Fiveaces said:
Hi everyone,
I'm hoping someone can clarify some points in regards to the standard by-law for the appearance of a lot. The 17(1) bylaw states “The owner or occupier of a lost must not, without the written consent of the owners corporation, maintain within the lot anything visible from outside the lot that, viewed from outside the lot, is not in keeping with the rest of the building”…There is currently a balcony below which has a permanent awning installed which is commonly pulled down and a balcony above which has some brown lattice woodwork in addition to covering their balcony with potted plants….
We're recently had verbally explained to use via the real estate that 1 Pretend St and 1A Pretend St are under two different strata plans and committees. 1 Pretend St allows the bamboo screen discussed previously with quite a few units using them, but 1A does not. These buildings are identical and since they are physically attached would there be a valid argument that having bamboo screen is in keeping with the rest of the building?… Let me know if I just need to suck it up and deal with no screening.
Without knowing the buildings, I would think that it might be reasonable to want to avoid a proliferation of diverse screens, each different from every other one. On the other hand it might be reasonable for some unit owners to want a screen. Perhaps the solution is for a general meeting to decide on a limited number of styles that can be approved as a matter of course by the EC.
Perhaps the ECs of the two buildings could decide to have a joint meeting to decide on identical motions to put to the general meetings of each building, since you share a common interest in looking like your neighbours.