Wot? No Flat Chat? Where have you gone? Why was there no print edition of the column?
This weekend saw the launch of the shiny new half-property, half-lifestyle Domain magazine, free with the Sydney Morning Herald and Financial Review.
In the endless publishing tussle between style and substance, there was no room for a frequently tetchy column on the rights and wrongs of apartment living in the 21st Century.
That’s not to say we’ve been killed off. In fact, we are negotiating a shift to the main newspaper. Hurrah!
So those of you who look forward to a cough and splutter into their Saturday morning coffee while reading in good old-fashioned print about the outrageous behaviour of other apartment residents will not be disappointed.
Also, you can still find Flat Chat in the online pages of the Herald and, since you must be reading this on some sort of electronic device, you may already have done so.
Meanwhile, I am going to make an effort to be a lot more interactive in my new home.
For a start, you no longer have to register and log in to ask a question. Just email questions@flatchat.com.au and we’ll get you online and answered as quickly as we can.
And I will be online in the Herald and right here every week until the last reader has given up and moved to a house in the hills or all of strata’s problems have been solved and I have moved on to deal with Israel and Palestine. Or something else happens.
OK, that’s all good! While you’re here, sample the garden of earthly delights that we call the Flat Chat Forum.
- Do we need to rewrite our old by-laws to change references from the old Act to the new one? That’s HERE.
- What if owners want to substantially renovate their old buildings using the ‘forced sales’ laws but don’t want to move out permanently. That’s HERE.
- Where can I find a tech-savvy and up-to-speed strata manager? That’s HERE.
- Who pays for electronic keys, scanners and remotes when yours breaks? That’s HERE.
- Who pays for the damage caused when the Owners Corp damages your stuff while they are fixing something else? That’s HERE.
- How much can I claim back from an evicted tenant’s bond – and what for? That’s HERE.
Don’t forget, Flat Chat is still coming out every weekend in the SMH and, if you miss it, you can always come back here for your fix of strata strife and smart solutions.