Contacting other owners

scapegoat – Are you a member of the group that is permitted to inspect the records? 

SSMA 2015 [s182(1)] states that the following persons are able to inspect the records:

‘Persons who may inspect An owner, mortgagee or covenant chargee of a lot in a strata scheme, or a person authorised by the owner, mortgagee or covenant chargee, may request the owners corporation to allow an inspection to be carried out under this section.’

The roll forms part of the strata records. 

You should contact the Strata Manager of your Owner’s Corporation in the manner prescribed below. If your scheme has no Strata Manager then contact your Owner’s Corporation committee Secretary and/or Chairperson. 

The Office of Fair Trading web site says this:

‘An owner or mortgagee (or their authorised person) can make a written request to the owners corporation to inspect the records. The request must be accompanied by the prescribed fee (currently $31 for the first hour of work).

The inspection is to take place as agreed by both parties. If no agreement can be reached within 3 days after the owners corporation receives the application, the owners corporation may stipulate the time and date by giving written notice. The inspection date cannot be later than 10 days from the date the owners corporation receives the notification.

Documents can be inspected in person or through electronic access to the documents or any other means agreed. A person may make copies of documents but must not, without the consent of the owners corporation, remove the document from the custody of the owners corporation.’

@scapegoat said:
Lady Penelope – again, thanks for your help. But can I be sure that owner contact details are available?  

This is atrata – you can’t be 100% sure of anything.  However, the strata manager must show you the strata roll and the strata roll SHOULD have contact details for the owners.

If they don’t, you can ask the Owners Corp to get the strata manager to update the strata roll and if either party declines to do so, you can raise a complaint with Fair Trading, then NCAT.

You could even ask for a refund on your strata documents inspection fee if the records are incomplete (not that you would get anywhere – but it might get them moving).

That said, the details that owners have to give can be sketchy – they can name an agent and that agent can refuse (or “forget”) to pass on any communications. And strata is self-policing … you may have to do the leg-work and hit the phones yourself to get anything done.