Frank
I take your point but I'm coming at this from a totally different direction. The cases you have mentioned both cite 'worst-case scenarios' – genuine possibilities but only in the most extreme circumstances.
The real benefit of these stories is to get people thinking and talking about their responsibilities – and I have to tell you there's not a lot of that going on in StrataLand. You would be astonished by how few people living in Strata – even members of ECs – have any idea at all about their rights and responsibilities. So these stories may seem a bit over the top but at least they get people talking.
There are plenty of other threads on this Forum that show residents of strata buildings are losing out because ECs see their only responsibility being to avoid spending money.
There's one running at the moment where the tenant of a flat has been told she can't have the problem of rainwater running through the electrics in her ceiling fixed because the OC doesn't have the money. That's tough – but they need to get the money … and fast!
The easiest way to do that is to not address problems. If they realise they have other priorities – and the cost could be higher if they ignore them – everyone might start thinking about the decisions they are making.