A few things come to mind, from being in a similar situation:
- The defects if any with the strata roll is primarily the responsibility of the owners’ corp. The strata manager is their “agent”, but that doesn’t mean he is absolved of liability;
- Most owners’ corp and strata managers ignore owners who ask questions which the former do not want answered or matters fixed. They think and hope that if they ignore, then the owner will simply vanish;
- I suggest you file for mediation with the Owners’ Corp. This is free and you can claim in your online application that you’re not getting the straight answers you deserve when you asked to access the records. You should state what you were told about “privacy” and how you know it’s not relevant to stratas. The Owners’ Corp don’t have to attend mediation and if they don’t you will be seen to have attempted mediation and can move to the next step: the Tribunal.
- A complaint about a strata committee can be done online and is considered as an “application for mediation” with the Owners’ Corp – go tohttps://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/disputes#domediation
scroll to and click on “online application form”
scroll to and click on Fair Trading Mediation Service
- Click on APPLY ONLINE
- You’ll see a long list of items you can select that best summarise your complaint. I suggest in the section “Issues relating to the management of the property” check the box “Exercise duties” . In the section “Can’t find the appropriate issue” check the box “other”;
If you hear nothing in 10 days after filing online, chase NSW Fair Trading up (on 13 32 20) to confirm they received your application. After you lodge it online you’ll get a reference number automatically sent to you. That is the reference number to use when chasing the matter up with Fair Trading.
- After you applied for mediation, you could tell the Owners’ Corp that you applied. But you don’t have to. NSW FT will advise them after they processed your filing. Note it takes 2 weeks or so after you file to be contacted by FT and then the mediation may be 2 months away. So the sooner you file the better.