Country people are smart – not only do they read this column, they get two questions for the price of one. QUESTIONS: What are the rules regarding agents “For Sale” signs on Strata Title property? Our block has three different agents signs near the entrance to the building. They are ugly and untidy. Is there [...]

Pet owners often complain about rules imposed by strangers in a large block.  But what if there’s only one other apartment and they’re putting up “no dogs” signs before you even buy in? QUESTION: I am considering buying the upstairs apartment in a duplex in which both lots have equal unit entitlements. A by-law was passed last year [...]

One of the frustrations in dealing with badly behaved neighbours is that after all hassles of pursuing them through Fair Trading and the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal, any fines are paid to the government, not to the culprits’ suffering neighbours.  But a cunning plan is being hatched south of the border. QUESTION: I’m a [...]

Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge and the Premier Nathan Rees are concerned about money wasted on legal fees when we want to change by-laws.  According a circular issued by Fair Trading the other day, they are looking at providing alternate model by-laws that we can adopt “off the peg”. Nice idea.  Of course, if they [...]

We’ve had dust storms, firestorms and good old-fashioned floods in Australia recently.  The plagues of frogs and locusts must be just around the corner. More significantly for apartment owners we’ve had an apartment block slip down into a hole dug for a motorway tunnel and another in Bondi Junction head skywards when some escaped gas [...]