I'm looking for an insurance policy for a strata building. I've been told I need to give the insurer the SP number, the strata name and some other identifier.
What strata title information does a potential insurer need?
Christopher Ng is the Director of High Demand Electrical, a Sydney electrical contractor specialising in Level 2 electrical work, switchboard upgrades, consumer mains, EV charging, solar, battery systems and electrical defect rectification. Christopher is a Level 2 Accredited Service Provider, solar accredited technician and air conditioning technician. He works across residential, commercial and strata properties, with a strong focus on electrical safety, compliant infrastructure upgrades and practical solutions for owners, committees and strata managers.
I'm the chair of our small complex of 10 units, which are almost 40 years old. A maximum demand report on one unit shows its electrical submains need upgrading. The upgrade is needed because the unit owner (or past owners) increased the electrical load.
An owner in our complex recently installed an EV charger for their vehicle, with the strata committee's approval. The owner paid for the charger in full, and it connects to their own electricity supply, not common property.
At our recent half-yearly fire assessment review, the assessors told us we must now install a dedicated F-500 Li-ion fire extinguisher. We asked the fire company and our strata managing agent which legislation requires this. Neither has responded.
Our 22-lot strata building hasn't had any waterproofing done on the roof since it was built forty years ago. We now need major rectification work costing $2,000,000, including treatment of concrete cancer.
We don't have a capital works fund plan in place, and on inspecting the records, we've discovered missing strata plan records.
I believe our strata managing agent, who has managed the building for 20 years, has failed in the management of our building. Can we sue them for failing to insist that the strata committee address the building's maintenance?
We need to raise special levies to carry out remedial work on our building in phases.
When we introduce the special levies, how can we make sure that two years down the track, the money will only be used for the intended remedial works?
We are in an NCAT dispute over the owners corporation's failure to repair the common property. Concrete cancer is damaging the flooring in our unit, and the owners corporation hasn't made any repairs for nearly two years.
I hold a general position on our five-member strata committee. I joined at the AGM a year ago. At an upcoming general meeting, there is a motion to remove me from the strata committee because of a "conflict of interest". I presume the conflict is that we are taking the owners corporation to NCAT. Is this valid?
I recently put forward some changes to our contract with our strata managing agent. They rejected the changes and told us they were preparing a new contract.
For strata contracts, what is a "fair term", and when is a term unfair?
Our strata building was built in 1968. I'm having trouble with foot traffic and floor-impact noise from the unit above vibrating through the concrete slab.
Our building doesn't have dropped ceilings to give any added protection. Is there a minimum carpet underlay density requirement that the upstairs owner must install to stop this noise from affecting my unit?
Our levies are going up significantly to boost our capital works fund, which has around $30,000 in it. Owners have just finished paying a special levy of $3,000 per quarter for other common property works.
I feel this is unreasonable, disproportionate and unfair. The block was built in the 1970s and work is needed, but smaller increases over time would be more sensible and manageable. Are increases like this justifiable, and what do you suggest?