14 Examples of Corruption, Coercion & Bad Behaviour in Body Corporates

I know I spend a lot of time focussing on the negatives of body corporates, and clearly this article about corruption in body corporates is not going to be any different. I do have a purpose here though, I’m building a library of information to help people navigate occasionally murky body corporate waters. To be fair, […]
Body Corporate Repairs and Maintenance

One of the coolest things about body corporates is their ability to stay neat and tidy without you having to personally clean and tidy. Of course there’s no such thing as a magical self-caring property so someone is obviously taking care of the place. Who is responsible for body corporate repairs and maintenance? More importantly is […]
Case Study: An Ineffective Response To A Body Corporate Dispute

I did a search the other day that contained this item regarding a body corporate dispute: Tabled correspondence from the Caretaker complaining of by-law breaches by unit x (The Secretary)… There have been altercations between The Secretary and the Caretaker including physical and verbal violence. The committee discussed the matter (The Secretary was absent) and […]
Body Corporate Disputes: Who Are These People?

One of the key strengths of body corporates is the ability to build a community, a place where people feel safe, connected and involved. Communities are all about people. And therein lies the problem. We all know people we like, and those we don’t, people we respect and people who just flat out make us […]
The Dangers Of A Majority Lot Owner In A Body Corporate

This week in Purchase or Pass a two bedroom, one bathroom, clean and tidy lot in a good location with pleasing aspect was the subject of discussion. The catch: One lot owner has a 75% majority holding within the building. The panel of experts unanimously agreed they would pass on this opportunity, despite each believing the lot […]
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. […]
How To Resolve Disputes with the Building Manager

I’ve had a lot of queries recently from committee members asking how schemes deal with disputes with the Building Manager. The majority of schemes over 20 lots will have a Building Manager / Onsite Manager / Caretaker / Independent Contractor (all different names that refer to the same position) appointed under Management Rights agreements. For a lot […]
Who Can Help When You Have A Body Corporate Dispute?

The most common questions I get on my website are questions about what to do when you have a body corporate dispute. Finding help when things are going pear shaped within your strata scheme can seem like a mammoth task and I know a lot of people end up feeling frustrated and alienated. This article […]
10 Simple Steps To Avoid Body Corporate Disputes

Body corporate disputes are the worst. It’s bad enough fighting with your neighbours but when they live across the hall it adds and extra little dimension of hell that makes life really uncomfortable. It’s impossible to avoid disputes entirely but there are some simple things each lot owner can do that will go a long way […]