This article about tracking down who is the body corporate manager has been supplied by Lisa Rutland, MyBodyCorpReport.com.au.
It’s very common in body corporates that there is NO representative of the body corporate available onsite.
Which means if you do need to speak to someone with the power to act on behalf of the scheme, finding out who that person is – the body corporate manager – can turn into a drawn-out treasure hunt.
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Whoever manages the body corporate records is also the contact point for the body corporate, which in Queensland schemes is the function of the Secretary, although most schemes hire a professional body corporate manager to undertake those tasks.
Unfortunately what buildings they act for is a closely guarded secret for Strata Managers so for outsiders, such as real estate agents, Solicitors and search agents like myself finding who to contact is often difficult.
How do you contact the body corporate?
In Queensland, each body corporate must register a contact address with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A titles office search on the body corporate, being lot 0 on whatever the plan number is, will then return this address.
However, it presupposes that information is kept current.
The first address on the register is the original owner (developer). Some records are never updated from the initial registration.
If a body corporate manager is appointed one of the first tasks should be to lodge a Notification of Change of Address with the DNR to update contact details. All official information, such as land valuations, will then be sent to the person who actually is managing the body corporate records.
That doesn’t always happen though and by far the most common address for body corporates held by the DNR is the site itself. Most strata schemes have a mailbox labelled “body corporate” and this is the contact address for the body corporate.
Other ways to find who manages the body corporate records
If the address on state record is incorrect and a current lot owner can’t help other places to try include:
- ask the onsite manager, if there is one
- ask any real estate agents who have sold lots in the building recently
- phone different body corporate management offices and ask if they manage the building
- contact local search companies like MyBodyCorpReport.com.au, we have lists of who manages what, though certainly not all buildings
- write to the address of the body corporate and hope that the letter is passed to a lot owner
I’m sorry to say there are no simple means to work out who manages what. Secretaries, like lot owners, come and go as do Strata Managers. Body corporate records are private information and sadly that relates to management details as well.
Have a question or something to add to the article? Leave a comment below.
Read next:
- QLD: Q&A Steps to Engaging a Good Body Corporate Manager
- SA: Q&A Who is My Strata Manager? How Do I Find Out Who Manages the Building?
For more information about locating the body corporate manager or general information about strata living in Queensland, visit our Strata Manager and Strata Legislation Queensland.
Looking for strata information concerning your state? For state-specific strata information, take a look here.
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Hi K. Lee
I’ve never heard of updating the Council address for a scheme.
It is usual for strata managers, and presumably committee’s as well, to update the “address for service” at the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. This is the “official” address for contact the body corporate. Its also possible this is the address the Council uses.
A CTS search will show the current registered address for service of the body corporate.
We recently dealt with Brisbane City Council who supposed to have sent out information to our Body Corporate- to send on to All owners by a certain date-, for “submissions”. No Owner received any correspondence. Our Body Corporate received NO Correspondence. I had phone interactions with this department and at no time did they re- confirm our Body Corporate’s current address but confirmed they sent it out, There is no facility on the forms I had to fill out to put it down either. When the due date came and went, still no paperwork. A few of us put in submissions without receiving the official paperwork. Their response being told NO correspondence was received was that the Body Corporate’s address was wrong on ” the Council’s website” and it was the Owners responsibility to update it ! WHO KNEW THIS? What website ? So over 20 years ago the Body Corporate Management changed on this set of Units. No one updated records with anybody. Since the 1990’s many Owners and Committee members have changed , Many B.C. managers and employees have changed- so who was responsible? I think B.C.C need to specify on their form exact contact details for Body Corporate’s and update their own forms so all Information is correct. Over the years we missed our on the 2 weeks window to submit an objection for a D.A. for a 4 story set of units next door, as we did not live on site (and see a sign) and nothing was sent on (perhaps due to no correct B.C. address?) Interesting!