Current Page

[David]

I’m looking at buying a multi level strata town house within a complex of 6. There is only a single building containing all six lots.  The plan has been registered in June 2011, but seems to be unusual in that the “whole of the building including floors, walls, ceilings, roof, verandahs, balconies, terraces, steps, landings, paving and other landscape surfacing and any other structures standing on that lot form part of that lot”  – the quoted words are taken directly from the registered plan and also written on the plan is “The stratum of each lot is limited to a height of 20 above and a depth of 10 below the upper surface level of the ground floor of the respective residence forming part of that lot.

I’m told this is done to reduce the suvrvey work to be done as each floor is not drawn, only the one level floor plan. A letter from the L&PMA says this can be done by developers provided they indicate it on the strata plan and show the walls in thick broken lines.

Seem to me this is the worst of both worlds – you are in a strata scheme, but you are responsible for the whole of your own lot!  With this arrangement I can’t see what stops a lot owner extending up or down, knocking down a wall that is only on his lot – for example the end wall.  How would strata insurance work here as there is no common property building, but the strata act, section 83, says the Owners Corp must insure the whole building.

Any thought appreciated, I’m confused and wondering if it’s better to avoid this place?

Topic