Bad strata managers – and unlicensed tradespeople!

Dear Jimmy

Several members of the executive committee at a strata complex in which we own a townhouse (in NSW) have ‘resolved’ to use UNLICENSED tradespeople to carry out much-needed maintenance work at our complex. The strata managers of this complex – and the bulk of the executive committee members – are suggesting these unlicensed tradespeople carry out this work.

Out of 20+ owners of the lots, three of us are desperately trying to:

a)      Get rid of the strata managers and replace them with competent managers

b)      Get urgent maintenance repairs carried out

c) STOP unlicensed tradespeople being authorised to carry out maintenance repairs

On b), for example, we have been waiting a YEAR to have drainage issues sorted out (it’s causing cracking to the upper-floor ceilings and rising damp in the lounge downstairs), as well as rotting bargeboards and flakey tiles (on the latter, we have just had to pay $800 to put right shoddy maintenance carried out.

Short of going down the legal right and mounting a challenge, can you suggest the BEST way forward for us three lonely ‘warriors’ tackling incompetent strata management – and intrasigent exec. committee members!

For example, can we, as members of the owners’ corporation and executive committee, reject the executive committee bulk vote to use unlicensed tradespeople – given that under the law the owners’ corporation could be held liable for any injury sustained by unlicensed people?