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Our strata manager is no longer providing a service we expect. I would like some advice on the best way to ask the strata company for a new manager. My aim is to do it simply and painlessly without burning bridges. Hahaha
We are in NSW and all owners are supportive to ask for a different manager. The current manager doesn’t acknowledge emails and I’ve waited over 7 weeks for a reply. Never available to answer the phone. I only got a terse 1 line reply to say I was out of line when I took it upon myself to organise strata maintenance. Other owners have similar stories. There is no advice or guidance and often the information provided is wrong. It is a real struggle and a waste of my time constantly trying to demonstrate diplomatically that the information is incorrect. The list and stories go on.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I really don’t want to create extra stress for anyone. Thank you this forum is invaluable.
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Care, but not that much. If for whatever reason your guy isn’t working out it might be nice to first let them know how you feel and ask is there anything up that you should know about, and that you don’t think it’s working out, and what do they propose to fix it, if that doesn’t shake things back into shape I’d start to dictate what your require. Probably best to get your committee to send the feedback or as a minimum have your email approved/added to by other owners so you are at least sharing the load on this issue.
A Strata Manager who is not performing can have a huge impact on people’s homes in the Strata complex. If you want to avoid conflict then you probably just have to take what you get.
However, if you want a Strata Manager who gives what you pay for then find out ( usually can do this on line) who is the Principal of the Company she works for and send a letter requesting a new Strata Manager and detailing particular instances of non performance.
Important not to be vague eg “ no advice or guidance and often information is wrong”. Give specific examples of what the issue was and why was it wrong eg “
On 8/7/17 I requested information of such and such and was advised that we could not do that as the Act did not allow it. I subsequently found by reading the Act that it does not preclude it but allows it provided a special resolution is passed at an OC meeting”. etc.
If the Principal does not provide you with an alternate Strata Manager then check your contract to see when their time is up and don’t renew or get some legal advice on how you can terminate them and find another company who will do the right thing.
By the way, the more I see of Strata Managers the more I wonder whoever thought to give them the title “manager”. More like Strata Committee Assistant.
We are fortunate to have a good Strata Manager, although their role is primarily legal and accounting and the AGM. EGMs and day to day are handled by our Strata Committee.
I would certainly concur with a single attempt, in writing so there is an indisputable record of exchange, of specifying occurrences of dissatisfaction, with a ‘fix-by date’, either by a new manager (if the company is big enough to have more than 1) or a reformed existing manager.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, I’d get out the firelighters and stack them under the bridge.
No strata needs a roadblock strata manager. They are paid to be professional and to do without reminding the job the strata employs them to do.
Past forums have provided numerous contact details of good managers, often with multiple endorsements for individuals.
Interesting to hear others going through the same issues as I have with my manager/management entity.
All the above have been my experience over the past six years, using the same company since strata-inception (14 years), albeit with different managers, all of whom have been less than impressive.
No responses, no advice offered without arm-twisting and which if/when given has proved to be less-than correct, incorrect AGM minutes distributed, incorrect allocation of costs on the financial records, nothing followed up-on from AGM decisions and surly responses from PAs to the manager, allegedly there to (personally assist?) the manager. You name it, I have experienced it.
So what does one do?
Google the company name to find it is part of what appears to be a humongous entity. One which is approaching what could be described as a monopolistic, county(world??)-wide corporation allegedly serving strata communities wonderfully. The thing being, because you own more than one strata property, you see companies listed within which have given you the same level of (no) service and from whom your other strata have moved on to different managers, not part of this conglomerate, but who unfortunately restrict their operations to locations they can properly service. Just not in your state or town.
Similarly, using your best detective skills you navigate the numerous Contact Us forms and phone numbers of the various entities until you come up with the name, and more importantly, the phone number, of a Group Manager who promises to, and does in fact, follow up with the relevant Manager and which goes some way to resolving the current problem – yay, win – but sadly does not help with the next and all subsequent issues – boo, loss – unless you phone him again….and again…..
Spreading the load works up to the point but most folk just want a quiet, relaxing life and dealing with strata managers does not leave you quiet or relaxed.
Meanwhile, back to trench. Thanks for allowing me to vent.
P.S. – I’ve just received an email asking me to give feedback on my manager and my experiences dealing with them. Think I will just copy-and-paste from here.
G’day all,
Ahhh venting, yes when it concerns bad strata managers that’s all I want to do! and you need to release the frustration! and it is total frustration! A bad Strata Manager is bad, a bad strata Management Company is even worse as the attitudes are entrenched throughout the company. To all those frustrated, try to get other members on board to push forward your concerns, I know no one wants to be seen as the trouble maker but I have been in this situation where enough became enough! I was losing sleep at how we were being treated but it took a large remedial building project on our building and a hefty special levy to make others see my point. Our problem is not merely a poor strata manager but one of the owners on the committee is also the principal of the strata company that manages us ( believe me I’ve written to Matt Kean, the Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, on how this is seen to be ok ). I would suggest to read the Strata Management Act, it is clearly set out in sections, drop a couple of clauses in your emails relating to a strata manager’s requirements or write a few emails to Mr Kean and fair trading. Get the other owners together and vote the strata management out next time their contract is up for renewal.
Good Luck to all those frustrated with bad strata management, flat chat is a great venting and supportive forum!
I think this is an under discussed and very important issue. We have been through three Strata Management Companies in four years! Considerable Committee time and effort is required to change SM companies and even when you think you have done your homework it still may not be a good move (grass being brown on both sides of the fence).
Our current SM company is part of a very large well known parent company with many Strata Management subsidiaries like ours. This parent company has protocols and procedures that they impose on their subsidiaries – sometime to the embarrassment of the individual strata manager.
To help others assess new strata management company proposals – some things to look out for include:
- not being able to use a long standing (good) contractor because they are not a company ‘approved’ by the parent company.
- being forced to pay a fee of $800pa for a service called ‘community health and safety pack’, in our case when the committee tried to access this to help with an OH&S issue we were told it wasn’t applicable. This ‘resource’ has never been used.
- work orders are copied to the Secretary with no identification of the work ordered in the subject line, so in a search for a particular (historical) work order every e-mail must be opened, wasting considerable time.
- ‘Trades compliance’ costs are billed to the Owners
- Owners having to pay late payment fees due to SM not paying on time
- Spurious costs appearing on SM monthly invoices – such as $70 for ‘Fire protection’
We have experienced efficient SM companies with good procedures, but terrible individuals in the SM role, and terrible SM companies with good individual strata managers, never both at the same time! In our last negotiation, the person we met and negotiated with disappeared the day after we signed up.
What our Committee would like is a no frills Strata Management service which does what the Owners Corporation asks it to do. Including basic services such as paying bills on time, transparent arrangement of work orders, and doing what the Committee wants it to do (obviously flagging anything which may not be according to the law or the ACT). Any additional frills will be added by negotiation and paid for as such.
If anyone knows of such a Strata Management company please post a clue to their whereabouts (in NSW)
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@JC said:
If anyone knows of such a Strata Management company please post a clue to their whereabouts (in NSW)I’m going to admit to bias, here, an say the our major sponsors Strata Choice are worth considering (they are our major sponsors because we like and trust them).
However, there is the question raised here of the not-so-good strata manager working for a good strata management company. My advice would be to find a company you trust and then ask for personal recommendations and references for the strata manager who will be linked to your building. If they’re not up to par, ask to speak to someone else.
By the way, recommendations (and warnings) are best done by Personal Message (the little envelope logo at the top of this post) where you can communicate freely without breaching our “no names, no packdrill” policy.
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.
JC, no offence and I make no judgement but if you have made 3 dud choices in 4 years the issue is your committees prior assessment of candidates. We need to work out what we need and who best can supply it before just sacking one and going with any another. I always like the engagement questions to help in the process of 1. can you do the job, 2. can you do this job, 3 will you fit in with the rest of us? All the best with it. Cheers, C.
Well I work in the industry but am uncomfortable putting out the company I work for here; as this forum is really for advice and not scouting for business. I know Jimmy would not put out a company he did not have faith in (no not mine). So I have absolutely no issue with that.
My best advice is find a company with a good rep from people you trust. Ask people who they have. Don’t relly on star ratings as I find that a lot ( Strata, Resturant, Hotel etc) just don’t make sense unless the rating comes with a reason why and so many don’t.
If you get a good company but bad manager, the company will change them if they are a good company. Sometimes its that the manager and the Committee are just not a good fit. Personalities always play a part in the feel of a relationship.
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