• Read more about Should a body corporate committee discuss financial matters at an open forum?
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Our complex consists of 140 units under the Accommodation Module and the Building Format Plan.

Our committee intends to hold a forum, open to all residents, to discuss motions and the associated costs of the motions they intend to put to our AGM in June this year.

Should body corporate financial matters be discussed with non-owners who will be present?

Is the forum an informal meeting?

• Read more about Does a committee have to respond to an owner's general communications?
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• Read more about Is the owners corporation liable for accommodation costs when a lift is out of service during an upgrade?
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Our seven-storey building is about to replace the only lift. We will have no lift for an extended period.

Is the owner corporation liable for residents' alternative accommodation costs for those unable to manage stairs? What if a resident from the top floor is confined to a wheelchair? In what circumstances is the owners corporation liable for accommodation costs during the outage?

• Read more about Can the additional charges be passed on to an owner who contacts the manager directly?
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Our committee assists where possible in reducing fees. However, some owners continually contact the body corporate manager (BCM) directly instead of first contacting the committee. If the committee can assist, this would avoid additional BCM service fees.

If owners contact the BCM directly and the body corporate is charged, can the fee be charged to the owner? It is unfair for owners who do not contact the BCM to pay these fees.

• Read more about Should a caretaker copy the committee and manager into owner communication?
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Our body corporate manager (BCM) advises that all caretaker newsletters to owners must CC all committee members and the BCM if the content relates to body corporate matters or common property maintenance. Is this a legal requirement or a recommended practice?

• Read more about Must I provide access for a neighbour to cut holes in my ceiling for their bathroom upgrade?
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The neighbour in the unit above wants to access my lot and cut holes in my ceiling to relocate plumbing pipes and upgrade their bathroom. Am I required to provide access, given that these works are improvements rather than repairs? What are my rights, and if required to provide access, how can I protect my interest to ensure the neighbour leaves my lot in the same condition? Should I be concerned about future damage?

• Read more about Can we instruct the manager to stop relaying correspondence from an owner?
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Our committee is very functional. Most members work hard to keep up with repairs and maintenance, volunteering extensive time to improve the complex. Most owners are grateful, approachable, and support the committee.

Our body corporate manager (BCM) is very good, but was not happy when the committee communicated that they are in control, running the body corporate. We only outsource tasks to the manager and see them as supporting and assisting the committee.

• Read more about The committee has allowed commercial lots to use areas restricted under the BMS — is this right?
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Our large highrise apartment block is governed by a BMS and has 3 commercial lots on the ground floor.

The BMS Plan clearly outlines the areas where these commercial Lots are not permitted to access i.e. 3 lifts and a foyer area. They do not contribute financially to these areas.

The BC Committee has allowed the commercial Lots to use these areas without consulting Lot Owners, causing considerable damage.

Can the committee allow a practice to happen over a BMS statement? If so, what would the decision making process be?

• Read more about The BMS and CMS are silent on roof maintenance in our mixed-use building — who should pay?
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We are in a building format plan. Commercial shops on the ground level are a separate commercial Body Corporate. The eight floors above are a separate accommodation Body Corporate.

Our main roof needs fixing and think both BCs should pay their share.

• Read more about Any communication about body corporate business is very likely going to be a body corporate record
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Can the committee communicate informally via a closed WhatsApp group? Some committee members do this for efficiency and to alert members to an email. We also used the chat for personal messages, such as happy birthday wishes. We make no decisions. Do we need to include this chat in the body corporate records for owners? What about text messages to individual members?