[communityresident]

@JimmyT said:

I’m sorry you have chosen to take this personally but, since you mention it, “The Strata” is meaningless.  The strata manager, the strata committee, the strata scheme, the strata chair, the strata secretary, the strata plan … all have specific and different meanings. 

But saying “I wrote to the strata …” is like saying “I wrote to the Sydney …”

If you’re having a pop at me because you can’t see the difference, you are pretty much missing the point.  

Not taken personal JimmyT.  Online communication is not always sent and then received in how it meant to be.  I stand corrected, of course.

I personally have been very grateful to you for your help in the times I have asked for advice.  In the building where I live our building’s Executive Committee has been many things, most of the time the truth not something useful and even underhanded to put it politely.  Nice to be able to speak to someone knowledgeable in a neutral setting.  To be honest I am probably am on edge, tired from sleep deprivation from a slamming wrought iron security gate over last few months: that’s another story altogether.  

[communityresident]

@JimmyT said:
I’d lay a pound to a penny that this is just a flat battery.  Most locksmiths or key cutters will do this for you … and it’s not a legal issue or an owners corp issue either.

By the way, congrats to “community resident” for using “the strata” within hours of my having written about how much it annoys me.  

Unfortunately I had not had the chance to read all of your posts Jimmy to know what peeves you on using a particular word.  I will know never to use that word again.

However I’m oblivious and perhaps a little (or a lot) stupid about what is the issue with the word Strata as it refers to the management of the building.  Do you have an issue with anyone using the word Real Estate Agent, or perhaps Landlord.

Did you have a bad day when you wrote the post about my comment on using “The Strata”?!

I hope your day has got better since then.  

CM.

[communityresident]

Not sure if it is the owner or the tenant, but not the Strata.  Get ready for the price to be well over what the remotes are worth.  This is why so many people I suspect never replace them unless they have nothing else left.

You may be able to go to somewhere and just replace the battery.  However I’m sure legally no-one is supposed to tell you to fix yourself as it could be “unsafe” however my husband who is a handy sort of guy bought a new battery and replaced it for me.  It was somewhere like Jaycar or similar. Take in the remote and they may even do it for you.  You may need a Philips head screwdriver to open the remote as well often is the case with items like these, often parents these days might have one due to toys having lots of batteries and it stops our clever clogs’ being able to open them with small items as batteries are dangerous to small children if ingested, even cheap $2 shops have these similar type screwdriver heads…

Perhaps check your lease if any mention is made about cost etc. and if the just have to supply you a remote, whether working or not etc.  I needed to get the details from our Strata who we use – as it will be someone who has a monopoly usually for the building for ordering – as imitations don’t work, or won’t work for long suggest not to waste money on those, no matter how tempting.

[communityresident]

Thank you Sir.  Yes they’ve tossed the lot being easier I suspect.

We had a no pets by-law before which in fact was good for those who didn’t want to behave in a respectful way.  There’s been a blind eye turned which no-one had a problem, including myself.  However there’s always the “entitled” which I live among who ruin it for everyone else because they are just selfish to be honest and this is one way to deal with it.

The proxy farming is a great win though as now one who was doing this no longer has the power as before.  Funnily enough the person is not on the committee any longer as I imagine the incentive is gone with such a small amount of proxies able to gather.

[communityresident]

Thanks Jimmy for a very prompt response.  Hopefully it is just a mistake on the behalf of the Strata who sent the documents out – wrong day of the week was put with the date of meeting… however put up yesterday with screeching from the flooring majority of the day

Cheap floating floors should be banned in units but it looks so nice and we have allergies I hear already!

[communityresident]

@JimmyT said:
I hear your frustration but this neighbour has three weeks left in your building and there is nothing that can be done that will happen with regard to the smoking in that time – and by that I mean NCAT orders and fines.

Nobody is going to come round and tell them to stop smoking. However, if they threaten or abuse you personally, then you can get the police involved.

What you need to focus on is the NEXT tenant.  Send the rental agent a letter telling them that, because of the design of the building, it may be inappropriate for them to house a heavy smoker there and they should consider that when advertising the unit for rent in the future.

They may choose to ignore that but if they place another smoker in the unit, they have to accept some liability if there’s a problem.  One of the issues with smokers who cause a nuisance is that rental agents don’t tell them that there has been problemin the past.  A good verbal nudge in the ribs could remedy that in your case.  

Thanks Jimmy.  I made mention when I emailed the R/E agent this morning that we hoped the next tenants would be more respectful of others.  The Strata Agent has been copied in as well.

Totally agree, especially those with “the hide of the elephants” as they say aren’t going to take any notice of anyone, even more so with 3 weeks.  Thank you for the tip about the Police if harassed.  Our local Police are good police and often are overworked and under appreciated.

I will think about what to say at our AGM to get other owners to see it as a win for all of us.  I can only hope, no matter how this person has treated my son in particular that this may in fact save her life, I truly hope.  Too many people think that cancer won’t happen to them.  I have seen my father’s best mate in later stages of bowel cancer, it was truly awful. He smoked a packet a day, had a young family and lived by the beach, had everything to live for and enjoy and was indestructible as they were back then.  This is the bigger picture for me. That people’s lives are saved from cancer.  I’m still amazed my local area and how many smoke are 9 times out of 10 are of a young or younger age.  It’s not a knowledge issue.

[communityresident]

@tharra said:
If you haven’t already, read the useful advice here:

https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-prevention/smoking/smoke-free-apartments-nsw/  

Thanks Tharra for the information.  We had it for last year’s AGM to give information.  If only people could be reasoned with common sense.  However this one is definitely not one of these times.  I have looked at this, even with this though we have had opposition to the By-Law.  I honestly think the only way to get action from some people is through the hip pocket.  We have been told by the other smoker’s Landlord that they are against smoking when the problem was discussed last time.  However, they wouldn’t act to remove them if it affects them monetarily.

[communityresident]

Apologies the prior email should have said the offender smoking couldn’t be seen as they were obviously standing where they couldn’t be seen by anyone, not that they could.

Update: Monday (Apr 10) I emailed the offending smoker’s R/E Agent via email this morning.  Was told that they would be spoken to again, however they could not be there 24 hours a day to tell them to stop smoking.  I am sympathetic as a) no-one wants complaints on a Monday morning, b) that they have to deal with someone who behaves like this.  Frustrating as it is for all of us my family is the one who is bearing the health impact of this.

I’m assuming the Police will refuse to get involved in the evening as it is a Strata matter…The person was heard screaming loudly from their unit this morning in what I can guess was the call from the R/E Agent or after the call.

To be honest I have been through enough with this unit block over the last 2-3 years and my own personal tragedies which you wouldn’t want to wish on your enemies.  Not to mention not the worst committee up until recently when it was lumped on another person.  Some interference up until not long ago I suspect was still going on from the old secretary who no longer is living here. I believe the proxies rules being changed affected them enough to have a lot less say and this was obviously no reason to stay perhaps on the committee. Only an opinion obviously.  We have two sets of plans for our parking, one our local council has – the real one, and the one that was used by the old secretary as being correct.  Funnily enough some people’s garage measurements were incorrect…

I find it a curious thing that the Government regulates / bans smoking in cars with children as passengers.  However my own personal illness / tragedies and knowledge of second hand smoke killing people every year doesn’t give me comfort to ignore the situation for any further time.  I used to think I was indestructible.  However the smoke is impossible to stop and is a sustained problem day after day.  Perhaps the no-smoking in vehicles with children is a “feel-good law” as they call it, it sounds good, but in actuality most who do this would be fairly hard to be caught perhaps?  The Child Protection Laws in NSW should apply in my opinion to these sustained situations as my child is a minor and I have done all I can do to prevent harm and the offender knowingly continuing their impact on them.  I know that if someone asked me if I sent my child to a friend’s home and the person smoked inside the residence each day s I’m sure many would think that I was not a good parent to allow this.

[Author]

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