Podcast: Power shifts but does strata matter?
Ah, the perils of trusting poll predictions immediately after an election. While Labor have definitely won and Chris Minns is definitely the new Premier of NSW, the balance of power…
NCAT
Forum: Slow strata dispute system needs quick fix
Remember the bad old days when we used to complain about the CTTT having a tin ear when it came to strata complaints. Back in the day, it often seemed…
Forum: Dog runs free around shared pool
There are few things more likely to get strata residents’ noses out of joint than inconsiderate neighbours with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement. Not only did a couple move out…
Smoke drift battle exposes NCAT’s farcical flaws
The recent Sydney Morning Herald story about a couple who – at the third attempt – won a case to get their neighbours to stop smoking on their balcony may…
Forum: The drinking person’s guide to AGMs
Last time we let the Forum sit for a week to see if we could accumulate any more questions – and boy, do we now have a couple of doozies.…
Forum: Leaks reveal holes in tribunal process
There’s an old saying that “justice delayed is justice denied”, and nowhere is that more true than in strata. Take the case that’s just landed on our desk concerning a…
How to fast-track strata conflict resolution
It is generally accepted that our states’ strata dispute systems are slow, frustrating and expensive – but isn’t there a way to provide instant answers before issues become serious problems.…
Forum: Law breakers want to sue over complaints
Our “star forum post” this week (for want of a better term) concerns a resident of a mixed use block where the proprietors of the commercial units all come from…
Tenants can take OCs to NCAT over defects
Tenants have the legal right to take their owners corporations to a NSW Tribunal to force them to fix faults in common property, an NCAT Appeals panel has ruled, but…
Podcast: Petinos, pets and petty squabbles
There we were, all set with a podcast on David Chandler’s resignation in the can, when we heard that NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet had invited Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos…
Refusal to allow second Frenchie challenged
Does gaining permission for one dog in a strata scheme mean you should automatically be allowed a second pooch? And does a by-law allowing permission to keep “an animal” mean…
When hiring a good strata lawyer is a great idea
In this week’s Australian Financial Review I wrote about the value of good strata lawyers and the problems with bad ones. This was prompted by a chat with Amanda Farmer…