This article discusses whether WA strata busy bee levies can be reduced for volunteering owners and outlines lawful ways strata companies can reward participation instead.
Question: Can WA Strata Companies reduced strata fees for owners who participate in a busy bee? If not, how else can we reward owners who do volunteer and participate in organised busy bees?
Answer: Provide sausage sizzle/food/drinks as a reward for those that attended, participated and engaged.
The Strata Titles Act WA does not make any allowances for “discounts” in relation to the collection of strata levies. The only way to differ the amounts that people pay in their levies is to have a bylaw providing for an alternative way to raise levies that is not in accordance with the unit entitlement.
We have found that some Strata Companies organise a busy bee and provide sausage sizzle/food/drinks as a reward for those that attended, participated and engaged. It is a great way to get people in a community together and to celebrate the community in a positive way. That is their reward. The Council can agree to allocate funds to the food/drinks as this is part of managing the common property, remembering to be reasonable with the costs.
The people that don’t participate or don’t engage will miss out on the community get together and those great positive community feelings that go with it. The Strata Company can’t control those that don’t wish to engage however you can celebrate those that do.
This post appears in Strata News #491.
Shelley Fitzgerald Emerson Raine E: shelley@emersonraine.com.au P: 9330 3959