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  • #12093

    Hi I live in a modest studio apartment worth around $500-$550k   , its very well located but an old building , my gripe is the blatant rip-off of $15k a year in fees, there is work being done, but nothing has been done in over 2 years and we are all still paying these fees, I cant afford to sell it as the market is down and who would want to move into a unit with those kind of fees, the block next door pay around $650-$800 a quarter, while i pay almost $1,500 a month, I am broken and beaten and feel useless to do a thing about it, we have had many strata managers trying ti solve it and nothing is still being done. Any advice, I am actually at the point of calling FOUR CORNERS to see if they could investigate this, If I move out and rent, the rent would not cover the levies, and if labor gets in I will be punished if I decide to purchase another dwelling to move out into. A country that encourages hard work so you can prosper in retirement is now becoming a distant dream. I am lost and unsure what to do next ! And feel I may have to move interstate or leave the country just to get ahead! FML.

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  • #30916
    BONNIE L
    Flatchatter

      Have you other support in the building?  Even if not, you could do this as an owner , i.e. enquire about mediation and National Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) which exists to help people in your situation.   It’s very good and would keep you out of the public limelight if that is what you would prefer. Don’t feel concerned about the preparation side of the application, as I understand it’s not too complicated.  You need only proper paperwork and meetings records to back up what you are saying.

      Good luck.

      #30917

      thank you kindly for your wise advice. I will gather the paperwork and get in-touch with them, many thanks

      #30920
      dwa
      Flatchatter

        How do you know the fees are a ‘blatant rip off’?  What of the complex’ long-term maintenance plan? 

        In my experience, it is easy for a COO (EC …) do be doing a lot which may not be apparent to owners or residents. While big-ticket jobs such as paining are easy to spot, much of the week-week requirements are not. It may be that your fees are too low.

        My strong suggestion is to get involved and to try to understand the problems.

        #30930
        spmanager
        Flatchatter

          Hi Katanakid

          You need to check the meeting records. the levies are set by the owners at the Annual General Meeting. Its ONLY owners who decide the levies; so the other owners must be picking them.

          Check what the proposed levies were they may have been a lower recommendation, who voted to have the current levies that high. It maybe that the levies are high because no one goes to the meeting and just send a proxy to the strata manager and the manager can’t change levies.

          Go to the meeting, vote for the levies you want to have, you may get them or not but you do get a vote.

          dwa is right get involved in the running of the property, after all its part yours.

          #30937

          thanks SP manager, I will do exactly that, you are right no one goes to the meeting and they all send proxies as a lot of the properties are rentals. The last meeting I attended was extremely dysfunctional, and lasted over 4 hours. Ive seen primary school kids behave better, I will take it all onboard and start being more proactive, much appreciated 

          KatanaKid

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