Hi-tech security answer to lowlife behaviour
It’s one of the ironies of strata living that a lot of people choose to live in apartments because of the additional security that locked off floors, electronic access keys…
Past Posts
These posts go all the way back to the raw versions of my Flat Chat columns for the Sydney Morning Herald’s Domain section over th e past 15 years. Some of the issues are specific to New South Wales, some are universal. There will almost certainly be differences in strata law between NSW and other states and countries and the laws have changed over that timespan too.
If you have a serious problem, contact the agencies (in Australia) listed in our contacts sections. Or contact a properly qualified and experienced strata lawyer. These columns should not be regarded as a substitute for professional legal advice.
Roundup: Dogs, drugs and dealers
Years ago friends of mine complained about two yappy dogs living in the apartment next door, that kept them awake, barking every 15 minutes for a couple of hours around…
My new novel – it even has a strata angle
I was going to start this example of shameless self-promotion by apologising for the fact that this novel has nothing to do with strata living. But wait. There’s a man…
Logins and lock-outs: Keeping you safe from cyber-baddies
Just a quick note to anyone who has recently been enduring the frustrations of trying to register and login to the site. We’ve all been locked out and tripped up…
Roundup: Strata rogue and an offer you CAN refuse
Remember the rogue developer who is basically making up the rules as he goes? Apparently this chump has now sold enough units to trigger the first AGM but thinks he…
Co-op housing: working together to live better
James Brown, Chief Executive of Common Equity NSW, the peak body for housing co-operatives in the state, explains why Australia should be looking at a collective response to a community problem. Co-Op…
Affordable housing: The only way is ethics
Is there anybody in the housing industry who is more interested in doing what it says on their tin – housing people – than making money regardless of the social…
Roundup: Rights, wrongs and the law of diminishing returns
There’s a good old whinge in the Forum this week. An owner has spent $30,000 in a legal battle with the Owners Corp and expects to spend the same again…
Four-year fight shuts door on inspection that never was
A NSW Owners Corporation has been forced to meet its common property obligations, after a four year battle with one of the property owners over a sliding door and an…
Alarm as Fireys levy sparks strata fears
A wave of panic has run through StrataLand in the past couple of weeks – hardly a tsunami but more than a ripple – with the news that the Fire…
Look out! They’re going to tax your view
They say you don’t own the view from your apartment but a scheme has been launched today to allow apartment blocks to register their vistas … provided they are prepared…
Flat Chat: How off-the-plan buys went off the boil
There was a time when buying off the plan was a gamble well worth taking. Investors and ordinary home buyers with a good sense of where the property market was…