some owners say the works exceed $5,000, so compliance is mandatory. Others say no, it’s a grant, not strata money.
No one wants to pay for legal advice, and the committee is divided. Should a by-law be required? Should Owners Corporation funds even be used? That’s HERE.
Meanwhile another reader is concerned about badly installed windows in their block.
There’s about 100 of them that probably should have been fixed by the developer during the defects period – someone was asleep at the wheel – and now that the owners have to pay themselves they want to go for the cheapest option.
However, their strata manager says this has to be done by a properly qualified and insured window installer. That’s HERE.
Elsewhere on the Forum
- Can I take pictures of a car and a planter blocking the driveway? That’s HERE.
- Sacked strata manager charging us for work never done. That’s HERE.
- UPDATE: Private balconies – not common property – need repair. Problem solved. That’s HERE.
How to ask and answer questions
Anyone can read our posts at any time, but you must be registered to ask or answer questions. However, there are so many easy ways you can search, access, ask questions and reply to others’ queries once you have registered using the green “register and sign in …” box on this page.
The best way may be to click on “Forum: Your Qs & A’s” on the top menu bar or on the drop-down menu (three lines) on the screen on phones and tablets, under the Strata Choice ad. Then click on the topic title that interests you, and off you go.
Alternatively, you can click on the new “Latest Qs and As” Forum button on the top right of a computer screen or the link on the “hamburger” menu on a phone.
Or look at the list of “Your latest questions and answers” under the ads on the right of the page on a computer screen. Or at the bottom, after the ads and stories, on a tablet or phone.
finally, you can go “old school” and go to the Forum Home Page and work your way through the topics there.
Whichever route you take to get there, the best way to keep up to speed with what’s happening is to register (if you haven’t already done so), then login and subscribe for free to the topics that interest you most. That way you’ll get an alert whenever the discussion moves forward, and you can also chip in with your own comments and questions. Have a look HERE at our instant guide to getting online.