Does an apartment's dishwasher form part of the building insured value? And if so, is it insured under the strata building insurance? Does that mean when the dishwasher is retired, the body corporate's sinking fund must replace it with the same model? Are there replacement model and value bylaws required?
Or, do individual apartment dishwashers fall under lot owner's contents insurance?
Over the past 18 months, our committee has been investigating significant financial discrepancies that appear to have arisen during the tenure of our former body corporate management company. We have sought legal advice and have since engaged a new body corporate management company to assist in reviewing the historical records and accounts. While we have a good understanding of the issues involved and that the financial impact is likely to be significant, we have not yet been able to determine a definitive value of the loss.
Our CMS lists all 7 units in our block as equal entitlement, so payment of the insurance premium is divided by 7. There is one unit in the complex that takes up 40% of the area and, based on recent sales, is worth more than 3 times any of the other units.
Our scheme has had a few designated disability parking bays marked with a wheelchair symbol for many years. However, they are not included in our current by-laws. Some residents with disability parking permission have to park outside the scheme, as other residents occupy their parking bays.
Which options are available to resolve this issue?
We've had issues with contractors damaging common property roof gutters when driving or reversing delivery trucks through our scheme. It appears they are cutting corners and/or not paying proper attention to their surroundings.
What are the legal and insurance implications for individual committee members when one member consistently becomes involved with contractors and maintenance, which has the potential for serious consequences?
Our body corporate is in a 25-year-old building in Brisbane. We've never had any major defect claims and the building "looks fine." Still, a few of us on the committee are starting to notice small signs of wear, hairline cracking on the façade, some staining near balcony edges, ageing sealant around windows. Nothing dramatic, but enough to make us wonder what we're not seeing.
I am seeking urgent clarification regarding a Queensland body corporate expenditure approval process. Our scheme has 8 lots and a committee spending limit of $4,000. The committee consists of 4 members and is considering engaging a consultant/project manager for approximately $7,200.
One apartment in our large scheme experienced a major flood that damaged common areas and other lots. The owner attributed the substantial flooding to a fault in the washing machine. We understand the owner has had police visits in the past, and a hydroponic drug growing operation was found in the bedroom that had flooded.