Can EC members be paid?
It’s often said that the problem with most Executive Committees is that the people you would like to be running them are too busy earning money to pay their…
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.
Premium dilemma
QUESTION: I insure my investment unit with a landlords insurance policy covering contents damage, personal liability and loss of rent. The contents have been ‘written down’ to an amount where…
Rent reduction removed
QUESTION: My bedroom ceiling developed a leak from common property and there was water damage to the walls. My landlord but did nothing so I called Fair Trading and they…
Barbecue court battle
Enjoy your balcony barbecues while you can. If one Flat Chat reader has his way they will soon be banned by the Supreme Court. “The smoke and smell comes through…
No free lunch in damp kitchen
QUESTION: In our very small block, the kitchen cupboards of the ground floor flat have started to rot because of damp in the walls. The owner wants us to replace…
Snake in the strata
QUESTION: I’ve just rented found a fabulous new flat but the lease says I need the landlord’s permission to have a pet and the building has a by-law that restricts…
Locked in to key charges
WE get lots of complaints about Owners Corporations and executive committees ‘wasting’ money but what about buildings that are making too much? QUESTION: My Owners Corp seems to be raising…
Mouldy flat, rotten agent
QUESTION: Some overseas friends of mine rented a unit in the inner west which became badly affected by mould over summer. The mother, for whom English is a second language,…
Time called on balcony boozer
Our piece last week about the CTTT’s nitpicking over the case of a noisy and threatening owner piqued the interest of a strata lawyer. “I am dealing with another…
Trial by CTTT nitpicking
We are always telling strata owners to resolve serious problems through Fair Trading and the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. The latter, especially, is supposed to help ordinary people resolve…
Growing irritation
A tenant called Sonia called me on the James Valentine show on ABC 702 last week to complain about a resident who has taken over her block’s common property garden…
Bin laden lady
Even in houses, especially shared houses, the question of whose turn it is to do domestic chores creates angst and anger. So how bad can it be for 12 homes?…