Flat Chat Strata Forum The Professionals Current Page

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  • #8066
    basjan27
    Flatchatter

      Hi all.. great service this forum.  Not a lot of places to find good information and get the tricky questions answered. 

      An easy one, I think: 

      What rules govern the conduct of a Strata General Meeting?  I’ve been on a lot of sites and read the NSW strata act, but nothing specifically says, General Meetings follow Parliamentary procedure, or whatever.

       

      Has anyone come across a good, brief, handbook for conducting a General Meeting? 

       

      Thanks 

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    • #15320
      Jimmy-T
      Keymaster

        There are no “standing orders” as such for strata meetings but you can adopt any appropriate set of rules as the basis for your meeting procedure.  This website Master of Meetings suggests a few options as alternatives to the American meetings ‘bible” Roberts Rules.

        Either way, you would have to adopt whichever rules you wanted – provided they didn’t run contrary to the Strata Act basics – by a majority vote at your next AGM.

        I wonder if Strata Community Australia has a handbook for meetings. In any case, you and the other “newbies” should log into their free online executive committee training programme HERE.

        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.
        #15323
        basjan27
        Flatchatter
        Chat-starter

          Thanks Jimmy, so if the strata has never adopted any proceedural rules, it’s every man for himself?

          On a similar theme:  our Chariman routinely delegates the role of Chairman at GMs and ECs to the strata manager.  The Act seems to say that this is not permitted for a GM, but then in other places it says that the EC can delegate prety much anything to SM’s.

          Do you know which applies?

          Thanks

          #15324
          Jimmy-T
          Keymaster

            It’s usually up to the chairman (or woman). My building’s chair prides himself on getting AGMs over and done with quickly.  People seem to like not having to listen to endless discussions so who am I to criticise?  Other people see AGMs as the one chance that owners have to express an opinion and ask questions – which would be my idea of what they are designed for.  However, there are people who do and say nothing all year but turn up at AGMs to vent their fury for problems (that they often haven’t reported) not having been fixed.

            The Act seems contradictory on who gets to chair the meeting but I am told that the Strata Manger is empowered to do so when the chair is present but wishes to step down temporarily (often for the very good reason that he or she has a proposal that they want to argue for).

            Some realise they just aren’t up to the task of controlling a large meeting – and that’s where a good set of standing orders comes in handy – stuff like people not being allowed to speak a second time until everyone who wants to speak has had their say.

            I actually prefer meetings to be chaired by the strata manager because they are usually impartial, well-informed about strata law generally and across the items on the agenda. Better that than a know-all who takes every question as a personal affront and every discussion as a waste of time (because he or she has the votes to decide what’s going to happen, regardless).

            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.
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