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  • #8744

    ‘… the faceless men who control our life from behind closed doors’ is a line from an Alistair Hulett song, that great singer-songwriter from Scotland and Newtown.

    I’ve just gotten the “please do not contact the Executive Committee directly, you must go through the Strata Manager” treatment. We had no Foxtel or cable internet from last Friday afternoon until Monday morning (yes, I know, First World Problem) and all that needed to be done, we found out on Monday morning, was press a button to reset the Foxtel box in the Meter Room because it had been inadvertently turned off with the building’s power, while some work was done on the electricals. Of course nobody knows who was in there but somebody was. So it was ‘unauthorised’.

    Wouldn’t it make sense for just one EC member out of seven to be able to be contacted, who knows the problem and can do something? Someone rang Foxtel and they’ll have to pay quiet a lot for the ‘call out” which benefits the other dozen households who lost their cable TV and internet.

    The Strata Manager insists the only way to deal with it was call the Strata Manager’s emergency weekend service (who wouldn’t have been able to help anyway.)

    Executive Committee? Strata Manager? What the —-! Get a grip!

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • #18060
    kiwipaul
    Flatchatter

      @wingattack said:
       

      I’ve just gotten the “please do not contact the Executive Committee directly, you must go through the Strata Manager” treatment.

      That’s garbage as the SM works for the OC and the EC and only if the EC or OC voted this is how it should work would the SM be correct.

      #18061

      Actually, it’s the most common scenario, and it often depends on the size of the block as to how strictly its enforced.

      While in this case, it’s just a reset button that needs pressing, it pays to remember that your EC are volunteers and are people just like you.

      Now I’ll play devil’s advocate here: if you didn’t know it was just a reset button that needed pressing in the motor room, why should the EC?

      Continuing with that hyperbole, why would an on-site EC member be skilled across plumbing, electrical, telecommunications, television reception, gas fitting, hot water service/boiler making, garage door/elevator motor repair, proxy cards and locksmithing, and any of the other myriad of things that need repairs and servicing?

      They are not (it’s not possible – and furthermore, they wouldn’t be licensed) which is why this stuff is out-sourced. When something is out-sourced, you need to pay for it; in strata these fees are shared, and there is almost nothing you can do about that.

      My suggestion for this problem of after hours service/repairs is to ensure that the website/phone number of the strata manager is prominently listed on your noticeboard.

      Ultimately, the EC are members of the OC. You are also a member of the OC: making a telephone call to an afterhours service is something that anyone on the OC can do.

      #18063

      Oh come on guys, please. We had no Foxtel or internet for 72 hours. It probably cost unnecessary money paid to Foxtel. Strata Managers like to protect their turf and income by keeping in control. And Foxtel doesn’t mind the easy, extra money made every time they have to come out to simply press a button.

      There has to be a better solution to a button tied into a power grid or whatever is happening. This is age of technology isn’t i?

      Surely you must agree someone on the Executive Committee could be expected to be on top of basics like this, available within reason and keen to keep people happy.

      #18064
      scotlandx
      Strataguru

        I can empathise with your frustration, especially where it is just one switch, but I don’t agree that an EC member should be responsible for fixing basics that arise, they aren’t on the EC to do that. The kind of person you are thinking of is a building manager, and they are paid and would also have appropriate insurance.
        We had a leaking pipe a short time ago and I ended up in the courtyard at 9.30 at night in the rain with the plumber, I don’t get any thanks for that kind of thing. I will call someone out but that’s it, I would never try to fix anything.
        If you aren’t on the EC perhaps you should nominate yourself and try and improve things. I don’t agree with EC members being off-limits.

        #18066
        Sir Humphrey
        Strataguru

          At various times members of our EC have been happy to do all sorts of simple jobs (when we knew what was required) and sometime complex things when one of us had the skills or the motivation to find out what they needed to know. In this case, I agree with the comment that perhaps EC members were unaware that it was as simple as pressing a button to reset the foxtel box.

          We have EC members happy to change light bulbs in our path lights, for example, but some others were not confident to do that. Generally we have always had someone happy to do it. However, not all such jobs have to be done by an EC member. Perhaps your OC has someone who is often available, perhaps retired or not working, who does not want to be on the EC but would be happy to be the designated person to look after the foxtel box and push the reset when necessary. I expect there are some other such minor jobs that might be shared around. 

          Peter C.

          #18072

          I am going to get myself one of those generic Meter Room keys and permission from the faceless ones to enter the room after I learn how to reset Foxtel and Bigpond Cable. You’d think anyone else, such as an electrician, would need to have permission to be in there doing stuff anyway, eh? You’d also have to think that pushing the Foxtel / Bigpond reset button couldn’t be too hard and save bucks. Would sure beat having no Pay TV and web all weekend. I hope the faceless ones are receptive to my ideas. Have another post to write about that. Say tuned.

          #18090
          scotlandx
          Strataguru

            If it makes you feel any better, in another building where I owned a unit, we had no hot water for more than three weeks, and did not hear a word from either the EC or the strata manager about what was happening.  Not one single word.  In the middle of winter.

            That was really sh***y.

            #18106
            Frank
            Flatchatter

              faceless men that control our lives ? – guess what, those faceless men are other owners like you – in your complex – that you haven’t bothered to get to know.

               

              people like to complain – but don’t want to get involved – so what do we have ?

              governments where our total commitment is 20 minutes every 4 years to vote – owners corporations’ executive committees ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’ where owners’ only commitment is a once a year AGM to vote for a new executive committee, and you don’t even have to (and most owners don’t bother to) attend !

              so whenever I hear a bleating complaint from a new owner – I suggest they get involved and join the EC – ‘oh no – I don’t want’ or ‘I’m busy’ – OK – so are the EC members – most have full-time jobs – so you don’t want / you’re too busy to get involved, but you demand that these unpaid volunteers fix your problem immediately – great – see how that works ?

              I like the t-shirt – ‘sure – let me drop everything and work on your problem …’

              Cry

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