[Matt]

Well said that clarifies a lot of my points… In my experience, the strata managers i’ve dealt with act more like the monarch or “judge/jury/and executioner” rather than the humble public servant doing his or his civil service for the community(the OC of that strata plan number) they represent…

Also in my experience when a resident complains about matters of common-property or making complaints about building managers, the strata [manager] always mostly sides with the strata-committees opinion not the resident making the complaint.. I say good luck when making a complaint about a building manager/or requests for alterations on common property to be paid for by the OC , the Strata [manager] will in my experience always take the side of whatever it’s paymaster, the OC opinion or decision is…

And as not every person currently living in a building is an owner(loads of tenants, and other occupiers of varied definitions eg living with there partner who is the owner but is not a tenant as they haven’t signed a lease to live in there partners apartment) etc..

But yeah in my experience, I’ve found the strata agencies i’ve dealt with have many conflict of interests and certainly make no secret of the fact that they are not a “voice/trade union rep/or lawyer” for residents in the buildings they manage, but they are a voice for the OC that they have the contract with…

Some residents think the strata agency of the building they live in are a representative for them, i say think again and check out the role of strata [managers]. As I’ve made complaints about common property or building managers in buildings iv’e lived in, and the only attitude i got from the strata agency was “biased supporting of the OC”.

The non owning resident in a building is merely just an annoying pest for the strata agency when making a complaint about the OC(who pays them$). there loyalty lies with the OC$ not with the humble non owning resident…

 

[Matt]

What I don’t get about these new proposed laws, are these just for Airbnb bookings or other short term booking agencys.. As Airbnb ain’t the only player in the share economy eg homeaway and wimbdu…

Also as they only say 180-days, home owners can rent out there rooms in there apartments privately and then what?

It seems stratas wanna ban all short-term stays, and it is futile in these modern rapid global-population moving times. Australia’s population is growing, these new laws appear pointless and futile and everyone will weasel around em.. It’s a bit like smoking laws and alochol rules about where you can drink and prostitution, all restricitions mostly are futile.. eg-Teenage smoking, they don’t smoke at home, but then go and smoke in a park or in a train station, or if lockout laws come in people will just go to a liqour store and drink at home, or if an illegal brothel is closed down in one suburb clients will just go to the illegal brothel in the next door suburb…

These rules are pointless, and stratas are often ineffective anyway despite the new strata rules in NSW and OC’s for that matter to..

[Matt]

proud sceptic

I thought the package would be much less eg around 60K plus super. 

[Matt]

proudsceptic

Which model By-laws is this? Who says a “Lawn(presumably that means grassed lawn) is not deemed as dangerous?

[Matt]

I totally know what you mean. I want signs put up in my building saying children are prohibited from playing in common property, it would reduce the noise and save an accident one day.

[Matt]

Steve

Thanks for those tips. I thought at meetings though non-owners can propose stuff with regards to complaints- e.g. noisy common-property doors, and wanting them repaired, or complaining about noise, or other stuff with an existing common-property renovation e.g. dust not being cleaned from a swimming pool renovation.

The voting things you say make sense.

[Matt]

Whale

Yep you right, then a public-health matter it is.

With the “individual power-point” we each get numbers on them according to our Unit-number. And we can only use that power-point in the common-laundry that has our Unit-number on it.

Even if it’s a public health matter, i’d still consider the (EC) to have to be obligated to look into this stuff, as they have a repsonsibility to provide a healthy apartment-living experience. And the cold-water washing machine only, and people hand-washing and using the dryer(especially kids washing), in my view is not.

[Matt]

DaveB

I’m in NSW. I haven’t yet brought it up with the (EC), will table it for a motion of agenda at next month’s meeting. Will probably have to propose a special By-Law. But then again there are health issues within the NSW strata management Act I presume, certain sections that have to be abided by.

“Heating Coils”, I’ve never heard of I may bring it up with them too. But Health issues have to be reviewed, well in my view anyway, as residents shouldn’t be suspeptable to health problems, which maybe avoided if the technology is available eg Hot water, or Hot coils, that may eradicate some of the problems.

Or just an outright-ban on handwashing clothes, that go in the Dryer. And fines if people break em (enact By-laws to ban this within our strata plan etc).

Not enough space for my own internal laundry unfortunateley DaveB.

Thanks for your response.

[Matt]

Yes I didn’t explain it properly before. Windows leaking in my apartment, and Carpet soaking on our Level Foyer next to the lifts, correct.

[Matt]

Both problems caused by Sydney weather, but different topics but both on common-property.

[Matt]

This carpet damage is on common-property, not in the lot. On the level foyer, I made a mistake I should of been more clear in my top-post, it was common property-carpet in the foyer.

[Matt]

Pete C

Does Excess payable, mean you gotta fork out some % of cost yourself?

Are Apartment roofs also common property as my apartment roof has started to leak in kitchen, must be a plumbing or roof-plastering problem.

[Matt]

Yep I reckon it’s that new safety regulations with kids etc, coz there’s nothing to steal. 

[Matt]

Jimmy T

Ha Ha a funny response at least they didn’t make you lose some sense of humour. 

Peter C and Jimmy T, both right the property values and quailty of life indicators are obvious. Amazes me how more strata places don’t get solar heating for the outdoor pools. Having access to a pool only 6 months a year(spring/summer), is pretty useless. I have even thought about lobbying to close down the pool, as outdoor pools costs a lot for so little use. 

Funny how they upgraded security on the swimming pool and the building, you now need a digital swipe tag to get access to the pool, and they replaced the old 1970’s gates with modern 2000’s glass fencing.  

Yet can’t be bothered to spend any cash on solar heating, when there’s nothing to steal in the swimming pool. Maybe the tosh argument was so we don’t get non-residents in the street to swim in it. Well I’d rather they spent it on solar heating, than flash security when there’s nothing to steal. 

[Matt]

Guys the reality is i’m telling the truth, I wish was lying. The doors in my building are very strong. There around the 150KG-200KG fire safety doors as the front door. Many front doors are heavy. There’s no pads on my front door, or very few in the building. The apartment building is 20 floors, and crammed in. In other words not very high walls, modern apartment buildings of 20 floors would be at least a 3rd higher. 

This building I live in was built in the 1960’s, when planning standards on acoustics were much lower than planning standards of today. 

My level has 5 units as do most in my 80 unit strata scheme. All heavy doors that meet fire satiety standards. Pity the (OC) couldn’t spend money on some pads or, maybe advising the door fitter to make the swings on the doors slower.

The door slams “in out” “in out” all the time awful. And I live right below one of the back entrance doors, no pads the noise is massive, especially as no pads and loose swing, and very windy as my building is surrounded by lots of trees.

Windows have fallen out from the higher floors e.g. level’s 15-20.

Many workers who work in jobs with high vibrations and noise suffer ear problems, and muscular skeletal problems e.g. arthritis,whip-lash etc, and also concussion symptoms. The door slams are like e.g. dogem cars slamming, a loud bang, 2-symbols colliding, like a crack a smashing of the Greek plates etc.

My floor above me has wooden floors, so the vibrations are worse.

An acoustic consultant would make a fortune out of my building. But I am going to complain to the (OC) and put it at a motion of agenda meeting. Many fair trading complaints are about noise. I’m not sure if an acoustic engineer tested my building, I doubt it would acceptable noise standards under the NSW strata management Act section of the rights for all occupiers to have peaceful enjoyment. 

[Author]

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