In strife but can’t even afford a lawyer’s letter?
We should never underestimate the power of a lawyer’s letter, especially in a strata dispute. At the very least, it lets the recipients know what the law is and, importantly,…
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The Forum: Give bogus, bullying by-laws the boot
There’s a nasty by-law floating around various strata schemes these days – I say nasty because whatever its intent was, it’s having the effect of discouraging owners from challenging their…
Podcast 74: Bully for you – how aggressive should strata lawyers be?
What is a strata lawyer’s job? That’s the question we ask in the Flat Chat Wrap podcast this week. Is it to find a reasonable solution, based on strata law,…
The claim game – detecting defects is just the beginning
You’ve just bought into a new apartment block and cracks have started to appear, or the roof leaks when it rains, or the fire safety measures wouldn’t stop a tea…
From the Forum: False economy in dodging legal fees
There’s been some discussion about whether or not you can take a neighbour to court for compensation when their noisy renovation work has driven out your tenants. You can take…
Hold on – help is closer than you think
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived in strata or whether you are a resident or a committee member, sooner or later you are going to need to ask for…
When you can sue over loss of rent due to renos
We’ve had a lot of discussion recently about whether or not owners can claim compensation for things like loss of rent when renovations – either by individual owners or by…
Hypothetical: Are Airbnb by-laws worth a legal battle?
Things had gone quiet on the Airbnb front, with both NSW and Victorian policy wonks scribbling away on new legislation to deal with online short-term letting. But thanks to one…
Roundup: $130k legal bill for a lawless committee
It was back in April that Whoopi wrote to us about her legal battles with her committee which at that stage had cost her $30,000 and she expected to go…
Four-year fight shuts door on inspection that never was
A NSW Owners Corporation has been forced to meet its common property obligations, after a four year battle with one of the property owners over a sliding door and an…
Strata troublemakers nailed
Are you a criminal, a rebel or a know-all? Or is it your neighbour who’s one of apartment living’s permanent pests and constant troublemakers. Strata lawyer Amanda Farmer, founder member…