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Our posts this week:
Don't miss our comprehensive .... and growing .... list of Upcoming Strata Events - found at the very bottom of the newsletter. If you think you may be missing some of the newsletter, simply scroll to the bottom ⬇ and click 'View entire message', or click 'View this email in your browser' on the top ⬆ RHS.
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Our community grows from word of mouth. If you enjoy our newsletters, please forward this email onto others who may be interested, or simply tell them about LookUpStrata.
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Join our growing list of Sponsors. Take advantage of our increasing traffic stats. Advertising spots are becoming limited. Lock down your spot ready for 2018!
Offering your business the best way to reach YOUR target audience.
Create Your Own Premium Listing
We recently completed a major update to the Australian Strata Services Directory. You can now create your own Premium Listing in just a few minutes! Be part of the Strata Marketplace. Your listing is extremely quick and easy to set up. Begin the Listing Promotional Package and increase your strata business exposure today.
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Our Strata Services Marketplace provides a dedicated database of businesses and services for strata managers and lot owners.
Looking for a strata lawyer, financial advisor, plumber and electrician or maybe maintenance work is required?
Australia wide - you'll find what you're looking for here.
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QLD: Fire alarms and False Fire Alarms – Who makes sure we all get out?
Ben Hall, FCF Fire & Electrical
Question: What does the legislation state around requirements for the management of false fire alarms and fire alarms in general. Should we have a fire warden who organises the evacuation and carries out a head count to ensure all residents have been accounted for?
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NSW: Q&A Protocol for having automatic garage door openers installed
Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Question: What is the protocol for a lot owner to have automatic garage door openers installed to an existing garage door in a Strata Complex? We all have our own individual garages; however I am curious to know if there is any protocol in having such a device installed.
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Q&A Should we have an asbestos report done on our 1 year old building?
Kerry Washington, Quality Building Management
Question: I was wondering whether we should obtain an asbestos report for our scheme. The building was built in 2017. I believe only buildings built before 1 January 2004 need to obtain a report. Is this correct?
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QLD: Q&A Breached Spending Limit on Legal Fees
Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
Question: A maximum spending limit on legal fees was passed at an AGM some time ago because of reckless spending by a previous committee. The committee has breached this spending limit. What can we do to rectify this …. and what could the consequences be if we don’t?
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SA: Q&A Reimburse for replacing external blinds - 10 years ago!?
Tony Johnson, Horner Management
Question: One lot owner had external blinds replaced around 10 years ago, and is not asking for a reimbursement. She has no receipts and she is the only owner left from 10 years ago. Where do we stand?
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NSW: Supreme Court Rejects Proposal to Upgrade Common Property
Adrian Mueller, JS Mueller & Co
The Supreme Court has rejected a proposal by an owners corporation to upgrade its common property in a way that would have impeded access to an owner’s car space. What are the broader implications of this case?
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Federal Budget Review 2018
Kelly+Partners Chartered Accountants
In the run-up to the Federal Budget, two things were expected, a budget that responsibly delivered tax cuts and also a budget that delivered ‘meaningful’ tax reform. Of course this is a difficult balancing act for any government, as spending money on our priorities is ‘responsible’, while expenditure on others’ priorities is not.
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Last Edition's Star Article
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NSW: Fair Trading Providing Incorrect Information About Window Safety Devices
Adrian Mueller, JS Mueller & Co
Information on the NSW Fair Trading site is resulting in some incorrect conclusions that it is possible for an owners corporation to relieve itself from the responsibility for installing window safety devices.
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Cladding class action builds numbers for case
Tim Boreham, The Sydney Morning Herald
The law firm planning the country’s first class action over combustible building cladding is confident of getting enough apartment owners to launch a case, despite the traditional apathy faced by managers of owner (or body) corporate structures.
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Aust Wide: Phone & Internet technicians – Installation & Maintenance
We’d like you to think of Mr Telco as experienced ‘hands and feet’ to get any telecommunications job done.
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NSW: Comprehensive commercial and domestic security solutions
Locked out, Locked in or just locking up? Websters Master Locksmiths is the key to all of your security needs.
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NSW: Have Your Say on Short Term Letting
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A message from Karen Stiles, OCN:
State Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, has launched a petition to have short term letting debated in NSW parliament. He needs 10,000 signatures. They must be original signatures so people need to print, sign, and mail/drop off to his office.
We urge NSW LookUpStrata readers to sign, put up in their lobbies, and share with their committees and other lot owners.
Independent MP Alex Greenwich: There has been a strong supportive response to my petition calling for owners corporations the authority to control short term letting in their building, including to place limits beyond state controls or to ban the practice outright. If you support this approach, please sign and collect signatures. Print petition HERE.
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NSW: Report a scheme not complying with window safety device requirements
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To report a strata scheme that is not complying with the window safety device requirements, send an email to [email protected] along with the following information:
- your name and contact details
- the address of the strata scheme
- the managing strata agent's name and contact details (or Secretary's details, if there is no managing agent).
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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:
Q: I have a commercial property. Our letterbox are in a bank of several letterboxes, attached to common property (Wall). The owners corporation claims it is my responsibility to maintain and repair my letterbox. I note that in NSW, if it is in/on Common Property then it is responsibility of Owners Corporation. Is this the same in Victoria? Is it still the owners corporation's responsibility to maintain the letterboxes?
Stuart Mellington, Select OwnersCorp Management replied:
A: The letter boxes are common and maintained by the Owners Corporation. There is no entitlement to make change without consultation and approval of the owners corporation which in this case will be the committee unless it is an item for a general meeting wherein all owners in attendance determine the maintenance for this facility.
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