Fines and jail for ignoring faults
A tradesman I know had been called to a 15-to-20-year-old block on the North Shore after complaints that balustrade fittings were loose and corroding. Every balcony he tested had dangerous balustrades and he told the Executive Committee chairman that probably all the fixtures on hundreds of balconies needed to be replaced as a matter of [...]
Beware the rental rats
Here’s a weird one for you. A friend (let’s call her Gina) recently went on to a ‘reputable’ website to find a flat share and got a gushing email from a woman who had just bought a fabulous apartment in Sydney’s CBD and was looking for a flatmate. Unfortunately for the owner, her mother was [...]
When neighbours hang you out to dry
Make no mistake, the single most important change the government could include in its strata law review would be to make the enforcement of by-laws compulsory (as it is in other states). If you don’t like your by-laws, you can change them. But if you’ve got reasonable rules in place, enforcement shouldn’t be at the [...]
Is direct let a safe bet?
QUESTION: I am about to lease a townhouse directly from the owner. What things should I ask for to prove proof of ownership? Will the bond form be enough proof? Has anyone had any experience renting direct through owner as opposed to a real-estate agent? – Fatboss, via Flat Chat Forum ANSWER: It would never [...]
Writing on wall for big TV
QUESTION: We recently bought a big new flat screen TV for our fairly small flat and, for a variety of reasons it would look great on the wall. The by-laws say you can only fix things like TVs to common property walls with the executive committee’s approval. However our neighbour, who is on the EC, [...]
