- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 11 months ago by .
-
Topic
-
Hi,
I’d appreciate thoughts on owner access to areas such as switchboards.
Is the COO (EC in states other than WA) able to restrict owner access to such areas?
I would have thought not since such areas are common property which owners would normally have access to.
However, this is strata, and so all sorts of exceptions are likely.
Many thanks in advance.
-
Replies
-
Just because an area is common property doesn’t mean everyone has access to it (your neighbours’ balconies, for instance).
If you need access, you should ask the building manager, strata manager or committee. If want that to be a permanent arrangement, you probably need a by-law (although i ahve to wonder why would you need access to the power boards on a regular basis?)
If you want to be alerted when anyone replies to your posts or responds to this topic, please register and login, then you will be able to subscribe to the topic. The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers. NB: Longer threads may spill over to additional pages - look for the numbers on the bottom right, under the last post.
Yes, there is a general principle that all resident should have access to common property. There is also a general principle that law should be interpreted in a reasonable common sense manner.
So, for reasons of safety and avoiding mischief, it is not a good idea to leave the switchboard open for all to access and that would not be in conflict with a reasonable interpretation of the law. For another example, nobody can occupy exactly the same bit of common property as is being occupied at that moment by another resident, or is being occupied by a tree for that matter, but nobody applies excessive pedantry to those situations!