Spring is just around the corner and everybody who lives above a neighbour with a barbecue knows exactly what that means. QUESTION: Our 200-plus unit Strata Scheme has a bylaw that explicitly forbids barbecuing on balconies. However we also have units with courtyards and terraces which are huge and were built with natural gas connections [...]

Strata managers are an essential cog in the running of apartment buildings, especially large ones. But when things go wrong, they can often appear to be little more than a necessary evil. QUESTION: We are unhappy with our current strata managers and need to sign up a new one quickly as relations are deteriorating rapidly [...]

Most people most of the time just want to do the right thing. But when thoughtless neighbours get in the way of good behaviour, well, anyone can get their knickers in a twist. QUESTION: This isn’t so much a legal or by-law issue, more of a resident etiquette issue – there’s no room on the [...]

Flatchat was invited to speak at the Institute of Strata Titles Managers’ annual conference a couple of weeks ago and among the ideas we floated was that Executive Committee members be paid for the work they do – provided they’ve had some basic training on strata law and how buildings run. This prompted an email [...]