Remember the bad old days when we used to complain about the CTTT having a tin ear when it came to strata complaints. Back in the day, it often seemed like the law was barely a guideline to some Members – it was more like a nuisance that either needed to be circumvented or adhered to slavishly, regardless of the context.
Then NCAT came along and, after much huffing, puffing, chest-beating and posturing, nothing much changed.
One Flatchatter this week relates how he pursued documents from his strata manager for months, eventually taking them to the Tribunal, only for the miscreant to turn up and say they’d handed over the papers. Case dismissed.
The Member said the documents had been returned so there was no case to answer. The frustration for the complaining owner is that there was no “lesson” in this for the backsliding strata manager, except perhaps the reassurance that the system is stacked against the ordinary owner.
If miscreants might be in trouble for not fulfilling their legal responsibilities, they could just hold on for as long as possible, then comply at the last minute. Penalties, zero, which is where confidence in our dispute resolution system has almost reached.
I’ll say it again – it’s time for a major shake up in the strata grievance procedure so that issues can be resolved quickly, responsibly and logically before they get anywhere near our unreliable Tribunal system.
You can read about the mystery of the reappearing documents HERE.
ELSEWHERE IN THE FORUM
- Can the strata committee pass on admin costs to individual owners based on how they interact with the committee and managers? Snail mail rather than email? That’ll be $20, thanks. That’s HERE.
- Strata schemes are getting too big for current GST exemption threshold. That’s HERE.
- More on strata managers’ feather-bedded contracts HERE.
- More on whether unwelcome guests to the swimming pool are covered by insurance. That’s HERE.
- More on the by-law that absolves an owners corp of just about any responsibility – or tries to. That’s HERE.
- More on the fume-filled car-park, HERE.
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Tagged: delay, fumes, GST, liability, NCAT, responsibility, Tribunal
Remember the bad old days when we used to complain about the CTTT having a tin ear when it came to strata complaints. Back in the day, it often
[See the full post at: Forum: Slow strata dispute system needs quick fix]
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.
› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Current Page
› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Current Page