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Hi…
New to this forum, but have followed the Flat Chat newspaper information for years, and love the info.
Here’s our story and question –
( I did search on “”neglect”” but didn’t find the exact answer. Appreciate any advice.)
Our Strata plan involves about a dozen units. 2 story townhouses. NSW.
About 20 y.o.
Members of the OC ( incl. myself) were involved recently in inspecting several units as part of an unrelated issue. Owners/tennants were happliy providing access for OC and builders etc to inspect the unrelated issue.
What was noticed as an aside to the unrelated issue, was the internal condition of one of the units. There was several areas of very evident water damage to internal gyprock type ceilings.
This was evident in both the attached garage ( single story, tile roof) and the ground floor living area ( bedroom/ensuite above it, on 2nd floor).
The garage lining may just be a case of a loose tile or incomplete sarking.
However the internal issue within the townhouse itself, reeks of a weeping water pipe of leaking bathroom floor/drain that is leaking into the void between the upstairs floor and the downstairs ceiling.
This particular unit was tenanted , and the long term tenant advised it had been happening/ like that for years, and had been both noticed by, and reported to , the real estate managing agent on several occasions during routine inspections. The tenant was not happy about the lack of action, but assumed something was being planned. It wasn’t,as no one else seemed to be awre of the issue.
OC contacted the Strata Agent , who did a records search for the Unit and advised that nothing was on record regarding this issue.
Thus, it is assumed???? that the Real Estate agent either didn’t contact the owner? or that the owner never contacted the Strata manager such that repairs could be initiated ??.
Regardless the OC was unaware and therefore had never instigated action to sort out the cause of the water damage.
I guess the question is –
as the damage is now far more significant than it would have been if nipped in the bud….who pays?. i.e. why should the OC ( all unit owners) have to pay to repair a big issue, if the whole thing could have been sorted when it was a little job.
i.e. neglect by someone?( how could we ever determine who?) has increased cost to all.
Is it as simple as an owner just turns a blind eye to all issues…and then the OC has to step in and sort out and pay for the resultant mess?? ( not saying the owner is at fault here , as that is yet to be determined)
Are there any solutions to this issue?
As time marches on, tenants, Real Estate people, Strata managers all come and go and the trail gets messy/murky and fragmented.?
Thanks again
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