What are the rules and any precedents about the method used to elect an owners committee? Does the law require postal voting, or can the election be conducted only by in-person voting? Can owners corporations (OC) use online or electronic voting for committee elections?
Each Christmas, our council of owners hosts a residents’ Christmas sundowner for our complex. The strata company pays about $3,000 in food and drink costs from the operating budget. Is this a legitimate expense for the strata company, or should residents be asked to fund the event themselves?
One owner in our scheme sends a constant stream of complaint emails to the committee. In the last six months, they have sent close to 200 emails, asking us to address everything from berries dropping from a tree to vines growing on a fence, as well as various “nice to have” items that our budget simply does not allow for.
We have actioned around 10 of their requests, but the complaints and demands continue. It now takes so much time to sort through and respond to their emails each week that we struggle to focus on more pressing building issues, such as stormwater drainage.
I own a lot in a building format plan complex. My air conditioning condenser is on the roof, and anchor points are installed, but the committee has not maintained the roof or ensured the anchor points are certified. Every air conditioning contractor I contact says they will not go onto the roof or service the condenser unless they can use certified anchor points.
In this situation, who is responsible for maintaining and certifying the roof anchor points so that I can safely arrange servicing and maintenance of my air conditioning condenser?
Our building is one of eight grouped apartment buildings. The same strata management company manages our building and five of the others.
Our strata committee is managing defect rectification works in our owners corporation (OC). We've received conflicting advice about the declared design. The builder argues that our defect experts are asking for too much detail and insists the declared design is adequate. Our experts say they cannot sign off on the rectification works until the builder corrects and updates the declared design.
Does the builder need to provide a compliant declared design before defect rectification works commence, or can the works proceed while the design is still in dispute?
In our building, there are 16 apartments. The 14 upper-floor apartments have balcony glass balustrades, but the two ground-floor apartments do not. There is a proposal, subject to owner approval, for the strata company to upgrade and modernise the balcony balustrades on the 14 upper-floor apartments. The new plain-glass design would remove the existing top rim, improve the building’s appearance, and provide better outlook and views for those apartments.
Our committee is directly managing the maintenance and upgrade of our common property outdoor cabana. We’re using only licensed and insured tradespeople. If quotes exceeds $3,000, do we need to register the work with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)?
We have received reports of ongoing noise coming from a balcony in a rented unit throughout the day. The household includes a child with additional needs. Neighbours have already spoken with the parents but remain concerned about the impact on their peaceful enjoyment of their lots and have now asked the owners corporation to consider action under the relevant by-law.
Given the sensitive nature of this situation, how should the owners corporation respond appropriately and fairly, while considering the household’s circumstances and minimising the risk of legal complications?