Loan or levies – why can’t we use both when finances are forced?
While 2020 is likely to snare yet more strata owners in the must-pay trap of defects rectifications, there is a giant hole in most states’ strata laws that make it…
levies
Why strata levies need their own meerkats
Among the many benefits of the internet, comparison websites seem to get a fair old workout, and from users of all ages and backgrounds. You know the things I mean,…
Supreme Court changes tack on legal cost deposits
There’s a growing trend in legal actions in Australia that has recently intruded into the strata area – litigants being asked to provide security for costs before legal action can…
That sinking feeling … and why funds run dry
It’s something of a cliché – the ageing apartment block crumbling slowly before your eyes while the oldies on the committee zealously guard the plump sinking fund (as it used…
Podcast: The Wrap … all the way from Cambodia
Wrestling with laptops and hotel wi-fi, we finally bring you the second-last Flat Chat wrap podcast of the year. Was it worth the effort? Only you can be the judge…
Flat Chat Wrap #7 – Are your levies too high
How to work out if your levies are too high, the sensible controls that have led Airbnb to threaten politicians’ votes and nominations for our Heroes and Villains of Strata.
Dardanelle Towers – Episode 2 – Gimme Shelter
The global trade war hits Dardanelle Towers, and the committee members are looking for somewhere to hide.
Roundup: Huge cost of small debt … and your questions
A friend received an email from his strata committee treasurer the other day. He was $7 behind in his levies for his flat. It was no big deal, just an…
False economies: Beware the lure of low levies
It sounds too good to be true: buy an off-the-plan apartment with a heated pool, professional gym, 24-hour concierge and a residents’ sauna – and it comes with the promise of the lowest levies in the area. Who…
Five false economies holding back your block
It’s a real estate sign you rarely see around Sydney these days: “Luxury flats – resort facilities – low levies” Those too-good-to-be-true promises disappeared when new laws in NSW allowed…
Bush builder is a strata outlaw
Living in our ivory (OK, concrete and glass) towers in the city, we tend to forget there are tens of thousands of apartment residents out there in the bush. Some…
Smart green strata schemes save thousands in levies
Apartment owners in 20 blocks in Sydney are being offered the chance to save an average of $25,000 a year on their annual levies … and tackle global warming at…