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Topic
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Greetings All. This is my first post.
I am a member of the executive committee and have discovered that locks were placed on the top floor access to the roof cavity in the buiding.
While these locks do provide additional security and are probably required for OH&S, should the executive committee have be advised and a vote to change the common proprety been done?
I think approval for this was given by the executive committee secretary to the strata management company.
We have about 55 units.
Peter
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Hi Peter,
Strictly speaking yes, but you should give hard-working Secretaries (like me) a little latitude with regard to minor matters such as this; after all it is the Owners Corporations' Property that's been slightly “changed”.
Personally, I'd be more concerned about who has the keys in circumstances where maintenance is required.
Peter,
Being a top floor unit owner and resident myself, I can completely understand why this lock may have been installed.
Interestingly the legislation in this area was changed roughly in 2005, when section 65A was brought in. This is the section that requires a special resolution at a general meeting to authorise an alteration prior to undertaking the alteration. My understanding for this change to the act was to address those OC’s that were having to pass and register an empowering by-law to be able to instal for example an intercom system, Foxtel backbone system, building a pool or other similar substantial improvement of common property. It could be argued that the fitting of this lock could have required a special resolution prior to fitting the lock, but it could also be considered that this would be making a mountain out of a molehill.
There are some areas of common property that not all residents should have access to, eg the main fuse box or the roof top itself, for obvious safety reasons.
Most roof voids are dark dusty places with wiring and plumbing, not a lot of room to move, and with the slip of a foot it would be easy to end up sitting in your neighbours lounge room, or more embarisingly, on their porcelain thrown.
I think the question that needs to be asked is why the manhole wasn’t locked from the beginning??
Some food for thought
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