Here’s a neat double standard straight out of the “Obstructive Strata Manager Handbook (Covid-19 edition).”
Our Flatchatter’s partner has just been told by his strata manager that the scheme will be having its AGM online this year, obviously due to Covid-19.
Fair enough, he’s not exactly Robinson Crusoe in that regard.
In an effort to discuss some of the issues with other owners, FlatPartner has asked to be sent an up-to-date copy of the strata roll (which he is legally entitled to see and used to be sent by email when he was secretary of the strata scheme).
After a delay of several weeks, he’s been told that as he is no longer secretary, he is not entitled to get the documents by email and must travel several kilometres to the strata manager’s office and inspect them there.
He will also be allowed, one assumes, to photocopy them (for an immodest fee) and take the copies away.
So Covid-19 means the meeting can’t be held in person, but some arbitrary rule invented by the strata manager means he must travel to the office and breath on and be breathed on by the staff, just to get a document that could be in his inbox in seconds.
Elsewhere today I have written that my maxim is never ascribe to malice anything that can just as easily be explained by stupidity, but this has a strong odour of deliberate obstruction about it.
You can read my response HERE.
In another similar plea from a different source, a relative newbie to the wonderful world of strata living wants to know why he’s being kept out of the committee, why his levies are so high and why he’s been asked to provide details for the strata roll because of a public health order.
Oh, and his online AGM has been brought forward just when we are all about to be free to mingle (if we’re double vaxxed). And his request for the contact details for his fellow owners has resulted in the names of absentee investors but the address of the block.
I’m not one for conspiracy theories but this one has me reaching for my alfoil hat. You can read all about it – including lengthy theories about how to get your levies lowered – HERE.
Elsewhere in the Forum
- Can poll votes, based on unit entitlements, be used in committee meetings? That’s HERE.
- What can you do about illicit apartment visitors to other units during lockdown? That’s HERE.
- Committee’s responds to neighbour parking wrongfully in turning area by planning to redesignate it “resident and visitor parking” and letting him have it. That’s HERE.
- I didn’t know an area I’ve used for 10 years adjoining my lot was common property. Now the body corporate wants it back. That’s HERE.
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