Six-strike strata manager struck off for 10 years
A NSW strata manager has been “struck off” for 10 years by NSW Fair Trading following four years of complaints from at least six different strata schemes. According to the…
NCAT
Fake news clickbait over ‘neighbour from Hell’
It’s rare that we are inspired to quote Shakespeare, even as we strut and fret upon the strata stage. But there’s a story in Domain in the Sydney Morning Herald…
Forum: Back with a brand new year screamer
Ah, we’re back with a bumper post bag chock full of all the odds and ends (some of them very odd) of strata life. There are some perennial favourites –…
No smoke without ire in vicious balcony battle
When Flatchatter Sorrel (not her real name) tried to do something about smoke drift from her new neighbours’ balcony into her home she found herself in a year-long battle that…
Forum: Range wars and modern strata cowboys
Back in the old Wild West (of America, not Australia) they had what they called “range wars” – they broke out when farmers, who legitimately owned chunks of land, would…
Forum: Your thoughts on rents, pets and NCAT?
We’re going to depart from the normal reader Q&A format this week, to try to gauge your thoughts on a number of issues. Firstly, should we be happy or worried…
Podcast: Power shifts but does strata matter?
Ah, the perils of trusting poll predictions immediately after an election. While Labor have definitely won and Chris Minns is definitely the new Premier of NSW, the balance of power…
Forum: Slow strata dispute system needs quick fix
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…
Forum: Dog runs free around shared pool
There are few things more likely to get strata residents’ noses out of joint than inconsiderate neighbours with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement. Not only did a couple move out…
Smoke drift battle exposes NCAT’s farcical flaws
The recent Sydney Morning Herald story about a couple who – at the third attempt – won a case to get their neighbours to stop smoking on their balcony may…
Forum: The drinking person’s guide to AGMs
Last time we let the Forum sit for a week to see if we could accumulate any more questions – and boy, do we now have a couple of doozies.…
Forum: Leaks reveal holes in tribunal process
There’s an old saying that “justice delayed is justice denied”, and nowhere is that more true than in strata. Take the case that’s just landed on our desk concerning a…