Governments create laws. Courts and tribunals interpret those laws when they make decisions on disputes. We all then rely on those interpretations as gospel in terms of what the legislation actually means. Industry always holds its breath when what has been a long-standing practice or assumption is appealed. Higher authorities can overturn the decisions of…
A regular query we receive as Body Corporate Managers is can we approve spending for project X? To answer the question, we need to investigate the details of project X to determine how the proposal fits into the legislative framework. In this article we will delve into improvements made by the Body Corporate, which differ…
If you don’t know whether the cladding on your building is combustible (or to use the less scary word – non-conforming), you are soon going to be forced to find out. The issue over what cladding has been used on buildings crystallised after the Grenfell Tower fire in the UK in 2017. Australia’s equivalent (without…
One of the buzzwords of recent times is the idea of the “sharing economy”. Typically this refers to people ‘sharing’ their asset and in the process getting a return out of it. One example of this is Uber (for vehicles) and another example, which this column will focus is on, is short-term letting of one’s…
As Education is the future of the Strata Industry, Strata Community Association National Education are calling on all Smart Strata subscribers living, investing or working in the strata industry to join the next introductory course being held in Brisbane. Registration are filling fast and will close at 5pm Friday 9th February 2018. For full course…
For those in the strata industry you know just how busy your job can be, especially when it comes to maintenance and repairs after storm season. One of the hardest repairs to deal with for any on-site manager, caretaker or strata manager can be mould, especially if you have no idea where it is coming…
What is it? When an owners corporation or body corporate needs money for renovation or rectification works, emergency repairs, green initiatives, insurance premiums, litigation or other capital requirements there are essentially three options to choose from: use money from a sinking fund raise a special levy take out a loan to cover the costs All…
Anyone who has ever sat fuming in a traffic jam or circled a shopping centre car park waiting for a parking opportunity would appreciate the frustrations that car parking can bring. Needless to say, the issue of parking and vehicles more generally on a community titles scheme is one that we regularly encounter at the…
One of the common matters causing disputes in Bodies Corporate is the regulation of car parking upon common property and the power (or in some instances lack thereof) of the Body Corporate to arrange for the towing of vehicles from common property. It is important to note that one size does not fit all when…
There has been a lot of talk in the media recently about electricity prices and this will continue throughout 2017 and beyond. This electricity market update aims to provide you with information on the factors that influence electricity prices so you are more aware of the potential impacts on your future electricity costs. Over the…