Deaf to doof-doof
NB: There are several reader responses at the end of this article A couple of weeks ago Sydney mayor Clover Moore asked the State Government to do something about heavy…
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.
Big dog blues
They say its it’s not the size of the dog in a fight that matters but the size of the fight in the dog. However, when it comes to a…
All fired up over safety flaws
They’re not actually fiddling while Sydney burns but it’s taking a while for the state government’s Fire Protection Systems Working Party to issue a report that should reveal fatal flaws…
Water On The Brain
The recent heavy rains in Sydney had everyone running for cover. In my own block, the denialist developers are insisting that the clear evidence of their shoddy workmanship ” water…
Buying into problems
The right manager could make all the difference when it comes to choosing your new apartment When you’re buying a new apartment, even when you’ve sorted out the basics –…
Losers pay on defects
While the rest of NSW lives in a ‘user pays’ society, it seems it’s a ‘loser pays’ world in Strataland especially when it comes to defects. When developers dig in…
Rumbles from the Concrete Jungle
In Strataland, like in space, no one can hear you scream. However much strata owners complain about being let down or ripped off, it seems our state government either believes…
Not sinking but drowning
Imagine what would happen to our speeding laws if there were no were no speed cameras or, indeed, speeding fines. The inevitable bloody mayhem aside, that’s pretty much the chaotic…
Cat lover in dog house
There’s always a new twist in the conflict between our love of small furry friends and our desire to live in flats. Considering the number of questions I get from…
HOW TO ORGANISE AN EC COUP
Running the executive committee of an apartment building is politics at its most fundamental level. Most ECs get along OK, but all it takes is one person to upset the…
Sound and fury – signifying nothing
Some recent rumblings from Macquarie St should have us apartment dwellers pricking up our collective ears. The first was the new neighbourhood noise laws that mean playing loud music after…
You don’t have to be big to be bad.
This column occasionally takes a pop at Big Bad Developers but there’s a breed that tends to slip under the radar – the small, independent, one-off developers who build small…