There are more answers than questions in this week’s forum, which might be a sign that things are getting better in strata but is definitely an indication that people want to help.

The new questions include one from an owner who wants to know what she can do to compel her owners corp to use a method proven to remedy a problem she has with a leaky balcony ceiling that’s causing efflorescence, rather than a cheaper method she is sure doesn’t work … because it didn’t last time.  That’s HERE.

And another owner wants to know what can be done about the committee hiring lawyers when they standard limit on unapproved expenses must have been exceeded.

Have they gone rogue and just started authorising payments that should be approved by the owners corp at a general meeting?  Or is there another aspect to this that’s a lot less sinister?  That’s HERE.

Your questions answered

Here are some of the answers to Forum questions from the last week or two:

• How do we stop threatening emails? That’s HERE.
• Can we alter a building contract that’s designed for houses, not flats? That’s HERE.
• How do we check our insurances are OK? That’s HERE.
• Can the OC install shelves in some parking spaces but not others?  That’s HERE.
• How can I have bicycle racks installed?  That’s HERE.

So easy to ask and answer questions

Anyone can read our posts at any time, and now you can also ask questions and answer questions anonymously too.

As part of our continuing efforts to make the Forum more accessible, we are also now making it possible for anyone to click on “reply” and respond to published posts.

The first time you do it you will have to provide an email address (which won’t be visible on the Forum) and a nickname (which will).

The responses will still be moderated, so we can filter out the minority of internet nasties.

However, since this website is self-filtering – it’s only read by intelligent and engaged people like you – the moderation will only require a light touch.

So let’s give it a go. Just click “reply” at the top of the post you want to respond to. Or go to this link if you want to ask a question.

Subscribing to a topic means you will be alerted every time someone responds to the post and replies. However, you must be registered with an active email address for that option to be offered. If you are, make sure the automatic replies alert box is ticked .

That way you’ll get an alert whenever the discussion moves forward, and you can also chip in with your own comments and questions. See you in the Forum soon.