On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization [WHO] declared the coronavirus [COVID-19] outbreak a public emergency of national concern. As of 8 March 2020, the number of confirmed cases exceeds 100,000 across 100 countries. Most cases continue to be concentrated in the Hubei province of China. A list of affected countries can be found…
Read More
Introduction An adjudicator recently ruled that voting papers sent to a body corporate manager were invalid as they were not given in compliance with section 84(2) of the Accommodation Module. Section 84(2)(b) provides that a voter casts a written vote by giving the voting paper to the secretary (by hand, by post or by facsimile)…
Read More
Getting the basic procedural steps right is essential to the smooth running of a Body Corporate, particularly leading up to the Annual General Meeting (AGM). If these basic steps are not followed or communicated in accordance with the requirements of the legislation, the year end process can be compromised and potentially invalidate the AGM. In…
Read More
With the recent heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of Queensland, many of us are washed over with memories of the 2011 floods which left thousands of residents with damaged properties, a mammoth clean-up and in dire need of compensation from their insurers. This event stands as a strong reminder of the importance of strata…
Read More
Also known as Infection Control Cleaning or Cold & Flu Infection Cleaning, Outbreak Cleaning focuses on preventing the spread of germs, such as common colds and the flu. This is done by containing, controlling and eliminating pathogens (a bacterium, virus or other microorganism that can cause disease). Do I need Outbreak Cleaning? While general cleaning is important for maintaining the…
Read More
Seneca (one of those famous Roman philosophers) wrote: ‘It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it.’ That applies as much to strata disputes as it does to anything else. Everyone has seen big ticket litigation in the Supreme Court on the news, with teams of…
Read More
Judge McGill famously said “contributions and levies are the lifeblood of bodies corporate in much the same way as taxes are the lifeblood of the state“.[1] What His Honour sought to emphasize is how important contributions and levies are to the successful maintenance and administration of a Body Corporate But what happens if lot owners…
Read More
Throughout the year, Lot owners can be issued with several Body Corporate meeting notices. These notices could include information related to Committee Meetings, voting outside of committee meetings (known as flying minutes), Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) and the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Current legislation specifies these notices must be issued within certain timeframes, which range…
Read More
Did you know that property owners and managers have a legal duty under the QLD Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to eliminate or manage electrical safety hazards for your tenants so far as reasonably practicable? This means you may be held negligent and even liable should an electrical incident or injury occur and it…
Read More
Over the past 5 years, there has been a significant change in technology with “smarter” devices now being installed into apartment blocks. More equipment is using sensors, connecting to the internet and providing real-time monitoring information back to strata committees to help them better manage their buildings. In this point of view, 10 of these…
Read More