Question: What does a volunteer manager need to do for a three-lot owners corporation where the only common property is a driveway?
I’m thinking of putting my hand up to be the volunteer owners corporation manager for our three-lot subdivision. The only common property is a driveway, and all the houses are freestanding.
What does a volunteer manager do in a small scheme when the only common property is the driveway?
Answer: Unless funds are raised through the owners corporation by issuing levies, a three-lot owners corporation like this doesn’t need any form of management.
Usually in this situation, an owners corporation manager isn’t required. For a 3-lot townhouse owners corporation, unless funds are raised in the name of the owners corporation and through the owners corporation (i.e., by issuing levies), there’s no need for any form of management.
Generally, one of the individual owners will be able to take out a public liability insurance policy for the owners corporation’s driveway. The cost would be split equally across the three owners, and that would be all that is required.
The important distinction here is that you’re not undertaking management tasks, which carry specific obligations and require professional insurance cover. As a group of owners for an owners corporation of this size, you’re not required to have any manager at all. You can simply arrange the policy and agree to split the costs, presumably equally, or however you choose.
This post appears in the November 2026 edition of The VIC Strata Magazine.
Alex McCormick SOCM alex@socm.com.au P: 03 9495 0005
