Roundup: The power of doing absolutely nothing

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Sometimes in my idle moments – not that there are many of them –  I think about writing a book on the power of doing nothing.

I’m sure it would be a runaway best-seller in the apparently insatiable management  and self-improvement niche.

The basic premise would be that, in the face of conflicting pressures – the proverbial irresistible force meeting the immovable object – sometimes it’s better to sit back and wait to see what happens or, at the very least, carry on doing what you’re doing until someone with the authority to make you stop does so.

Nowhere is this more valuable than in strata.  Provided you aren’t doing anything that’s just plain wrong – like driving your neighbour mad with loud music or parking in someone else’s spot – sometimes it’s better to tell someone who says “you can’t do that” that they are entitled to their opinion but move on.

If you honestly believe you aren’t breaking any laws or by-laws and no one can prove anything to the contrary, why would you even bother engaging with people who you’re pretty sure are overstepping their authority?

“Take me to the Tribunal,” you say.  “Let them sort it out.”

We have an example of just such a dilemma for a Flatchatter in the Forum this week.

He’s laying down pavers in the yard of his townhouse.  The pavers can’t be seen from anywhere but his gate, there is no by-law in place about maintaining the appearance of the scheme and other owners have previously changed the colour of their pavers too.

Even so, a committee member has ordered him to stop, saying the pavers are the wrong shade of grey.  What do you do?

To prevent his landscapers being harassed by random residents with an over-developed sense of civic duty, he’s called a halt to the work.

But wouldn’t you be tempted to say, “hey, I’m not doing anything to harm anyone and I can’t see anything in the by-laws that says I’m doing wrong, so I think I’ll take my chances at the Tribunal.”

You can read all about that HERE in the Flat Chat Forum.  Meanwhile, with Spring well underway, issues are hotting up on the forum too:

What happens when a scheme slacks off on security and doors are left unlocked?  You know the answer:  That’s HERE.

The case of the missing landlords may have been resolved – now to deal with the troublesome tenants.  That’s HERE.

Dodgy developer alert:  A gas leak leads to a meeting no one is told about and special levy to fix a problem that should have been under warranty.  It’s not just the gas that stinks.  That’s HERE.

Can you call for a poll vote – based on unit entitlements rather than a show of hands – for a strata committee election at an AGM? That’s HERE.

Are non-committee members allowed to attend strata committee meetings? That’s HERE.

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