[Boronia]

Thank you both for the advice.

I have discussed this with one of the other owners who is a solicitor/accountant and his advice was:

First we have to decide what it is we want to achieve – do we want xxxx removed as Strata Manager? Do we want a court resolution appointing an independent strata manager? Both those options will cost a lot of money, like $20,000-$30,000 in legal costs (we can sue for costs, if we win). Then there is the option of mediation but, as you know, for this to occur, all parties need to be willing to participate.

If this figure is realistic, where does the money come from? I am guessing that the appointed SM won’t do it out of kindness. Out of the Strata funds, by way of a special levy?

I will start making some enquiries shortly.

[Boronia]

would the storage lockers be a Council requirement, like the Visitor Parking spaces? Can the OC just decide to pull the walls down and leave the owners with just the air space?

[Boronia]

If Paul H’s property was seemingly so readily accessible to the OC, what protection has he got from less desirable people getting to it ?

[Boronia]

The building itself is not rundown, in fact reasonably well maintained; just the other owners don’t get much say in what is done.

My concern is the loss of value from the poor administration.

[Boronia]

Yes, this owner is not the developer, but after starting with about 50% in the initial release has been progressively adding to his portfolio as units came on the market.

The spaces in question are shown as “Visitor Parking” in the plan.

I would image that removing the storage lockers (steel framework with chain wire “walls”) to provide parking would also require a Council DA?

[Boronia]

@Kangaroo said:At schools, instead of locking them in with a fence, they’re allowed to run out onto the road, and every driver passing by, for eternity, has to slown down after noticing the myriad of signs and flashing lights.

Are you suggesting that kids shouldn’t be allowed to go home?

Most schools do keep their gates locked during the day, but I think more in an effort to keep bad people out.

[Boronia]

I would be concerned that a window that can be opened more than 125 mm by an adult can be left open and forgotten about.

[Boronia]

@Bennifer said:
Obviously kids falling through windows is truly awful but I have to wonder where parental/owner/tenant responsibility comes into things? Is it really the government’s and the OC’s responsibility to stop it happening? 

 

“parental responsibility” is a wonderful concept, but it doesn’t seem to happen too often.

How often do we read about kids drowning in backyard pools, kids being run over by cars in driveways, (sometimes drunk) drivers with unrestrained kids in the car, kids with burns or scalds from playing with kitchen utensils while parent is cooking, etc, etc? Recently I noticed a couple of toddlers playing at the top of an escalator in a shopping centre; I found the parents sitting nearby having a coffee, when I pointed out what was happening the response was simply “we told them not to play there, but they don’t take any notice” and they just carried on with their conversations.

Sadly Government and other third party intervention is necessary to compensate for the growing minority of parents who don’t understand or don’t care about risks.

[Boronia]

Would this be an OC issue?

 

Wouldn’t he just have to get all the individual proprietors to agree to sell, then he becomes the OC.

[Boronia]

Our block has a section of the “basement” set aside as a storage area with 21 2m x 2m lockers separated by only chain wire fencing. These would constitute a much higher fire risk than similar material stored at the back of car spaces. We had a fire in the store area a few years back which destroyed everything stored there.

[Boronia]

I don’t know how your unit is wired, but usually the main board will have one or two large fuses, and your sub-board a number of smaller fuses for lights, power-points, stove, HWS, etc.

 

If your problem caused the main fuse to blow, just going down and resetting it without having the problem diagnosed seems very dangerous.

[Boronia]

Which floor is the offending balcony on ?

[Boronia]

Electricity authorities do not like unqualified people wandering around in meter rooms, this is why they have restricted locks on them.

 

Individual units should have their own separate SWITCH BOXES which would normally trip out first if there is any problem in the unit. These should be accessible to the occupant, usually inside the unit.

[Boronia]

I was always under the impression that Telstra (or whoever provides the service) was responsible for the phone line up to the outlet in the wall, and even the phone itself if they supplied it.

 

Any “wires under the carpet” would be a subscriber’s addition and their responsibility.

[Boronia]

This has been a regular occurrence in our block.

 

Why aren’t owners/agents required to get a clearance from the OC before refunding bond money?

[Author]

Replies