Changing the Appearance of the Lot

Changing the Appearance of the Lot

Changing the appearance of a lot – does changing tiles on a balcony need Body Corporate approval? Generally, the CMS for any scheme will have a by law that is consistent with the following: Appearance of Lot The occupier of a lot must not, without the body corporate’s...
Rejecting General Meeting Votes

Rejecting General Meeting Votes

Can votes be rejected, by the Chairperson, after the close of the meeting? The short answer to this question is no. If the votes cast are valid at the time of the meeting and have been counted towards the results of each of the motions, they cannot be rejected by the...
Non-Budgeted Sinking Fund Expenditure

Non-Budgeted Sinking Fund Expenditure

If there is no “line item” in the Sinking Fund Budget for expenditure, can the funds be spent? A number of Committee Members, and Owners for that matter, are under the impression that for works to proceed a “line item” must be included in the sinking fund budget. The...
Rectification of Property Damage

Rectification of Property Damage

Section 281 of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 allows for an Adjudicator to make orders that a person, they reasonably believe to be responsible for a contravention of the Act, either carry out required repairs to the damaged property, or...
Maintenance to Vegetation Within A Lot

Maintenance to Vegetation Within A Lot

Section 160 of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 – Obligation of owners and occupiers to maintain, states: ‘The regulation module applying to a community titles scheme may impose obligations about the conditions in which lots included in the scheme...
Pets, pets, pets. What’s reasonable?

Pets, pets, pets. What’s reasonable?

As a Strata Community Manager, one of the most regular application forms received from owners, occupants or property managers is for the keeping of a pet within a lot.  This can then also flow down into complaints received if the animal is not being kept within the...