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Hi everyone since you seem to know a lot on the topic. Do you know if if in NSW it’s Normal for the strata manager to charge >$200 to obtain the reports considering that I am a new owner here ?
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Look at the strata management agreement.
I think it’s called schedule b fees. It states the hourly rate for the strata manager.
It also states when they can charge.
This is how some strata managers justify a low annual fee and then make it up on schedule b charges.
Note also that sleeping committees allow such charges to go unchallenged. Make sure the treasurer is on the hall and questioning and approving all such charges.
There is a set fee for access to owners corp records – about $35 plus photocopying. Can’t see where they get $200 from, even if it is in their Schedule B charges.
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As there is a set fee of $34.10 in NSW to access all records, if an agent charges a per document fee of say $50, is he acting outside the law? Imagine wanting to access 15 documents. One would be up for $750.
A novel way to ensure nobody scrutinises the agent and the committee.
Just a tip: something I discovered on my android phone the other day. If you go into “Drive” tap the plus button and tap the “scan” button, you can use your phone to scan documents and save them as PDFs. Easier and cheaper than photocopying. I’m sure iPhones will have a similar facility.
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On the issue of fees, I got conflicting opinions from Fair Trading.
One person said the set fee goes to the agent, while another Fair Trader said the fee is paid to the OC.
Who is right?
I looked up the Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016 and it says the fee is paid to the Owners Corporation.
Refer to Schedule 4 Fees.
It says “Fees payable to owners corporation
For making records available for inspection under Section 182 of the Act … $31 and an additional $16 per half hour or part of half hour after the first hour of inspection. ”
A strata manager might have other charges documented in your strata management contract.
A few years ago, one of the owners in my owners corp paid $20 to the strata manager for photocopying records.
I suggest that when you next sign your strata management contract, read through all the fees and challenge the ones you don’t want to pay.
I looked up the Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016 and it says the fee is paid to the Owners Corporation.
I didn’t know that. But since the payment would be to the strata manager anyway, since they hold the records, then the only question is if they pass it on to the OC.
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Fair Trading is correct to a point.
The fee is paid to the OC, but then the OC pays the strata manager. It’s usually one of the schedule b fees.