[considerate and fair]

Hi jeff.j, you wouldn’t happen to be in a large plan with an onsite manager would you?

Cheers,

CBF

[considerate and fair]

Hi the dish,

Many Strata Managing Agents are now setting up websites for their plan.Ours has recently done so and it only costs a few hundred dollars a year for the entire plan. You need OC approval so it needs to be addressed at a GM but easy as. Owners are sent an individual code and then have access to minutes, financials etc. Perhaps you could investigate if this may suit your plan?

Cheers, CBF

[considerate and fair]

So TCS, get yourself in place and grab that talking stick. Can’t help people who don’t help themselves, hope that doesn’t sound insensitive as that is not my intention. Put your hand up for a Committee position at the next AGM and you will have your say. You need no experience so don’t be frightened. Check out the DOFT website for Apartment Living or some other guide to living in Strata, I think JT will be able to guide you with this. Most plans are gagging for interested Owners. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to your future posts.

Kind Regards, CBF

[considerate and fair]

Wecome That Crazy Swede, to Australia(belated clearly), Strata and Flat Chat Forum. JT is the best.

Get on the EC as soon as you can, if I may suggest that. So as you may have a voice within your environement. We all want a nice clean life and peaceful surroundings. I can only suggest you keep an open mind as strata life will surely take you through the ringer in years to come. From all sides.

Cheers,

CBF

[considerate and fair]

Dear Struggler,

You are definately a treasure. We are not worthy. Congrats on your posts.

I promise to be nice and hope that now and in the future you get the support you deserve from JT and his Flat Chat Community. You will certainly have it from me(well, that is of course if I don’t disagree, HA!).

Thanks Struggs for your input you have been helpful to me and my plan.

Cheers,

CBF

[considerate and fair]

Hi all, I too have a clothes horse which I use generally on 1 or 2 days of the week on my balcony. I do not hang washing over the balcony rail and the  clothes airer is below the level of the balcony rail, but due to our balcony fencing/covering(not sure what you call it) being insubstantial as in you can see through gaps it could be considered visible from outside. Other lots use these air dryers but are not so visible from the street but very visible from my balcony. I just requested permission from the EC to use and it was permitted. And so it should with the cost of power going through the roof! I also believe there has been some levity regarding washing on balconies, I think JT posted about it some time ago? I have had an anonymous letter under my door in regards to this but have ignored as I believe it a petty attack. I could suggest you also write to the EC requesting permission.

Cheers CBF

[considerate and fair]

Dear JT, considering your heavy handed censorship, lack of moral fibre and general incompetence, you certainly have a great sense of humour. That song cheered me up no ends!

CBR, I believe he can do both, make the complaints and take them to whoever but eventually if it goes to ACAT, if the rules are the same as in Sydney, I imagine there would need be some proof. Proof though I think may only be a noise diary with time and date of disturbance. This could be sufficient?

Cheers CBF

[considerate and fair]

Yes, agreed, all have valid points of view. There is absolutely no need for defaming or name calling. So unneccessary. It is all in the perspective and or history of the noisemaker so perhaps one could put themselves in the shoes of the other. We, in apartment living are in close proximity to others, there are valid complaints and there are vexatious complaints. But the thing is that living so close to others we need to have some flexibility and some consideration to all. People do need to live their lives which includes an occasional celebration. When that occurs I like JT have earplugs. If it is a regular thing and a problem it needs addressing formally. I have had many regular noisemakers that needed formal letters. In my own case I had not entertained in my home for 5 years(my housewarming) then had 2 friends for drinks on a long weekend which happened to coincide with a new enemy in my building who decided to call police at 9pm to complain about my talking on the balcony, the police laughed when invited inside but this is sometimes a situation when you have many people in a building, some not seeing eye to eye or perhaps have some personal vendetta. I suspect CBRs situation is similar. If you expect in shared living to have complete silence, well unfortunately you should perhaps be looking at moving to an acreage property where perhaps the noise of the wildlife may bother you. But this comment does not disregard true noise makers. I know them and have heard them. I am not one.

I feel you need to look at sharing space with due consideration, from both sides. But consider this, you buy a great apartment with either city views or a large space balcony or a garden, you turn 30, 40, 50, 60,70, get engaged, married, silver anniversary, die, have a baby, whatever, want to use this great space you bought for this purpouse to enjoy, to celebrate your life and just this one off occasion gets a complaint from a noise nazi, completely destroys your enjoyment of this special time of your life, for what? Cheers and Peace CBF

[considerate and fair]

Commiserations CBR, I have had similar and the police were called.Twice. And not at an unreasonable hour. Totally humiliating.Then got a breach of bylaw letter.I am normally a very quiete person. BUT generally in Strata you can not disrupt the peaceful enjoyment of a lot at ANY TIME. I am an owner but I feel you are are tenant? In my case it was a personal vendetta. 

If a tenant you are held by the bylaws and in breaking them you would be breaking the terms of your lease. So there is the possibility that if taken to CTTT you could be evicted. But it could possibly be a long involved process.

I personally have had issues with partying in my plan but it has been habitual offenders,I don’t care if they are renters or owners. I have no issue with a party every now and then, that is life, we celebrate, but not every other weekend.

I think you either keep the entertaining inside as noise outside tends to travel or risk the party poopers taking you down.

Cheers and best of luck CBF

[considerate and fair]

Hi apples45,

In this case I think it would be easier for the EC or SM to send a letter to all residents. Especially if your garbage is becoming a problem. There is a bylaw I believe that instructs and advises how rubbish should be disposed of as in all garbage to be tied and placed in appropriate receptacle and all recycleable items the same. Could be different in your plan but I think it a good idea in the interests of maintaining a healthy happy building for the EC on behalf of the OC or the Strata manager to send a friendly letter to all residents to remind them of their obligations rather than spend too much time and money contacting individual agents as not all owners of investment properties use the same agent.

We have done so and we have now an impeccable garbage room. Some local councils also offer a service where they do a door knock in your building to advise of appropriate garbage disposal and give you a free recycle bag. We have used this in our plan. There are some times when an agent should communicate with tenants but I do not believe this is one of them. Your etc would be another thing.

Cheers CBF

[considerate and fair]

Hi There, another consideration may be that the area the AC is installed is Common Property, does it have OC approval? Perhaps it could be removed or relocated?

Cheers CBF

[considerate and fair]

I hear you Struggler. I was so happy after selling my home and buying a strata unit, no gardening, putting out bins, nasty neighbours. Ha! Well, I still monitor all, gardens for a large lot and many bins rather than one and instead of having one or 2 nasty neighbours I have many. The only bonus I have found living in units is off street parking and a city view! Meetings are a nightmare! Can I add I have been on the EC from day one and secretary for 18 months. I am still on the EC. I have many tasks that I perform including being available for tradies to access etc. Having said that my plan is actually very good compared to some other posters so I am relatively happy. I will probably not be able to afford a freestanding house again but if I could I would. So I will make the best of what I have, being on the EC is getting harder each year as nutbag owners waste time and try to take control for no other reason than that, being in control. So…chin up. We are all here with JT. We have support.

Best of Luck

CBF

[considerate and fair]

Hey Jimmy,

Control of what?

Cheers CBF

[considerate and fair]

Hey Struggler, All,

Struggler my opinion is to advise your friend to put their hand up for the EC and I think they may kill two birds with one stone. Stir up and motivate a stale or ignorant Committee to hold all residents to abide by the bylaws and then that should stop the illegal parking. You need no other reason than the fact that the CP is being used for FREE and illegally. Breach of bylaw. As well as all the reasons you mention above. Yes there are consequence. My building has had numerous parking issues and we have found that really staying on the backs of parking thieves with letters and threats from our manager does eventually work but they do start nice and end up nasty.The type of people that park illegally do not shift easily. (this totally relies on the efforts of a cohesive and functional committee) By the 3rd nasty letter with threat of fines and CTTT they tend to park elswhere!

Best of Luck CBF

[considerate and fair]

Hi All, yes of course agreed this is the law and any owner has access to the strata roll as in address, but when it comes to giving out other contact details as in phone numbers and email addresses this is a clear breach of privacy and leaves owners open to all types of bad behaviour from aggreived owners with chips on their shoulders. As we know there are many that like nothing better to take revenge against committee members especially but also any owners that simply notify of breach of bylaw. I have in the past had to block a resident from my email. Receiving nasty emails and phone calls can really make life in your home and sanctuary unbearable.

I personnally find it best if the agent contact the owner on behalf of the EC anyway, I have no need for peoples details, we live in the same building so I can always knock on a door if I don’t want the agent to deal with. So I don’t see a problem with an agent witholding details, in fact I would appreciate it.

Cheers CBF

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