MAINTENANCE SEMINARS: 3RD EXPERT LAWYER PANELIST INTRODUCED

Registrations are now open — secure your seat today.

The Smart Strata Community Education Seminar Series returns to Queensland this October with the central theme Clarifying Maintenance & Improvement Obligations for common property, lot boundaries and exclusive use areas. We are pleased to introduce our maintenance seminars: 3rd expert lawyer panelist – Brenton Schoch, Partner at Grace Lawyers.

Why our maintenance seminars: 3rd expert lawyer expertise matters

Determining who is responsible for repairs, upgrades or improvements remains one of the most frequent sources of dispute in strata communities. Ambiguity around strata maintenance responsibilities, body corporate repairs and common property obligations can cause unnecessary cost, delay and friction between owners and committees.

Brenton’s practical legal experience helps translate legislation and case law into day-to-day guidance committees and owners can apply immediately to reduce risk and improve decision-making.

Meet Brenton Schoch — Maintenance seminars: 3rd expert lawyer

Brenton Schoch is a partner at Grace Lawyers and has practiced extensively in strata and insolvency matters since his admission in 2014. He regularly appears in the Federal Circuit Court and the Supreme Court of Queensland and has acted for bodies corporate, managers and owners in recovery, bankruptcy and complex property rights matters.

His practice covers by-laws, recoveries, insolvency, and management rights transactions. Brenton is known for client-focused solutions and for providing commercially sensible advice that balances legal correctness with pragmatic outcomes for committees and owners.

What Brenton will cover — Clear, actionable legal guidance

Brenton’s sessions are designed to convert legal concepts into usable practice. Attendees can expect to take away:

• The legal distinctions between maintenance, repair and improvement — and why they change approval processes and cost allocation.
• Practical examples to determine whether a work falls to the body corporate or the lot owner, with examples for boundaries, balconies, courtyards and exclusive use areas.
• How to assess and document owner requests to improve common property, including conditions, approvals and risk mitigation.
• Approaches to cost allocation and levy recovery, including steps to avoid common financial and procedural errors.
• Best practice for transparent, defensible decision-making — records, notices and committee resolutions that reduce disputes.

These topics are immediately applicable, whether your scheme is a small residential complex or a large mixed-use development.

Where & when Brenton will present

Brenton will present at the Mackay and Brisbane sessions in October. The full schedule is:

• Sunshine Coast — Thu 2^nd Oct, Maroochy RSL — Register →
• Gold Coast — Wed 8^th Oct, People First Stadium [Red Carpark] — Register →
• Mackay — Wed 15^th Oct, Rydges Mackay Suites — Register →
• Brisbane — Wed 22^nd Oct, Broncos Leagues Club — Register →
• Cairns — Thu 30^th Oct, Pullman Reef Hotel Casino — Register →

Each event includes expert presentations, a Q&A session and an exhibitor area where attendees can meet trusted suppliers and service providers serving the strata sector.

Meet Our Sunshine Coast Industry Exhibitors

Brisbane Exhibitors

Mackay Exhibitors

Why attend — Outcomes you can expect

If your role touches repairs, improvements or common property management, Brenton’s session will deliver practical legal clarity.

Attendees will leave better equipped to:

• Reduce disputes and avoid costly mistakes by applying robust legal examples.
• Improve financial outcomes by clearly allocating responsibility and recovery options.
• Strengthen committee processes with improved recordkeeping and transparent decision paths.
• Build trust in your community through consistent, lawful practice.

Put simply: the seminar will give committees and owners the confidence to manage maintenance and improvement obligations without guesswork.

Secure your seat

Registrations are open now. Spaces are limited at each venue. Book early to ensure you hear Brenton Schoch and other expert panelists during this essential series.

See you in October!

Article contributed by the Smart Strata team.