Can a committee decide to keep gates open in a gated community?
I am a lot owner in a gated complex. Our committee appears determined to have the gates left open, having taken this step more than once without consulting the lot owners and despite receiving owner complaints.
This action was first taken by the committee in 2021 with no consultation with lot owners. An owner survey at that time made it clear that this decision went against the wishes of the majority, who were in favour of keeping the gates closed. The committee has again taken this action. Several lot owners lodged written objections to the committee, which have been ignored.
Can a body corporate impose a special levy for a service that some owners did not support?
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I am an owner in a 127-lot scheme in Noosa, which includes eight retail lots and the remainder residential. Five years ago, the committee removed the PABX system from the caretaker's office and proposed an in-house phone system as a replacement. The system was funded by a special levy applied to residential lots, with costs added to levy notices. The AGM motion stated the service would allow guests to make restaurant bookings from their units, and it passed.
Can an owners corporation restrict loading zone access to the building manager only?
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I live in a large strata building in Victoria. We have three marked 'loading zone' parking areas in the garage. The owners corporation (OC) has decided that only the building manager and concierge can use these loading zones. Is the OC permitted to give away common property for the benefit of subcontractors? Does it raise questions about fringe benefits?
What if body corporate funds spent on lot owner maintenance have been budgeted?
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We hear that body corporate funds may not be used on maintenance of an owner's unit, eg mowing the yard, painting the balcony walls, or spraying the unit annually for pests and termites.
What if this expenditure has been budgeted for and included in the annual levies set at the AGM? If the body corporate cannot use the money for private maintenance, does this mean the owners who have paid the levies have lost their money?
Are there statutory or regulatory controls on how a strata committee stores scheme records?
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Our strata committee has autocratically adopted a cloud-based information management system for strata data/information. They self-elected the office bearers as the moderators/administrators. The decision was not voted on, owners were not advised, and the administrators were self-elected.
Are there any statutory or regulatory controls on the storage of strata records? We already have the strata manager's system and strata information filing software.