Can I be forced to remove a discreet, colour-matched clothesline that’s been on my balcony for years? What options can the committee and owners consider?
I live in Brisbane and installed a fold-out clothesline on my level 4 balcony about five years ago. It’s colour-matched to the building and not visible from the street, obscured by trees and the façade. The clothesline only became an issue when it appeared in a photo on a real estate listing. At a recent committee meeting, the main concern the committee raised was that others might follow my example, even though many units already have portable clotheslines clearly visible from the street. The strata manager seemed unsure if anything could ultimately be done.
Can the committee make me remove the clothesline after it’s been there for years without complaint? And can I raise a motion for the body corporate to consider approving colour-matched fold-out clotheslines as a standard option for owners who want to install them?
You and the body corporate might want to think about how to adopt a more practical position.
Washing line by-laws still serve some purpose, but body corporates have to be realistic about their application. If a lot hangs washing in such a way that it makes the site look messy, it’s not unreasonable to ask that they be more considerate. On the other hand, if people want to hang their washing neatly, then there needs to be some acceptance of that.
Units are homes that people live in, and their washing has to go somewhere. It’s unrealistic to think that people can always dry washing inside or that everyone should have a dryer. I think your manager is asking the right question about how a body corporate would enforce an issue like this. OK, issuing a breach notice may help bring people in line, but after that, is it worthwhile for the body corporate to take owners through a legal process to enforce this by-law, and what would the outcome be?
Moving forward, think about how you and the body corporate might adopt a more practical position. This would likely be achieved by introducing a new by-law to establish reasonable and achievable guidelines. As you indicate, this could be to allow clotheslines, provided they were properly installed and matched the scheme colours. Would that be so bad?
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Will Marquand joined the Tower team as a General Manager and Senior Strata manager in 2020. He has widespread experience across all forms of commercial, industrial and residential schemes. He believes in proactive, ethical strata management and hopes to provide Tower’s customers with the knowledge and support required to take their schemes forward into the next generation of body corporate management. Will has experience working across residential, commercial and industrial schemes. A former journalist and teacher, Will's excellent communication skills help Tower grow its expanding business. William is a regular contributor to LookUpStrata.
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