Re: Tenants in, strata ‘presidents’ out, in vote shake-up

@Mailbox said:
This arrived this morning from an unhappy reader:

From your article, I can see how naïve you are . If you think that “proxy farming” is a mechanism to be elected or the building will collapse without you, then you have never been in the thankless role of Chairmen of a Body Corporate committee.

Actually I have, twice.

Perhaps you haven’t lived in a strata title  …

Wrong again.  I have lived in strata in Sydney for the past 26 years, as a tenant, then an owner (and investor for what it’s worth).

… or you have but you haven’t paid attention to how much work is involved, the daily phone calls , load of emails, organising  workers to collect keys so emergency work can be done in their apartment, liaison with the managing agent 24/7 and all this you do out of the goodness of your heart. Mostly tenants knock on your door at any time of the day and night and treat you like a concierge – or their parent!

See, this is the problem.  You take on the role then you complain that it involves too much work.  There are plenty of people who accept that the role of chair of a committee comes with certain responsibilities and they get on with it.  If you don’t want to do it, stop hoovering up votes every year to make sure you get elected.  Hire a professional manager if it’s so onerous or – heaven forbid – let someone else do it.

Attending a tribunal hearing if or when necessary is another joy and I am sure you would ask why  the managing agent doesn’t get involved.  I have yet to see one managing agent who is capable of executing his duty efficiently , the less work for them is the better .

Yep, as described in my article – the building would collapse without you in charge … except it wouldn’t.  If your strata manager is incompetent, get a new one.  There are plenty of excellent operators out there.

Those by-laws are written by bureaucrats who never in their life have lived in a strata title dwelling.

There is no way you can know this. In any case, by-laws are passed by the owners corporation, and are often written under the direction of their Supreme Leader.

I have been a chairman for the past 25 years and I could write a book about what is really going on. I sold 3 years ago and now live in a house and there is no way I will live in a unit ever again.

On behalf of all strata residents, we thank you for going where you belong.