Case Study: Insufficient Sinking Funds, Why It Happens And What It Means
Someone told me a story the other day about an apartment sale that fell through when the purchaser found out the building needed lift replacements. At an estimated cost of $1,000,000. To be shared by 60 owners. My first reaction was, wow, great example of the benefit of a strata search. My second reaction was, […]
4 KPI’s To Tell If A Body Corporate Is Financially Sound
A body corporate is a mechanism for managing common property. A mechanism funded by lot owners. Body corporates can and do run into difficulties stemming from many different issues. And if they get into difficulty they’re most likely going to finance any extra funds needed by way of levies on the lot owners. If its important to you to […]
What’s On The Agenda At The Annual General Meeting
Every body corporate must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) within three (3) months of the end of financial year. But what if you don’t actually have any business going on at present? There are plenty of body corporate’s out there which are well managed and maintained and have few issues requiring works or owners […]
The Process Of Holding An Annual General Meeting
Every year each body corporate is required to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) within three (3) months of the end of financial year. Of course a lot of body corporates do go over that three month limit due to all sorts of reasons. In that case the committee are expected to apply to the […]
Body Corporate Managers: What Do They Really Do?
Body corporates are run by a committee elected by all lot owners voting at the Annual General Meeting. This can cause some problems since body corporates are heavily regulated and the buildings involved can be both innovative and complex whilst most committee members are volunteers with little to no experience of the property industry. Clearly there’s a […]
What Are Management Rights?
Say you live in a body corporate, an apartment building like the one pictured here. Who do you think vacuums the carpet? Who cleans the pool? Who changes the light bulbs? There are hundreds of small tasks involved in maintaining the common property of a building and all those tasks are the responsibility of the […]
Body Corporate Records Are Private Information
Under the various states legislation strata schemes are required to keep extensive records of their expenditure and decision making. However, just because body corporate records are kept doesn’t mean anyone can access them. In fact body corporate records are private information. You wouldn’t ask to view your neighbours financial records just because you’re interested and the same applies to […]
How Property Developers Choices Impact Body Corporates
Property developers are a powerful force in the way out cities and towns are presented. Quite literally to develop a community is to give it physical form. Where I live I see the marks of the developer everywhere; in the size of the blocks, the layout of the streets and the lack of footpaths. All […]
Deficit In Body Corporate Funds
A deficit in the body corporate funds is a definite red flag as often it’s an indicator of a more serious issue financial issues. A body corporate is a legal entity, just a like a company or individual, and just like companies or individuals body corporates can run into financial problems, incur debt and be made bankrupt. […]
Body Corporate Insurance Valuations
Body corporate insurance valuations are a vital tool in ensuring (pun intended) lot owners are fully indemnified should anything happen to the body corporate. The Body Corporate & Community Management Act 1997 says The body corporate must take out the following building insurance: – building format plan (BFP) — insurance for the full replacement value of […]