The executive committees and chairmen of strata blocks get a hard time – usually unfairly since they can’t please everyone and are giving up their time for free. But every so often there’s one who’s on a little personal power trip.
QUESTION: The chairwoman at our block of 40 is a megalomaniac who gathers an embarrassing number of proxies from apathetic owners so she can guarantee her own pet projects are approved. She is supported by a shady strata manager and compliant executive committee.
Meanwhile, other owners who care have been marginalised and silenced and our day-to-day life is suffering. What can we do, please? – Dingbat, Sydney
ANSWER: The easiest way to fix this is to start working towards the next AGM and EC elections by informing other owners of demonstrable problems, such as if their money is being wasted or the value of their property is being harmed.
Proxies from investor owners will be critical to your success so you will need to visit your strata manager to get their mailing addresses and for that you’ll have to pay for the strata manager’s time and for postage.
At the AGM you need a credible “ticket” of candidates who will at least form a majority on the committee. If you can’t fill all the slots you can support the election of some existing members, excluding the ones you don’t want on the new committee.
Then make sure all your supporters have their levies paid up to date and lock in as many proxy votes as you can get.
Meanwhile, try to avoid purely personal attacks; not only do you have to live with these people, you could find yourself on the wrong end of a libel suit.
And be careful what you wish for … some day someone could be writing emails about you.