Our strata dispute procedure is great – in theory. But it’s less fantastic in practice, especially when you are dealing with selfish bastards who have no interest in doing anything other than exactly what they want. The neighbour who will deafen you with loud music, park in your car spot and put wooden floors down [...]

Welcome, our new Fair Trading Minister Linda Burney, to the wonderful world of strata. I don’t know if your predecessor left you a “things to do list” – I suspect there wouldn’t be much on it since she didn’t think that there was very much needing done. But then, she’s gone and you’re here … [...]

The following is the full text of the letter that prompted the column in the Herald on 21/4/07. It shows that you can get the system to work .. if you’re prepared to hang in there. First I wanted to say that my wife and I love your column in the SMH, we read it [...]

Why would anyone imagine that they have the right to deny peace and quiet to their neighbours? They don’t – but the spirit of “I’m all right, Jack” is alive and well, especially when it comes to timber floors. QUESTION: Two owners in our building have laid ‘floating’ timber floors to the great distress of [...]

It’s tough when someone in your building doesn’t want to fix, maintain or improve anything. But when that person is the only other owner in a two-terrace strata, and they are prepared to go to the Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal 10 times – losing every time – and use five separate solicitors who failed [...]