Our main question on the forum this week is from a reader who wonders if it would be easier just to pay for a common property wall repair and ask for the money back when the scheme can afford it.
Now, most strata relationships depend on trust and goodwill. Not every solution needs a written contract and not every dispute needs to go to court or a tribunal.
But how much would and should you trust the goodwill of your neighbours? And what are the risks of them taking advantage of your better nature?
The case in point is a Flatchatter whose apartment has a defect in a common property wall that is causing water ingress.
The Owners corp knows it’s liable for the repairs but doesn’t have the money in the bank to pay for them.
What if, asks our reader, he or she pays for the repair on the basis that they will be compensated when there’s the money to do so?
Now, call me overly cynical and suspicious, but I have all sorts of alarm bells goin off in my head.
Firstly, who’s going to pay for the creation of a legally binding contract with the OC?
Secondly, how long will it take to accrue the sums necessary to fix the wall.
Next, who would be liable for the fix if it fails?
And then, what if there’s a change of personnel in the OC and strata committee and the new people decide they either don’t want to pay, can’t pay or want to delay payment?
And finally, how has the OC got itself into a situation where it doesn’t have the money to effect repairs?
You can add your grist to this mill HERE.
Elsewhere on the Forum
- Anybody know any good builders for a common property foyer reno? That’s HERE.
- Does the committee have to show owners the contract when we are asked to appoint a new strata manager? That’s HERE.
- What can we do about crappy furniture that has appeared in our foyer? That’s HERE.
- How do you turn a two-unit strata into separate homes? That’s HERE.
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Forum: Should an owner pay for a common property repair and ask for the money back, plus dissolving a two-unit strata scheme.
[See the full post at: Forum: Should I pay for a common property fix?]
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› Forums › Current Page