- This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 9 months ago by .
-
Topic
-
Hi all. I’m on an EC for a complex of townhouses in inner west/south west region of Sydney.
We are seeking an affordable strata expert to help us project manage:
– thorough review of by-laws to meet current the needs of the current owners and residents, and specific issues relating to this complex
– will involve a consultation process with owners about issues and options
– develop a modern set of by-laws bespoke for this complex (in accordance with consultation with owners re issues and challenges)
– develop a long term asset management strategy (informed by asset condition audit and assessment of options for major building component replacement
– develop a style guide for colours and materials to be legislated formally in the by-laws/asset strategy
– common property audit and register
– potentially some surveying and creating a more accurate plan for the complex (the old one is not accurate and has caused substantial issues)
We would like some help scoping and project managing this – prior to engagement of various specialists (e.g. asset strategy, strata lawyers etc) and coordinating it in a way that gets the best outcome for our complex. The objective is to set things up for owners well into the future with a much better baseline to work from.
Our current strata manager has advised us that they do not have the capacity internally to help us and unfortunately just point us to the same cookie cutter approach to do each of these tasks independently and without good consultation with the owners and consideration of options.
If you have any recommendations on someone we can chat to about doing this and doing it well (particularly at an affordable rate), please contact me.
-
Replies
-
This is a very complex and potentially time-consuming job.
I think your best bet might be a building manager (rather than a strata manager) who would take this on as a one-off project (and I’m not sure if anyone would).
Have a look at Manage-Meant and Francis Management. They both have the skill-set and the connections but I don’t know if they’d have the inclination.
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.
I agree the project is ambitious, but it may be more manageable if the individual tasks are re-shuffled and re-sequenced into two broad streams, thus:
A:
– the consultation process
– thorough review of by-laws
– modernise the by-laws, which could start with the current model by-laws (in accordance with consultation with owners re issues and challenges)
– The updated by-laws could incorporate the proposed style guide for colours and materials. Good luck with this one — there may be a wide diversity of strongly-held views among your fellow owners.
B:
– updating the plan
– common property audit and asset register
– develop a long term asset management strategy (informed by asset condition audit and assessment of options for major building component replacement). This last component should ensure compliance with the requirement for review of adequacy of the capital works fund.
A and B could proceed in parallel. A could potentially be accomplished in-house, dependent on the skill mix among Committee members. B is the more likely to require outside help.We have used Tonja and John from Strata Answers https://www.strataanswers.com.au to help us with similar things. Last year they assisted us with creating an asset register which was accurate and realistic prior to our 10 year plan being updated. I have also spoken to both of them in relation to by-laws and the real world application of them, and while not lawyers, they were of great assistance. I believe they are based near Green Square.
Noticed that our company Strata Answers Pty Ltd has been put forward as a possible solution to “Tank”s issues.
You’ll find us at www.strataanswers.com.au
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.