Here’s a problem a lot of strata schemes would love to have. A frustrated Flatchatter has written to us about her pre-1974 apartment block that has about $100k in the sinking fund.
Unfortunately, they also have windows that are badly in need of repair or replacement. What’s the problem?
Well, in older buildings, the windows are the owners’ responsibility, and are not common property, so they have to pay for their repairs themselves.
And in all NSW strata, owners corp funds can’t be refunded to the owners unless the vote is unanimous (which is unlikely in this case for a variety of reasons).
What they need is to change their by-laws to the modern version in which windows are common property (or at least adopt the Common Property Memorandum issued by Fair Trading.
Their strata manager says a new by-law will cost $1000 to $1200 but that seems a bit steep when strata law already recommends adopting the memorandum. You can read all about it HERE.
Elsewhere in the Forum:
- Is an owner allowed to install a video camera looking on to common property? That’s HERE.
- The fur is still flying over the pro-pets petition. That’s HERE.
- One reader tells us why she loved Hyperbole Towers, even if it was a little close to reality. That’s HERE.
- And we get an extensive Victorian view of the Essential Services scams. That’s HERE.
Finally, I like to think of the Flat Chat Forum as a safe space where people can ask questions, answer them or express opinions freely (albeit anonymously).
Recently, however, one or two Flatchatters have been using Virtual Private Networks and multiple identities to harass and badger other users as well as their neighbours.
So this week I installed a plugin that blocks VPNs. I realise some people use them legitimately for their own online security, and I apologise if this becomes a hassle for you when you try to log in.
But please bear with me. And please let me know via mail@flatchat.com.au if you have any trouble logging in, even without a VPN.
