Reply To: BBQ on Common Property conundrum

Thank you Sir Humphrey!!

This is exactly what I’ve been saying since this unedifying saga began.

It appears the strata manager is pushing this barrow on a point of law. She’s technically correct but as you say “Who owns this block?”!! I spoke to a (female) committee member last night who said it was not raised in committee (I dare say because they don’t have meetings). My partner saw the strata manager with the 3 (male) committee members just before this drama started – including the so-called chair, who I believe is being highly duplicitous as it was he (an unmovable incumbent for as long as I’ve been here) who first suggested the space be converted from a clothes line area (there is another clothesline adjacent) into a BBQ area. It seems this arrangement was never formalised, although I have been told a letter may have been sent to the strata manager at the time.

I will be calling a general meeting (I have the requisite 25% of residents onside to do this) and formalising the arrangement, as you suggested. I also intend (time permitting) to try and find some correspondence to the strata manager at the time I’ve been told about. If it’s in the files then it is the strata manager at the time who was negligent in not formalising the arrangement.

We’ve had a dozen strata managers in the 8 years I’ve been here. They’re either incompetent or officious. This one seems to be the latter.

Many thanks for the affirmation of my position. I appreciate it.