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Topic
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Dear fellow flatchatters,
I’m an EC member and have found out recently that other EC members (50%) are using a common laundry as a storeroom for themselves. This laundry is used by these EC members and other Lot owners. The EC members have filled the laundry with very old boxes of what I think is junk from floor to ceiling. You can only walk in the laundry, access the washing machine and walk out. You can’t even put in a clothes horse.
To me this is obstruction of common property and storage of rubbish. As well as this, it is a MAJOR fire and safety concern for numerous reasons that I won’t bore you with. They are also using it for their own personal and financial gain, as it is a common area.
As this is a common laundry, the EC members are preventing it from being used as it is intended on the strata plan for themselves and other Lot owners – a laundry, rather than a storeroom. This is no written consent to use this as a laundry anywhere.
I have informed the strata manager (which the EC weren’t happy about as I’m not secretary) and he said that he can only send a notice, with consent from the EC. Now we are at the stage where the EC does not want the notice to be sent and now they want to give themselves written approval for storage use.
I’m trying to fight for the notice to be sent to the building (15 units) as there is no written record of who owns the goods.
If the notice does not get sent, and the EC members do not comply, I feel like I have to take them to mediation for the reasons mentioned.
Does anyone have any advice or any other road that I can take?
Thanks very much
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Replies
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The road you should take is straight to the NSW Office of Fair Trading, download a form from their web site and read up on it in several areas here in Flat Chat and the OFT web site. Unfortunately you will HAVE to seek mediation as an initial step.
You have the bones of your submission here, if not all of it, but my view is just put in the bare minimum. Keep some of your powder dry for the next stage if it gets to that stage but probably they’ll just remove all heir stuff.
On the downside, you’ll be persona non grata for a while and it’ll cost you $78 to seek mediation and you won’t get it back.
You are in the right.
Perhaps if/when the current review turns to legislation complaninants will be able to get a refund of there 150 dollars or so where it is a straightforward case.