The trouble with finding problems

Be careful what you wish for … identifying problems in a strata building could leave you holding the baby when it comes to fixing them.

That’s the underlying theme of an upcoming seminar which follows a fictional owner who buys into a dysfunctional building then ends up having to fix the problems she’s identified, from rusted-on office-bearers through empty sinking funds to crumbling common property.

The latest in the  Owners Corporation Network’s series on strata living, the day-long seminars will see expert speakers guide you through every stage, from the politics to, literally, the nuts and bolts of the building.

The OCN is a voluntary group representiang apartment owners across the state. The same workshop runs twice – on 7th May & 28th  –  and costs $60.00 ($45.00 for members) including lunch. Go to ocn.org.au for more details and to register.

Meanwhile, a web forum relating to Griffiths University, Queensland’s upcoming strata conference has been debating the pre-sale of management rights by developers of new apartment blocks.

It’s an iniquitous system, encouraged by Queensland law, that allows developers to sell 25-year management rights for buildings, syphoning more money into their pockets with no discernible benefit to the unit owner.

In fact, the opposite is true. They have to pay for the services provided plus a premium so the manager they didn’t chose can repay the cost of buying the contract over which they had no say.

And the worst of these documents are so watertight that even blatant corruption, fraud and bankruptcy aren’t enough to have them cancelled.

Surely the new Federal fair trading law will take care of that, with its rules on unconscionable contracts, I thought.  Errr… no.  It turns out strata was specifically excluded.

I don’t know whether to feel depressed or angry.  Worried, perhaps, since there’s a push to bring the Queensland laws here to NSW.

You can log on to the Griffith forum at strata-and-community-title-2011.ning.com.

Meanwhile I’ll be on James Valentine’s ABC 702 radio Afternoon show on Tuesday, May 3rd at 2pm to take your calls.  And however bad things get, be glad you don’t live in Queensland.