Apartment renovations without approval. Oops ... What do we do now?
Our neighbour submitted an application for renovations of their lot. Their application was approved. Their ensuite wall is on the other side of our main bathroom. We’ve heard them jackhammering the wall, and they’ve installed new plumbing pipes and connections. None of this was included in their application or renovation by-law.
The additional unapproved work was discovered when a smoke detector test was carried out. The owner has requested retrospective approval for the renovations.
Access to the Communal Fuse Box in our Apartment Building
We had no hot water and needed to check if a fuse had tripped. Our strata manager advised the only person who had the key to the locked area was their father. He was away, and we needed to call an electrician with a master key.
Should owners pay an electrician's call-out fee because the key wasn't available?
We understand owners shouldn't have a key to this area for safety reasons, but shouldn't the strata manager have access?
Is piano playing for hours a day a breach of our peaceful enjoyment?
I am a piano player living in a NSW strata apartment building. I have received two noise breaches for nuisance, both of which claim that I play for '12 hours each day, causing considerable disruption to other residents'.
It does appear that there is no real definition of what a nuisance is, but that strata law seems to favour the complainant - even though environment, planning and council regulations are quite specific with regard to musical instruments.
Votes, the Voting Period and Unit Entitlements
A group of owners holding the majority vote wants to engage a valuer using strata funds to revise unit entitlements for all owners in an attempt to reduce their strata fees. The vote to change unit entitlements has not been taken, but we know it will not pass without about 15% dissent. Can strata funds be used to pay for a revaluation when not all owners agree?
Changing from Strata Title to another Title - Is this possible?
Is the new WA Community Title Legislation applicable to existing strata schemes? Most of the information coming out seems to be aimed at land developers
Will existing multi use strata scheme buildings, with constant in-fighting over management/common areas/cost allocations, etc. be able to adopt the community title format to try and offset some tension?
If so, what consequences might be anticipated in doing so, and would this entail the winding up of the strata scheme to facilitate a community title scheme?
How can a body corporate support a wheelchair user during a lift outage?
- Read more about How can a body corporate support a wheelchair user during a lift outage?
- Add new comment
Our complex is approximately 15yrs old. A disabled owner who relies on a wheelchair purchased a unit on the fourth level of the building approximately 4 years ago. The only access to this level is via one elevator or the fire stairs.
The elevator is due for refurbishment. It has been out of commission for over a week, and future repairs require it to be out of commission for approximately two months.
Insurance Increases Due To Defects
Our building was constructed in 1992 and is assumed to have been built to the code of the time. Over the years, there have been multiple instances of waterproofing failures, including those involving flashing around roof penetrations. Would a strata insurance company expect repairs to fix the waterproofing or to bring the property up to current code?