16 Things Respectful Body Corporate Residents Do
There are two groups of people in a strata scheme: lot owners and body corporate residents. When I use the term “body corporate residents” I mean everyone who lives in the scheme, owners or tenants and their various visitors. How body corporate residents treat each other is a key measure of the success of a […]
Body Corporate Balconies: Common Property or Part of the Lot
Body corporate balconies cause a surprising amount of drama. This Melbourne waterproofing website reports: A recent insurance survey has shown that “Balcony Waterproofing” has the highest failure rate of all areas in the building envelope. As you’ll see below there are many common ways in which balconies fail. This article will explore the issues that arise with balconies and […]
How & Why Strata Managers Terminate Strata Management Agreements
Strata managers terminate strata management agreements for a range of reasons, some to do with the business and some to do with the scheme. There are many reasons why a Strata Manager might decide to part ways with a client, including: These are just some ideas of the top of my head but in reality […]
How To Search Adjudicators Orders & When and Why You Should
There is no government body responsible for ensuring “fair play” in the body corporate world, something that often comes as a shock to owners. Instead there is a specialist body corporate court, administered by Office of the Commissioner Body Corporate. Orders made by an Adjudicator become part of the legal interpretation of the body corporate law. […]
Common Property Boundaries
Defining common property boundaries in a body corporate is essential in working out who is responsible for what. As a general rule of thumb: common property = body corporate responsibility, lot = lot owner responsibility. Bodies corporate are forbidden from spending joint funds on works that benefit a lot and for lot owners there is no […]
The Process for Capital Works in a Body Corporate
A sinking fund exists for one purpose: to fund capital works. Capital works in a body corporate have a specific process that’s followed from start to finish, with differing levels of professionalism and success unfortunately. I see this process over and over in the smallest to the largest building. For both buyers and existing owners its a daunting prospect. The […]
How To Check Your Body Corporate Sinking Fund Balance
The most common question buyers ask is What is the body corporate sinking fund balance? What does that really tell you though? A big figure is good, a small one bad? It’s too simple a measure without some context. A clearer question is how much do we have and how much do we need? This article is about how to find […]
The Risk of a Low Body Corporate Sinking Fund Balance
How much is in the body corporate sinking fund? This is the most common question when buying a unit. Unfortunately the balance is only half the story. The more telling part is how much should be in the body corporate sinking fund? This article is about how a body corporate sinking fund is accumulated, where the process […]
How Many Strata Schemes in Queensland?
Common Ground is a periodic newsletter published by the Office Commissioner Body Corporate & Community Management. It contains all sorts of interesting articles including statistics. I find statistics like “how many strata schemes in Queensland” riveting stuff, so, in case you do too, I thought I’d share. How Many Strata Schemes in Queensland? There are 45,362 strata schemes […]
Body Corporate Fences: Who Is Responsible For Maintenance?
Body corporate fences: No one seems to be too clear on who is responsible for maintaining them. Is it the body corporate or the lot owner? As with most things body corporate the answer is it depends. Not very helpful I know but that’s why there’s a whole article on this subject. Do bear in […]