#83991
Quirky
Flatchatter

    I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding that discussions at a strata committee count. Of course, in a well run strata building, the owners are engaged with finding the best way to fix problems. But strata committees (and the owners corporation they represent) are governed by motions put to the meeting in the published agenda, the voting outcome, and the minutes published afterwards that disclose the result of the voting.

    The agenda and minutes are published and circulated to all owners, and are also part of the “strata search” that sensible prospective buyers will obtain before purchasing in the building. If you building is not running this way, then it is in trouble, and not following strata law, which is a while other issue.

    So you have to make your case in the agenda, by submitting a detailed motion to the SC. Then at the meeting, make your case and vote in favour. You have to set out the water proofing issues, as you understand them, making sure you don’t speculate, and are accurate. If the problems are uncertain, then you also  can put a motion  in the Agenda to investigate and report back. If the strata committee majority don’t support you, then you put the same motions (or versions improved from seeing the response the committee takes) to the Annual General Meeting. Also, put a motion on the agenda, if your concerns seem accurate, to request the SC confirms that the building’s insurer has been notified of the problems and risk. You can arrange to call these meetings, to speed up things, if necessary.

    Unresolved water proofing issues, are a red flag to purchasers, and so Units in your building will be un-sellable until these problems are resolved.

    Also draw the attention of the water proofing problems to the building’s investors. Bannermans law firm, have a series of articles about section 106(5) of the Strata Schemes Management Act.
    See => https://www.bannermans.com.au/?sfid=3133&_sf_s=106(5)
    Briefly, if an investor has a loss because of a failure by the Owners Corporation to maintain and repair its common property, then the investor can claim compensation to recover that loss, as well as legal expenses etc, (now) up to 6 years (previously 2) after that loss occurred. Owners Corporations have had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation from that. Any building that ignores repairing its common property is opening its owners up to major expenses in the future, as well as making its Units unsellable.

    You need to make that case in the agenda and minutes of SC and general meetings, so all the owners become aware of the real and significant risks they are running.