[deliria1]

Or how about a by-law that state something like:

Owners and Occupiers must not without written approval of the Owners Corporation

(i) place or hang any item on the balcony of their Lot

1. which is inconsistent with the use as a balcony or
2. which is inconsistent with the aesthetics and appearance of the Building.
3. Any fixtures/fittings (deemed appropriate by the Owners Corporation) added to the balcony/terrace are at the lot owners expense.
4. Ongoing maintenance and removal of additional fixtures/fittings are at the lot owners expense.

[deliria1]

Our By laws state the following:

 

Balconies

Owners and Occupiers must not

(i) place or hang any item on the balcony of their Lot

1. which is fixed
2. which is inconsistent with the use as a balcony or
3. which is inconsistent with the aesthetics and appearance on the Building.

(ii) place or hang laundry, towels, rugs, bedding or any other items on the balconies of their lots

Not even any mention of “without the approval in writing of the owners corporation.”

Also, point (ii) would seem to eliminate a freestanding cat enclosure as well!

I personally, believe most people won't even notice the mesh & those that do, won't care. So maybe I will risk it & just install it .

I thought the metal screen idea was better for two reasons:

1. Could actually really fit in with the aesthetic of the building
2. Afford us some privacy as well, as our ground floor terrace, fronts right onto the pedestrian walkway & the area of the terrace we want to enclose is right outside our bedroom.

[deliria1]

Thanks Whale,

We did think about a freestanding enclosure, but to be honest I actually think they are less attractive and actually less practical, than the other options I am prepared to pay a lot more for… still if they give us no other choice, might be what we have to go with.

 

JimmyT, the low visibility cat mesh you have sent the links to are what we had originally hoped to use. They will still require some securing to the terrace (though easily removed), the developer may think it is low visibility enough, but then again may not.

We have this installed on the back verandah of our current rental, it required about 6 eye screws all up attached to various parts of the house.

It seems so ridiculous that at my current rental the landlord could;

“not unreasonably refuse to give consent to add a fixture or to make a change that is of a minor nature, that can be easily rectified, removed or repaired.”

Yet at a place that I “supposedly” own, I have to jump through hoops just to try & do the right thing!

No wonder so many people tried to talk me out of selling my house & buying an apartment.

Look, I get that people shouldn't be allowed to do whatever they want. But seriously some flexibility is necessary. 

[deliria1]

Whale,

My mum followed your advice to the letter and has been rewarded with neighbours who are now quiet & respectful of those around them. Thank you so much for the wonderful advice you offered. This has been a great success.

[deliria1]

Further to my issue of how to keep my cats within my lot, while giving them some outside space.

The development I have bought into, sits within a heritage facade & its metal framework.

My apartment is therefore not visible from the street it is only visible to other apartments within the complex

The developers are retaining the old metal structure which includes the gantry & crane. it has quite an industrial feel.

They have used aluminium louvres to screen off the ground level car park & most of the apartment courtyards & terraces heavily incorporate corrugated iron.

For those of you in the know when it comes to ECs and OCs, do you think I would stand a better chance of getting what I want if I close in a portion of my terrace with metal screens that match those already used within the complex, rather than use a low visibility cat mesh?

Obviously, it is still going to be something that is fixed to the terrace, but it will tie in with the 'industrial' look.

This is obviously a much more expensive option, but one I would be willing to take if it meant getting permission.

has anyone tried & succeeded in getting something like this to happen.

Would love any advice on how I should best approach this.

[deliria1]

'Strata Police' sounds like a fantastic idea to me.

[deliria1]

Who were the developers & builders? where is the building located?

I only ask as i am buying 'off the plan' & the developers/builders are also retaining much of the original steel frame. Would hate to run into similar problems.

[deliria1]

From a distance it is virtually invisible, up close it is still pretty unobtrusive.

But you know, I can't just install it & hope it will be approved. It isn't cheap for a start & will probably cost me a fair bit over $1000.

As the developer forms the majority of the OC initially, I have a feeling they will say no without even considering it.

 

So far they have said no to us supplying our own tiles (at our cost) for the bathroom feature wall & kitchen splashback; even though we personally know of a few people who have been allowed to provide their own flooring, fixtures & fittings, appliances etc with 'off the plan'.

We asked if we could choose our own floorboard colour (not the one provided), said we would pay the difference in cost. Answer NO.

They are totally inflexible & it is extremely frustrating

[deliria1]

Well certainly neither wall adjoins another apartment which is good. And as I wish to replace the tiles with different tiles, the i guess that also sorts out the “integrity of the lot” issue. So I guess i should be ok?

The reason we sold our house was because we were sick of mowing lawns, cleaning gutters, replacing fences etc.

So in terms of all that, then I 'm glad to have sold the house.

However, at my house I was able to enclose my back deck with low visibility cat mesh & keep my cats safe & out of other peoples yards, no permission required.

I just hate how inflexible some OCs seem to be.

 One would think that in a building that allows up to two animals, wanting to keep them contained in your lot, and off common and neighbouring property would be a good thing and not something you should have to fight for.

[deliria1]

Thanks for the replies.

I am concerned that the developer will just say no without even considering it.

They have been most unco-operative so far….e.g. as this is 'off the plan' and still being built, we asked if we could pay for & deliver our own tiles for the feature wall in the bathroom & the kitchen splashback. The NO was resounding.

Yet I know of a few people personally, who have bought 'off the plan' and they were allowed to provide all manner of bespoke items, from flooring to fixtures & fittings.

Seems our developer is very “old school”.

Also Sharyn, how do we go about getting you as the strata manager for the building??? Not sure if the developers have chosen anyone yet, but someone like you on board would be great.

[deliria1]

Thanks Guys, that has been a great help.

[Author]

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