#19585
Sir Humphrey
Strataguru

    It is not normal to have continued special levies. Nearly all the time one would expect to have only the expected expenses and they should be covered in a budget approved each year at the AGM. 

    I would have expected that insurance was an item in the admin fund budget approved at the previous AGM. The only reasons for a special levy that I can think of would be:

    -if the amount budgetted was not nearly enough if premiums rose unexpectedly or a property valuation meant that you discovered you had been under-insured.

    -something else went over-budget and now there is an insurance bill to pay without enough in the bank

    -everything is on budget except that some have not paid levies and consequently there is insufficient in the bank. 

    You should have a copy of the budget from the papers of the last AGM. If not request a copy from the strata manager or treasurer. If insurance is not budgetted as a normal recurrent admin fund expense ask why not. If insurance is budgetted ask why the budgetted amount has not been enough. There might be a reasonable explanation. If you have a problem with lots of owners in arrears ask how that is being managed. It is possible to have an orderly process for debt collection. 

    Ask before the meeting. I would not immediately suspect or suggest any fraud. Stuff up is more likely and that is less likely than a minor issue not well explained. Talk to the EC. They are owners just like you, perhaps struggling with a job they didn’t really want or without sufficient support from a strata manager.