Question: A chairperson approved body corporate payment for a leak on their own lot without telling the committee. How can the expense be addressed?
Our chairperson engaged a plumber for a water leak on their own lot (Lot A). They approved payment of the invoice directly with the body corporate manager, without the rest of the committee knowing. I’m treasurer. The committee only found out a couple of months later.
The invoice says water was leaking through the block retaining wall between Lot A and Lot B, and that the plumber isolated the irrigation at Lot B. We’re on a standard format plan, and the wall isn’t near any common property. Lot B has since found a leak after its water meter, so I believe the problem was between those two lots and had nothing to do with the body corporate.
The invoice has already been paid from body corporate funds. I asked the body corporate manager what the formal process is to address this, but they didn’t respond to that part of my email.
I’ve submitted several motions for our upcoming AGM to get our body corporate back into compliance, and tensions with the chairperson are already high. How do I address this expense?
Answer: If a failure of body corporate property didn’t cause the leak, it’s reasonable to question why the invoice was paid and to raise it through an owner’s motion or the Commissioner’s office.
All owners have the right to submit claims for reimbursement to the body corporate. Sometimes, especially in emergencies like leaks, it makes sense for an owner to engage a contractor to control the issue as soon as possible rather than go through the body corporate process. If the expenses are reasonable and the process was legitimate, the body corporate can review the reimbursement claim and pay the lot owner.
From your description, it doesn’t sound like the leak was caused by a failure of the body corporate property, so I think you are correct in asking why the invoice was paid. You say you have submitted motions to the AGM for owners to vote on, and perhaps one of these includes a question about this. Otherwise, you could submit an owner’s motion to the committee asking about the expense. The committee is required to respond to these motions within six weeks.
If you can’t get an answer that satisfies you, proceeding with your dispute via the Commissioner’s office may be the next best avenue.
First, you might consider whether it is possible to reach any middle ground independent of third-party assistance. As you indicate, you and the chair are likely to clash at some point. Could the relationship be improved? It depends on the individuals, but it’s worth asking whether there is a middle path.
This post appears in the November 2026 edition of The QLD Strata Magazine.
William Marquand Tower Body Corporate E: willmarquand@towerbodycorporate.com.au P: 07 5609 4924
