Going back to the start with this, Deliria, why do you assume the Owners Corp will refuse permission? The developer can have no more than 49 percent of the votes at the very most – but it would seem churlish in the extreme of them to vote against you.
Just another point – has the first AGM been held and is there an executive committee and strata manager in place?
Given that you are locked into this purchase, they are the people with whom you should be negotiating.
Also, I don’t even see how removing paint is a common property issue. They’d be quick enough to tell you paint is your problem if the shoe were on the other foot.
Is your lawyer a strata specialist or just a regular conveyancing solicitor? If it’s the latter, it would be worth making a call to a strata lawyer who will be able to give you a very clear idea bout your options once you settle. Have a look on our sponsors page or links page for some ideas.
Finally, regarding my cavalier comment about ‘walking away’ – you are still in a postion where you can make this a positive experience for you. It will require a shift in thinking from the understandably combative approach you are taking now, but for the sake of your future peace of mind, you need the developer (and more importantly Owners Corp, Executive Committee and Strata Manager) to be your friends, not your enemies.
However hard that may be to swallow, it will make all the difference for the future – trust me, I’ve been there, done that and paid the price for getting it wrong.