How to cope with EC crazies
Every executive committee has had one at some time – a member who can only see one point of view (theirs) and for whom being outvoted is evidence of either…
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.
Less is best but lease is more
We got a posting recently from a tenant who has gone from a six month lease to a “periodic” – ie, open-ended – tenancy. The landlord asked to put the…
Are U2 in the strata with no names?
Are you too in the strata with no names? Should executive committee members be a secret society or available for comment and complaint by phone, email and the occasional front-up?…
Water on brain … money down drain
Do you have any idea how much you are paying for your water? One of the great embarrassments of strata living in this state is that most of us aren’t…
Investment that bounces
QUESTION: I’m looking at buying a one-bedder in a hotel conversion as an investment property. The asking price is about $550K and the average rent is $650 per week. That…
Negligent agent – but who pays?
QUESTION: I live next door to a unit that has recently sold. Over a ten year period, the property has been continuously let via one real estate agent. I went…
Setting strata straight
The state government is currently canvassing opinions on how we think strata law should be fixed. The fact that they are admitting there are problems is a huge breakthrough in…
Antisocial networking
I’ve been extolling the virtues of a Redfern building’s Facebook page so it was disappointing to hear about another Sydney block where the networking has become very antisocial. Renters…
The year of living strategically
As this is the last Flat Chat for the year, let’s look at what’s happened in strata in the past 12 months. We got a new Fair Trading Minister when…
CSI: Corrupt Strata Investigations
O, what a tangled web we weave … sometimes someone pulls a loose thread in the fabric of their strata life and, just like in a TV detective show, everything…
Light relief from storm damage
QUESTION: Recently on a very windy day, a strong gust of wind rattled through our rented house and two light shades sheared off their brackets, meaning the whole fitting had…
Silencing noisy boys
QUESTION: I live in a block where, for the last year, there’s been a group of very noisy youths in one unit, shouting, swearing and talking loudly on their balcony…