Forum: Frenemies wrestle over new carpet
The first ever apartment dispute I heard about when I started down this endless river of words about 20 years ago concerned two “captains of industry” who shared a lift…
repairs
Forum: Spat over rooftop spa and hot tub
Here’s a tricky one from Queensland – with a strong whiff of penthouse-envy motivating actions. The owner of the top floor apartment in his block has a spa pool and…
Huge flood damage bills flow on to Owners Corps
Water leaks and faulty waterproofing are the bane of strata residents and managements’ lives. Modern buildings are designed to withstand a fair amount of rain but the recent downpours across…
Forum: Reno costs rocket thanks to new regs
There’s a growing rumble of discontent among strata owners who want to do the right thing but find it comes at a substantial price – sometimes doubling or trebling the…
Tweaks and leaks: advice on keeping the block nice
When we’re pouring money into renovating our homes, no doubt hoping to increase their value if we ever sell, we often forget the old maxim for the potential property purchaser…
Forum: Vendor gets that sinking fund feeling
It’s been a quiet weekend on the Forum. The effect of chocolate on your ability to put up with your neighbours is worthy of a PhD (if it hasn’t been…
Forum: Owner uses pool despite having moved out
There are times when what’s right and what’s legal seem to be in direct conflict – and strata is one of those areas of life replete with these tricky, quirky…
Concern as 50,000 unit blocks reach use-by dates
Between Mascot Towers and the Opal building, and more recently Vicinity in inner-West Sydney, the high-profile problems at various Sydney apartment blocks has drawn our attention to the quality of…
Forum: Bronx blaze proves value of safety checks
If ever there was proof required that strata schemes need regular fire safety checks the recent tragic events in New York are a horrific and stark reminder that safety measures…
Forum: Time to rewrite strata manager contracts?
The standard strata management agreement – as issued by Strata Community Australia – is a brute of a document. And while it’s not an mandatory form as, for instance, the…
Forum: Fight the builder or turn an blind eye?
There’s a doubly time-sensitive issue in one of our forum questions this week. An owner’s corp has forced their builder to fix some waterproofing issues but in testing the repairs,…
Forum: Window repair costs don’t add up
This week a Flatchatter doesn’t understand how her share of the cost of having all the windows in her building repaired is more that the quote she received for having…