Forum: Cubby house in a strata scheme garden
When strata neighbours start getting snarky with each other, the issues are usually fairly clear-cut. It could be parking in the wrong place, leaving garbage outside your front door or…
By-laws & Rules
By-laws and rules (in Victoria) are the regulations that, generally speaking, we are allowed to set ourselves to moderate our behaviour in our communities.
But they are open to challenge. And what do you do if they are simply ignored?
NB: Some of these earlier posts may be out of date – please check – and the reference to by-laws may be in a longer post about another issue.
Forum: Land-grabbers hedge their bets
There’s an issue in the Forum this week that brings together some of the most damaging aspects of a strata scheme gone wrong. These are all too familiar elements. Often…
More pet turmoil as NCAT backs no-dogs by-law
The endless pets-in-apartments saga took another twist last week when a tribunal ruled that a no-dogs by-law was acceptable, even though last year the NSW Court of Appeal decreed that a…
Forum: Do we have a right to check child safety locks
It’s already been several years since we were ordered to fit child safety locks to windows above the first floor in strata buildings. It’s an owners corp responsibility to “ensure”…
OCN seeks views on way forward for strata
The Owners Corporation Network (OCN) wants to hear your views on what the priorities should be in the ongoing review of strata laws in NSW. OCN has created a short…
Double trouble as regs fail on minor renovations
When is double glazing not really double glazing? When it’s cited in NSW strata regulations. As mentioned in this week’s newsletter, and detailed on the Forum, a Flatchatter is involved…
Forum: Unfinancialized by a sneaky strata manager
One of the suggestions that I made in my overly lengthy submission to the strata law consultations was that seriously incompetent strata managers should face serious penalties, including potentially being…
Law change survey leads to our strata manifesto
This week, I slipped down the ultimate strata rabbit hole – NSW Fair Trading’s consultation questionnaire in which they invite us to tell them how we think strata laws could…
Podcast: What a great year … for pets and renters
This week’s podcast may be the first of 2021 but 2020 doesn’t get away that easily. Last year will be remembered in global politics as the year of Brexit, Trump,…
Forum: ‘No-pets’ by-laws dead so bans are bogus
While some strata schemes struggle to deal with the fact that their “no pets” by-laws have been rendered obsolete by the recent NSW Court of Appeal ruling, others seem to…
Pet ban shock as Appeals Court erases by-laws
It was a decision that doubtless had the denizens of luxury Sydney apartment block Horizon spluttering into their sundowner G&Ts on Monday afternoon … and then checking their bank accounts.…
The Forum: Give bogus, bullying by-laws the boot
There’s a nasty by-law floating around various strata schemes these days – I say nasty because whatever its intent was, it’s having the effect of discouraging owners from challenging their…