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Our Q&A posts this week:

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Latest Articles

NSW: Q&A Window locks for strata – admin or capital works fund expense?

NSW: Q&A Window locks for strata – admin or capital works fund expense?

 
Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Question: What costs are associated with the two respective Funds, in this instance the fitting of window locks for strata? Should expenses relating to installing window locks be charged to the admin or the capital works fund?
 
 
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Strata Vault
The First rule of Visitor Parking in Apartments – umm, it’s for visitors!

QLD: Q&A The First rule of Visitor Parking in Apartments – umm, it’s for visitors!

 
Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
Question: I am just looking at how I go about reporting, or even whether I am able to do so, residents in my building using visitor parking in apartments almost every night. Two of our guest parking bays continuously taken by residents of units.

 
Read More
 Rules Around How to Chair a General Meeting. Can this be done by an Independent person

ACT: Q&A Rules Around How to Chair a General Meeting. Can this be done by an Independent person?

 
 Christopher Kerin, Kerin Benson Lawyers
Question: We have several contentious issues coming up for discussion at a General meeting. Due to this what are the rules around how to chair a general meeting? Can this role be undertaken by an independent person?
 
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No safe access to roof cavity

NSW: Q&A No safe access to roof cavity

 
Peter Berney, Solutions in Engineering
Question: I have no safe access to roof cavity in my townhouse. Does the responsibility for safe access to roof cavity and the rectification of this problem fall to me or to the Owners Corporation?
 
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Branded Newsletter
Ceiling falling in – is this a Strata Council cost

WA: Q&A Ceiling falling in – is this a Strata Council cost?

 
 Gary Phillips, StrataGP
Question: The unit beside ours have had their ceiling falling in. There is $6000 worth of damage and our strata manager says the repair is to come out of our strata money because the ceiling is common property. Insurance said they won't cover it because the ceiling falling in is due to wear and tear.
 
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How to change strata management companies

SA: Q&A How to change strata management companies

 
Tony Johnson, Horner Management
Question: We are unhappy with our current strata manager and I'd like to find out how to change strata management companies. What is involved in changing strata managers? How do we call a meeting? What quorum do we need to meet?

 
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$5,000 rebate available to ACT owners corporations for efficiency upgrades

$5,000 rebate available to ACT owners corporations for efficiency upgrades

 
Lara Lloyd, Actsmart Business Energy and Water Program
Owners corporations in the ACT are invited to upgrade inefficient common area lights to LEDs with help from the ACT Government’s Actsmart program. It’s a win for the environment and a win for the owners corporation’s bottom line.

 
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QLD: Can a body corporate be allergic to pets?

QLD: Can a body corporate be allergic to pets?

 
Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
Animal dander has a very serious meaning to some of our readers, particularly when it comes to keeping pets in community titles schemes. For those with serious allergies, animal dander can be a genuine threat to their health and wellbeing.

 
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Nothing happens without a decision

Nothing happens without a decision

 
Bailey Compton, Leverage Group – Solicitors & Academy
If you want to do something in a community living arrangement, you must always look to your legislation to ensure that you can do it. There must be a meeting, and you must identify who can make the decision.
 
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Understanding Office Bearers Liability Insurance

Understanding Office Bearers Liability Insurance

 
Tyrone Shandiman, Strata Insurance Solutions
Office Bearers Liability Insurance provides cover for the Body Corporate’s Office Bearers should they become legally liable to pay compensation for any wrongful act they commit while carrying out the functions of their position. 

 
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Last Edition's Star Article

NSW: Template Renovation ByLaws

NSW: Q&A Are there template renovation bylaws available?

 
Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Question: We have regular applications from owners proposing to renovate their apartments and we are looking to update quite cumbersome processes with respect to the approval by the Owners Corp of proposed renovations by owners. We were wondering if there are template renovation bylaws available?
 
 
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News of the Week

NSW Changes Airbnb

NSW: City of Sydney now in favour of apartment buildings making their own decision on allowing Airbnb

 
Sue Williams, Domain
The City of Sydney has changed its original stance on Airbnb and is now in favour of owners having the final say on whether short-term lets should be allowed in their apartment buildings.
We have some discussion around this happening on our Facebook Page. Take a look and join in the conversation:  https://www.facebook.com/lookupstrata/
VIC Cladding Removal

VIC: Residents forced to pay $60k for removal of combustible cladding from block

 
9News
Residents of a Melbourne apartment block are being forced to pay to remove combustible cladding covering their building, which is the same material used on London's deadly Grenfell Tower.
ACT Building Defects

ACT: Bulum Investigation - Cracked Empire

 
ABC News (ACT)
On 28 February 2018, the ABC News (ACT) ran an in depth story on a well-known ACT developer and the problems various ACT apartment owners have had in getting building defects rectified.

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Quick Q&A

We sometimes receive interesting questions into the site which aren't quite long enough to create into a post. We thought we'd share some here. We recently received the following question:
I have heard a Strata Plan (SP) be abbreviated as PS, not sure what the abbreviations stands for, nor which states they belong to. Do you have a list of abbreviations and what each state call their Strata Plans. 
Kaylene Arkcoll, Leary & Partners replied: 
I don’t have a current list of all the various abbreviations as I believe WA has just added (or is about to add) a few more. PS stands for Plan of Subdivision and is the standard term used for survey plans in Victoria. I am not aware of it being used as the formal name of the survey plan document in any other states but I would need to spend a couple of minutes to check for sure.

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Breaking News

Australia's most comprehensive stream of strata news -
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Strata office sales across capital cities are breaking records

My neighbours left me a mortifying note

How to keep pets happy and healthy in an apartment

NSW: Randwick Council’s archaic laws around company-titled duplexes causing distress for homeowners

Retreat of investors from Sydney market will ‘force developers to build better apartments’

Deadline approaches for window safety devices and a warning for managers [PODCAST]

VIC: A Snapshot of Melbourne's Construction - March 2018

Melbourne: a city in danger of being loved to death

QLD: Queensland unit owners at risk of soaring insurance premiums in wake of Grenfell fire

ACT: Minister orders review of building regulations as owners of defect-riddled apartments face $20m repair bill


Developer settles long-running Manhattan apartments legal stoush

SA: $60 million U2 Apartments on Waymouth St goes into administration

WA: Appetite for additional car bays prevalent


NT: Apartment living could explain why some people notice distant earthquakes while others don't

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