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Well, it's that time of the year again and here we are at our last edition of Strata Life for 2018. What a year it has been. Thank you for your support and continued engagement, messages, questions, suggestions, comments and words of encouragement. We wouldn't be here without you.

A really big heartfelt thanks to all of our content contributors and sponsors who make the site possible. We REALLY wouldn't be here without YOU! Check out our Fantastic Sponsors here. Why not give them a call?

Our office will be shut over the holiday season and we will be back from the 14 Jan ready for our first 2019 Newsletter on the 16 Jan. Although we are keeping an eye on emails over the break, responses will be delayed.

Wishing you and your family a delightful Christmas and New Year period. 

All the very best from The LookUpStrata Team. Roll on 2019!! In the meantime, I'm off to the beach!

HOLIDAYS: Our office will be closed midday 19 Dec - 14 Jan. We have currently suspended our Ask A Strata Question service until 2019.

We are introducing the Strata Positions Vacant section in the newsletter in 2019. This will be a free service and open to subscribers of the Strata Life Newsletter. For more details, contact me here. Thanks for those who have shown interest so far! We have had such a response, we have decided to include our very first Position Vacant below. Looking for a change in 2019? Hmm, this may be just what you're after! Check out the opportunity towards the bottom of the newsletter.

Don't miss our comprehensive .... and growing .... list of Upcoming Strata Events + Latest News + Have Your Say (++ OUR NEW POSITIONS VACANT SECTION) - found at the very bottom of the newsletter. 

If you enjoy our newsletters, please forward it onto others who may be interested.


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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 a great second half of 2018! Offering you the best way to reach YOUR target audience.

 

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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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Latest Articles

NSW Foyer Christmas Decorations

NSW: Q&A Foyer Christmas Decorations Purchased by Strata Funds

 
Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Question: We have discussed putting up some foyer Christmas decorations. Some residents have voiced their concerns about strata funds paying for the cost of acquiring the seasonal decorations.
 
Read More
Auto Clamp
QLD Cyclone Risk Assessment Program

QLD: Cyclone risk assessment program to start in April

 
James Cook University
James Cook University has revealed details of a new engineering inspection program that could push down the cost of insurance for apartments, units and other strata buildings in northern Queensland.
 
Read More
VIC Small Strata Insurance

VIC: Q&A Individual Strata Insurance for a Small Owners Corporation

 
Whitbread Insurance Brokers 
Question: Although we have an Owners Corporation, we have no common property. How does insurance work? Do we need individual strata insurance? Should Public Liability be part of this?
 
Read More
Strata Vault
NSW Postage Changes

NSW: Strata Managers Beware: Postal service deeming provisions have changed!

 
Allison Benson, Kerin Benson Lawyers
Strata managers need to be aware of this key change if serving notices by post. Legislation has recently been amended. Instead of being deemed served four working days after the item has been posted, the item is now deemed served seven working days after it has been posted.
 
Read More
VIC Christmas Decorations on the balcony

VIC: Q&A Can I hang Christmas decorations on the balcony?

 
Tony Overell, The Knight
Question: Are there laws about external Christmas decorations and strata units in Victoria? Can I hang Christmas decorations on the balcony?
 
Read More
Storebay
QLD Catastrophe Cover

QLD ‘Firestorm’ and ‘Zombie Cyclone’ Prompts Calls For Apartment Owners To Consider Catastrophe Cover

 
Strata Community Association (Qld)
Strata leaders say catastrophe insurance policies should be on the shopping list of strata communities in the wake of the 200 bushfires that recently were burning throughout Queensland and this new ‘zombie cyclone’ threat.

 
Read More

Last Edition's Star Article

NSW Laundry Breach

NSW: Repeated Breaches – The Washings on the Line!

 
Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Question: What action can the Strata Committee take to impose compliance for breaches? A lot owner is amplifying her non-compliance in response to being advised to cease her laundry drying practices.
 
Read More

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Selection of Recent Comments

QLD Visitor Parking

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

 
Article by Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
Peter: I live in an 8 unit complex with six visitor parking that are mostly empty. We have limited space to exit our garage and leave the property. The problem is, there is often a visitors car not using the correct parking in front of our garage blocking us in.

We have asked and asked them to tell there visitors to use the correct parking but they fail to do so. We have complained to housing but nothing is done. Can I do anything to prevent this?


David Hubble: In connection to towing and visiting time limits, my body corp has cars towed at 2am or so that wake me and others with the racket. Can that be prevented in itself? The committee believes it can. All three things look to be wrong.

 
Read More
QLD Cladding

Queensland cladding laws: The cladding bus has left the station

 
Article by Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
D.Bramwell: We are a block of 5 townhouses. We have this year noticed the wall cladding on our buildings disintegrating due to rain water.

The cladding is soggy and only the paint is keeping it together. There are several areas where this is happening. We don’t know the name of the cladding. The townhouses were built in 2000. We are wondering if we can claim from the builder as the Insurance Company say the cladding wasn’t properly sealed when it was installed.

We are in Queensland and are wondering who else has this problem . It is hard to believe we are the only ones.

 
Read More

This Week

VIC Airbnb Burglaries

VIC: Home invasions linked to short-stay rentals on the rise

 
Tammy Mills, The Age
Last Sunday, residents in a city apartment complex were woken by knocking on their doors and a man checking door handles. Two apartments on two different floors were broken into while the occupants were sleeping inside. It’s believed up to three men staying in a short-term rental in the Spencer Street complex were behind the home invasions.
 
Read More
WA Cladding

WA: State Government will not identify four WA buildings with cladding that poses fire risk

 
John Flint, PerthNow
Four private buildings in WA require remedial works because external cladding poses a fire hazard. However, the State Government says it’s not in the public interest to identify them.

The four buildings, which are three storeys or higher, contain apartments and at least one is a hotel. One is in Perth CBD, one is in the Peel region and two are in the Pilbara.

 
Read More
NSW Bully in the building

NSW: Real estate nightmares and Sydney strata disputes — what happens when your neighbour is a bully

 
Jamie McKinnell, ABC News
"Every building has one — a self-appointed building manager who has lived there the longest," one real estate agent told the ABC. The most common advice for those grappling with escalating disagreements is to try and sort things out among yourselves.
 
Read More

NSW: Get Involved

Sign up for the City of Sydney's new food scraps recycling trial

“We’re looking for apartments and houses to take part. If you live in an apartment, we need to know about your building and its waste and recycling facilities. We’ll need a contact for someone managing your building, such as you building manager, strata managing agent, or the secretary of your building strata scheme.

“My tip is to start the process sooner rather than later so you can get the details you need and still meet the registration deadline.”

Expressions of interest to participate in the food scraps recycling trial close on Monday 31 December 2018.

Strata Positions Vacant

State: Western Australia
Location: Perth City
Role / Position: Strata Insurance Broking Opportunity
Email: [email protected]
Link: More information

Breaking News

The Most Petty Strata Feuds And Nightmare By-Laws Revealed

NSW: Sydney's CBD Swells with Influx of 66,000 New Workers

Kirribilli apartment smashes suburb record with $10.8 million sale

QLD: Grinch property managers force residents to take down Christmas lights

Katie Page secures $5.5 million Main Beach apartment sale 

ACT: Residents rescued from top floors after fire in hotel

 

WA: Chevron likely to be given green light for 30 storey Elizabeth Quay $360m tower

Upcoming Events

New South Wales


SCA (NSW) - Strata Community Title Committee Training Course Chatswood: 19 & 26 Feb, 9 am – 1:30 pm

Victoria


Nightingale Housing - Nightingale 1 private tour Brunswick: 10 Jan, 2 – 3 pm

Western Australia


SCA WA PD - 2019 Strata Outlook Burswood: 1 Feb, 1 – 3 pm

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