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“Buildings with non-compliant cladding may not get insurance, industry warns”
“Astroturf” in the form of casting shade?
Which state are you in?
It sounds like your strata manager/building manager needs to be more proactive. Lift communication systems need to be operational. I wouldn’t call making them operational a “scam”. Get a few quotes together to see if your lift contractor has reasonable prices.
If you’re in NSW this is recommended reading:
“Every lift must have an emergency communication system to enable assistance in the event that passengers are trapped.”
You need to check the contract with your Strata Manager (SM) to see what is included.
Our SM did offer to register our building with NBN & liaise with them on our behalf but as we have tech skills on the strata committee we are doing this ourselves.
At the very least I recommend your Owner’s Corporation read & register your lifts, fire control & alarm systems here:
https://www.nbnco.com.au/connect-home-or-business/information-for-home/device-compatibility.html
We also conducted an audit of lots with medical alarms & commercial telecommunications systems.
Now released:
“Options Paper on short-term holiday letting
The NSW Government invites you to provide feedback on the ‘Options Paper for short-term holiday letting in NSW’.”
Link:
Why isn’t the solution to this mess sheeted back to the purveyors of short term lets like AirBNB? Currently they put the onus on hosts to comply with all legislation:
How about allowing Owner’s Corporations/local councils the ability to blacklist addresses. When a host comes along who fails to check whether they’re a permitted host they’re presented with a “planning legislation doesn’t permit short term lets at this address” notice?
This may also be of interest:
“Aimco Steps Up Litigation Against Airbnb: Complaint Seeks Class Action Status on Behalf of Property Owners Harmed by Airbnb”
https://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2017/06/07/AQ11529
@boxfee said:We acknowledge that not all owners will be active on social media, but printed newsletters and emails seem outdated.
We’ve started out low tech with an email list for which we pay a peppercorn hosting rent. It may seem outdated but email has a low barrier to entry, is flexible & most importantly is a push mechanism that gets to a multitude of devices. The list is moderated with a few people authorised to post. Our secretary uses the list to post non sensitive info about happenings in our strata – building works, service outages etc. The info is echoed on notice boards in the lifts and entry points. The list is open for tenants & owners to join, we have QR codes about the strata. People can subscribe & unsubscribe themselves so it’s also very low maintenance.
We tried a web site with forum & an RSS feed & neither worked out for us. Having to login in to generate content for our secretary & setting up a separate client for RSS or checking a web site was too much of a barrier for the users. Maybe we’ll revisit it down the track but for now firing off an email which is pushed out to users who are already very familiar with email is working well for our simple “info out” requirements.
More formal strata communication to lot owners: minutes, notices, levies etc. is handled by our strata manager & lot owners can elect to have that delivered via email.
Here’s a take from the insurance side reinforcing Lady P’s post:
So to be clear, a safety report has said that to paint the railings & “other sections” a scaffolding is required?
If so, I’d be writing a letter to the Strata Committee & the Strata Manager detailing your concerns pointing out the Owner’s Corporation responsibility to maintain common property & their obligations re: due care & diligence. If they wish to stick to the current plan of having lot owners paint railings & “other sections” then ask them to run that plan by the strata insurers & mention the requirements in NSW for work over $5K & $20K values detailed at the link in my above post.
If other lot owners have concerns have them do the same. & do address the issue at the AGM or the next SC meeting.
Don’t be afraid of communication. It sounds as though your Owner’s Corporation, Strata Committee and Strata Manager all need education. An Owner’s Corporation can’t make its own rules overriding other legislation.
BTW a licensed painter will likely be able to source paint at trade prices as well as warrant their work.
Where abouts are you located, Louie?
If the metal railings & ‘other sections’ are common property then the Owner’s Corporation is responsible for their maintenance. The strata committee is opening themselves up to all sorts of hassles if uninsured, unlicensed people perform work on behalf of the Owner’s Corporation. The “let’s make our own rules” folk might also like to take a google cruise re: liability of strata committee members.
& if you are in NSW assuming the cost of the work is >$5K:
“Only a builder or trader who is properly trained and has the relevant experience to do the work may be licensed with NSW Fair Trading. Any person who carries out residential building work over $5,000 in labour and materials without an appropriate licence is breaking the law and could be prosecuted.”
The fire safety firm our OC uses is a member of an industry group, Fire Protection Association Australia:
They might be a good starting point for an answer to your question, information & local service providers.
It would help to know where you are. In NSW smoke alarms are covered by state government legislation:
https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/regulation/2000/557/part9/div7a
In a nutshell:
https://www.stratachoice.com.au/blog/news/whoisresponsibletorepairorreplacesmokesensorsdetectors
There are plenty of specialised fire safety firms/electricians who do fire safety work. A good place to start would be raising concerns with whoever does your annual fire safety check.
The fire safety check requirements are covered by the fire safety legislation & if you’re a strata committee member it’s worth a read:
https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/regulation/2000/557/part9
(& apologies if you’re not in NSW.)
Does NCAT have the ability to declare someone the equivalent of a vexatious litigant?
Are the costs associated with all these actions documented? Sheeted back to Mr. A.?
In the absence of any real advice apart from hang in there, I’d be ordering some nice bottles of wine & having some EC therapy sessions. Keep the EC members supported with their focus on the long term.
SC members should declare any pecuniary interest as per para 18 here:
https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ssma2015242/sch2.html
I thought it was ok for owner/caretakers to be on the strata committee ref:
“1) The following persons are not eligible for appointment or election to a strata committee or to act as members of a strata committee unless they are also the owners of lots in the strata scheme:
(a) the building manager for the strata scheme,”
https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ssma2015242/s32.html