Goodbye Farewell

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  • 10/10/2013 at 9:15 am #9084
    struggler
    Flatchatter

      Goodbye Farewell Auf Weidersehen Adieu 

      Well I am afraid I have given up on strata.  I have sold and am buying a house.  Strata just isn’t for me.  Not in its current form.

      During my renos I have had to spend money on the outside ie common property of my place.  It was not fit to put on the market.  I also had to clean up outside my neighbours places after some tradies made some comments about the look of the place.

      At an age as I am where downsizing should be the priority, I am upsizing in order to ensure that I can live in a well maintained place.  Sure I could get a noisy neighbours who hoards empty cornflake boxes and stores them in the front yard.  But I could get that here too with the “oh well” approach that is evident here.  I know there are some very well run complexes out there.  But this too was once a well run complex.  

      Will I ever live in strata again?  I don’t think I would own but would rent.  That way if the running of the place or the people around me were not what I want from my home,  I could not renew the lease and move on, try another complex.  I don’t want to be a complex where I could spend good money renovating only the have the exterior falling down and everyone, except me, is happy with that.  

      One of the things I will enjoy most however is to have my own garbage bin again.  To not have to face the upwrapped waste of other human beings will in itself make this move worth while.  

      I wish all in the world of strata well.  I hope that strata living improves significantly for all, owner and tenants alike.  But for now I say farewell, adios, so long and thanks for all the fish.

      Thanks to all of those who have sent me postings of support.  Thanks to Whale for all the words of wisdom.  And mostly thanks to Jimmy T who helped me no end with some rather big issues before this forum even existed!  Much appreciated.

      Take care all

      Struggler

       

       

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    • 10/10/2013 at 10:14 am #19754
      Whale
      Flatchatter

        Struggs – sorry to see you go ol’ mate, although I’m sure that like most of us you’ve become attached to this forum, and that you’ll browse here from time to time in order to share your considerable knowledge and hands-on strata experience with the masses.

        If Jimmy wants to send you my private details, I’d be pleased to keep in touch; good luck my friend!

        10/10/2013 at 7:22 pm #19757
        PMC2

          Hi Struggler,

          Am sorry to see you go and just wanted to say good luck and all the best. I understand and agree with your comments about current Strata law and hope the Government do something quick to fix it.

          Having gained valuable advise from your posts in the past I can honestly say you’ll be a sad loss to the forum.

          All the best and I really hope you find a nice house to live in without any idiot neighbours.

          Take care

          11/10/2013 at 8:49 pm #19763
          Jimmy-T
          Keymaster

            I write this with a heavy heart.  The fact that I able to do so from a hotel room in Vientiane, Laos, is a testament to Struggler and his fellow StrataGurus who allow this website to continue seamlessly while I am off on my occasional overseas jaunts.

            Struggs was one of the original StrataGurus and his solid advice has helped hundreds if not thousands of fellow strata dwellers.  Two things occur, however.  

            I hope he keeps a watchful eye on us (even if it’s only motivated by schadenfreunde). Those years of hard-earned experience should not be lost to the next generation of strata dwellers.

            And I think it’s worthwhile remembering that if we ever end up in a shitty situation with awful people who shouldn’t be living in strata in the first place, we can, like Struggs, sell up, move on, and regroup.  Eventually we may be ready to try again with a better choice of neighbours and armed with all our knowledge and strata-smarts.

            Go well Struggler, and may your only struggles be choosing between good and better. And I am passing on Whale’s email address, as requested.

            JimmyT

            The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
            11/10/2013 at 11:18 pm #19765
            Kangaroo
            Flatchatter

              Struggler,

              Sorry to read the news, your advice will be sorely missed.

              If you wake up from your undisturbed night’s sleep missing strata just a little, here are some things you could do to cheer yourself up:

              1) When you pay your home insurance premium, send an extra 25% to some nearby strata managers’ retirement home.

              2) Draw up some By-Laws for your wife and kids, then throw them (the By-Laws, not the wife and kids) in the bin, they ain’t even gonna read them.

              3) Anonymously pay your profligate neighbour’s water usage bill.

              4) When you renovate your bathroom, only re-tile the three interior walls, leave the old tiles on the boundary wall and floor as a reminder of your days in the gulag.

              5) Skip your golf game, stay home and do your own WH&S inspection, asbestos report or 10-year plan, plenty to choose from.

              12/10/2013 at 7:29 pm #19771
              considerate and fair
              Flatchatter

                Dear Struggler,

                I wish you the best in your new home free of strata BS, free of looking after other people issues.

                Thank you so much for your advice over the years. Your input for me personally has been priceless.

                Will miss seeing your posts, will miss you.

                Love, health, wealth and happiness.

                CBF Cry

                14/10/2013 at 11:54 am #19786
                andyj
                Flatchatter

                  Struggler,

                  Such a shame that you have, after many years of strata living, been forced into this position. It is such a shame that you will be leaving strata and this forum. I too am considering giving up on strata. After a brief win over a timber floor issue. The current tenants have upped the ante and now are smashing any heavy object they can into the now carpeted floor at all hours. Like you its time for the white flag.

                  All the best my friend. It would be great if you could occasionally look at this forum and provide the great community that contribute here your immense wisdom

                  Cheers

                   

                  andyj

                  15/10/2013 at 11:07 am #19802
                  struggler
                  Flatchatter
                  Chat-starter

                    I promised myself I wouldn’t log on and look again but….

                    I would like to thank you for the kind words.  The fact that I may have made some difference to other people’s strata experience makes me feel like I have accomplished something. It in some way makes up for the fact that I made little difference to my own strata experience.  And for the record, as far as strata dwellers go, those on the flat chat forum are the only ones I am bothering to bid farewell to.  I have no intention of saying goodbye to my neighbours.

                    Am I making the right decision?   In buying a home now, at my age, I would have to work for the rest of my life and never retire to pay off my new mortgage.  I don’t quite have 25 years before retirement!   But I want to live in a well run and maintained home.  I could end up living in my car but at least I can make sure it is well maintained.  I will fix what needs to be fixed and attend to whatever needs attention.

                    Will there be regrets?  Well my place does look fantastic now.  After fixing it up not only inside but the outside as well, I know I have done all I could to make my unit the best place to live in in this complex.  For the first time in a long time I can come home and not cringe.  I hope that the new owners can sit back and relax and enjoy their new well maintained home, thanks to me.

                    But as I drive out on that last night along the darkened driveway, because the lights still don’t work, I will be pleased that I cannot see the stains and marks left from an owner doing unapproved and unchallenged building work using the common property to do all the really messy stuff because then its someone else’s problem.  I will then drive by the perimeter wall, freshly painted but with a large gap still in it, they just painted around that.  As I then approach the road, I may then look back over my shoulder see the complex name and street number displayed,  with letters missing, and know I have no regrets.

                    It may not be the right choice, but for me it is the only choice.

                    I will probably log on from time to time.  I still hope that there will be a real change in strata life to the betterment of all.   If the government expects more people to adopt this way of living in the big cities of this country, then things do have to change.  Perhaps in the future I will get the chance to put my two cents worth in and be heard.  Alot would have to change for me to reconsider strata again.

                    Regards

                    Struggler

                     

                     

                     

                     

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