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I agree with all of that Jimmy, and in my opinion the following observation by you is the most difficult for caring resident owners to address:
…..the hardest thing to do is to change the committee by being a pain in the backside over technical breaches that no one else cares about
In the area where we live in N/W Sydney, despite reported changes (read: restrictions) to funding for off-the-plan purchases and in particular by overseas buyers, strata buildings are being completed in record time, with the only signage that then prominently appears stating “now leasing”.
So how do the few resident owners in such buildings who do care and who do wish to change the composition of a Strata Committee from hell with a compliant Strata Manager convince a majority of absent/investor owners to support them?
With extreme difficulty if not impossibly in my opinion!
I initially thought that on-line voting may assist, but upon reflection I don’t place too much hope in that initiative of the new Legislation as uninterested owners will likely remain so.
Then I thought that the proposed limits to be imposed on “proxy farming” would curb the ability of the vocal minority at General Meetings to achieve the quorum that currently enables them to benefit from absent owners’ lack of interest in anything other than the return on their investment.
Under the current Strata Schemes Management Act (1996) the lack of that quorum at least provides a caring minority with a further opportunity to enlist support from other owners during the mandated seven (7) day adjournment period before a General Meeting may be reconvened.
Regrettably that window of opportunity has disappeared under the post November 2016 Legislation where, if due in part to the limits on the numbers of proxies that can be held by individuals a quorum is not achieved, then the Chair now has the option to either declare that those then present and entitled to vote both personally and by proxy do comprise a quorum on a motion by motion basis or to adjourn the Meeting for seven (7) days.
No prizes for what the Chair of a committee from hell would do!
Apologies for the negativity, but the way I see the future demographic of strata buildings, and the larger ones in particular, I’m not hopeful for a good (read: easy) life for caring, resident owners who will almost certainly be in the minority among investor/owners and a conga-line of their transient tenants.