Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
… phrases like “you people” and “pretend to be a lawyer” are just a bit insulting, especially when people are trying to offer you advice free of charge.
I do apologize – I let some of my pent-up frustration come out. I did not intend for it to sound critical of anybody here, but of the situation. All I meant was that in my previous experience, only a lawyer would ever have the need, or the ability, to look up an actual Act of law – let alone having the specialized knowledge to understand it properly. My only exposure has been on the media where I hear how lawyers spend ages in court debating how an Act should be interpreted. All completely outside of my experience (up to now, at least).
I still find it bizarre that people who volunteer to help out are suddenly held accountable to standards that they are never advised of. But I look forward to reading up on Jimmy’s resources and getting up to speed with all these issues. And if there are initiatives to orient committee members to their roles, I will be fully behind those.
OP here – thanks for all your feedback.
For additional background, we have recently appointed a strata manager, after doing fine for the previous 40+ years without one. But the combination of a key person who was our secretary/treasurer leaving, and the increasing complexity of compliance, has finally driven us over to the dark side.I will certainly chase up the resources that Jimmy recommended.
But I am particularly focussed on philjohnk’s comments about how “It beggars belief that anyone would take on committee responsibilities without making themselves aware of those responsibilities.” That would make sense if it was clear where to find such information. But it isn’t clear to a layman. You people talk about looking up an Act of Law as if it is normal; as if it is something everybody automatically knows how to do – but it isn’t. I am not a lawyer and I never had the need to pretend I was one before. I’m just a unit owner who went to the AGM where the previous Secretary was retiring: they asked me if I would help out be being the new one. So now I am trying to get up to speed so I can do the job properly, and I thought it was reasonable to ask. Though I still don’t know what the “Management Statement” is that he refers to; hopefully that will be covered in Jimmy’s resources.
-G