ACT: Can a chairperson approve pest control without an owners corporation decision?

This article discusses can a chairperson approve pest control without owners corporation approval in ACT

Question: Can a chairperson approve pest control work without an owners corporation decision?

Our owners corporation is over 10 years old. There has been some rat and mouse activity. The chair approved pest control work without a formal owners corporation decision. Is this usual practice?

Answer: Pest treatment would normally be discussed with the executive committee before a decision is reached and action taken.

Normally, this sort of activity would be approved by the executive committee as a whole. You do not indicate whether the pest problem is on common property, in particular units, or a combination of both.

The process for approval would depend on whether the amount of the pest treatment has been budgeted. Also, some owners may object to the commercial style pest control. If there is a mouse or rat infestation in a class B lot, it would normally be the unit owner’s responsibility.

If the problem occurred in the common property, the Chairperson may have felt that it was an urgent matter. Even in these circumstances, the chair would normally discuss the matter with the executive committee before deciding on and taking action.

Jan Browne
Bridge Strata
E: jan@bridgestrata.com.au
P: 02 6109 7700

This post appears in Strata News #781.

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Read next:

• ACT: Common Property Boundary Lines – Class A and Class B
• ACT: Q&A Owners Corporation Responsibility for Common Property
• ACT: Q&A Commercial Use of Common Property

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