Body Corporate Levies: Why Are They So Expensive?
One of the first questions people ask when they’re buying a unit is “how much are the levies?” It’s a smart question because it does no one any favours to buy a property they can’t afford to hold. The body corporate levies are a large part of those holding costs. Savvy buyers take the current […]
Why Is My Body Corporate Insurance Claim Taking So Long?
I’m a lot owner in a scheme in Brisbane. Our townhouse (and many other in the complex) was damaged by the storm on 31/1/2015. All damaged caused by branches falling off large gum tree in body corporate common area. It’s been more than 3 months, nothing has been fixed (including other lots in the complex). […]
How to Get Building and Construction Defects Rectified
I had this email recently: Altered slightly to preserve anonymity. Our building is 8 years old. From day 1 we have pretty well had problems with a leaking roof. Each time we called the builder to rectify they have come and done a patch up job. With the heavy rains, this has been an ongoing issue. […]
Show me the body corporate legislation that says that!
People ask me questions, all the time, which I answer, not all the time but quite often. Please don’t think I think I have all the answers, because really, really don’t. But I can, and do, have an insight to offer which I’m happy to share. One the things I find the most frustrating though […]
15 Signs of a Healthy Body Corporate
A healthy body corporate is what every purchaser wants when they buy a unit. A pre purchase strata report is all about investigating the scheme to find that out. How exactly do we do that? I did a search where the client specifically requested that I look for evidence on the effectiveness of the Committee. Luckily for me […]
What is a Body Corporate Returning Officer?
In a lot of ways body corporates act like small democratic countries; they’re heavily legislated, led by an elected governing body, the majority rules and the citizens are (should be at least) watching what happens with an eagle eye ready to cry foul at a moments notice. And just like for a country, voting in […]
Pets and Body Corporates
Pets and body corporates account for the most common by-law breaches. Pets making noise, pets creating a nuisance, pets damaging common property and the ever popular pets without permission. The issues of animals in strata schemes is polarising and the subject of much debate. This article is a brief overview of the rules and regulations […]
Tenants and Body Corporates
My daughter has just inked her very first lease on her very first home away from home. Unfortunately for her, her new home is in a body corporate, a subject I know quite a lot about, and am moved to share at the slightest provocation. I’m fairly confident she ignored ever word I said, but […]
What Is A Building Management Statement?
A Building Management Statement (BMS) is a document that governs how shared facilities are accessed, maintained and funded. That’s a fairly simplistic definition of something that is very complex. A BMS must be registered over at least two lots, at least one of which must be a volumetric lot. What is a volumetric lot? Our […]
Body Corporates & Building Defects
In the June issue of Strata Voice there’s an interesting article “Is Strata Title Keeping Up With Higher Density” presenting research by City Futures Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. The research reveals 72% of those surveyed had experienced one or more building defect. That figure becomes 85% for buildings built since 2000. These […]