Question: To resolve matters in our dysfunctional scheme, fifty per cent of the committee requested and held a meeting. We recorded meeting minutes and sent them to the strata manager to distribute. Months later, they haven’t been sent. What can we do?
I am the chair of a dysfunctional strata committee of four members. In an attempt to resolve matters, fifty per cent of the committee requested and held a meeting. Thirty per cent of owners attended. We recorded a complete set of minutes.
Within four days of the meeting, we provided a copy of the minutes to the strata managing agent for distribution. Months later, despite numerous telephone calls and emails, the strata manager still has not distributed the minutes. We have not received an explanation for why the minutes have not been distributed. What suggestions do you have for dealing with the strata manager?
Is the strata manager required to distribute the minutes? How can we get them to act?
Answer: Contact the licensee of the strata management firm to make a complaint.
Well, this question has a few moving parts.
The functionality of the strata committee could be an issue, and the owners corporation may consider their options there.
To simplify and focus on the strata manager and their obligations in the first instance, I suggest that you make contact with the licensee of the strata management firm to make a complaint. If this particular firm are members of Strata Community Australia (NSW), they are part of the Professional Standards Scheme. At the forefront of this scheme is a further commitment to consumers to ensure high professional standards across the strata industry in NSW.
The strata management firm should also have a complaints management process, which the licensee should provide advice on. If you are unhappy with the outcomes of the complaint, you may be able to lodge a complaint with the Strata Community Association (NSW) or Fair Trading.
I would encourage all strata schemes to only work with firms who are members of the Strata Community Association (NSW), as there are systems and processes in place for better regulation of the sector.
This post appears in the October 2023 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Mark Louis
Vital Strata Management
E: mark@vitalstrata.com.au
P: 02 9008 1112
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