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  • #50066
    Just Asking
    Flatchatter

      For those strata committee members who use the various online portals provided by strata managers to access information such as minutes, invoices, financial status etc, has anybody heard of a secretary being able to access correspondence in this manner?

    Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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    • #50071
      Banned
      Blocked

        The Secretary will, or should have full access to all records on these online portals.

        Normally there are two access levels, one for commitee members and the other for owners.

         

         

        #50081
        kaindub
        Flatchatter

          What is your question?

          If you are asking whether these portals allow viewing correspondence, in my experience of at least three different portals , the answer is no. Remember that correspondence these days can normal snail mail or email. It’s difficult, because of the number of different emails packages, to provide integration into the portals.

          Depending on the portal, there may be various documents on the portal. Ie strata plan, drainage diagram, work orders, financials etc

          The documents available on a portal depends on what portal your SM is using.

          #50101
          Banned
          Blocked

            Just to expand on that a little, there is no legislation surrounding what documents are to be provided on these online portals that I am aware of. These portals are usually offered as a feature offering of the business.

            Agree with kaindub, you may find that many documents are simply not pushed onto the online system for some reason, be it dubious or otherwise.

            The only way to inspect all records held by the agent is to do an inspection at the place they are held, usually the agents office.

            Even then documents may not be available or have mysteriously gone missing and if the inspector is not aware they existed in the first place, they would be none the wiser.

            If you look at the disclaimers on pre purchase strata reports, you will probably find a clause about documents not being made available at the time of inspection – there is good reason for that!

             

            #50104
            Jimmy-T
            Keymaster

              Assuming your committee wants you to be able to see everything (and that’s a big assumption) there is a service called StrataVault that will scan and digitise all your records, plus newly generated documents, and store them off-site so you can access them any time you need to.

              Why would you need to store your documents off-site?  Just ask anyone who has switched strata managers from someone who is either inefficient or just pathologically unhelpful (especially since you just sacked them).

              You can check out StrataVault here, and don’t forget our sponsors StrataBox who can look after the front end of your intra-strata communications.

              The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
              #50108
              Just Asking
              Flatchatter
              Chat-starter

                Wow, Stratavault sounds like a great idea! At present, to look at a specific document it may require an appointment at the strata manager’s office during business hours, to be presented with a cardboard box full of jumbled items and no guarantee this collection is complete. Just makes great sense for things to be scanned and digitised then stored in the cloud, providing a back up for the physical documents which can then remain safely stored. Access by online means could still be controlled along the lines of current practices.

                For a few years now libraries, archives, professional practices, councils etc have been doing  versions of cloud storage for clients.

                #50110
                Jimmy-T
                Keymaster

                  It’s a pretty impressive service and all those documents that often to go astray, like the original plans and contracts, will be available and will survive multiple committees, secretaries and strata managers.

                  I would suggest it to my committee but that would guarantee that they would never do it.

                  The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
                  #50113
                  Banned
                  Blocked

                    The agent is obligated to keep records under the Property, Stock and Business Agents Act/ Regulation and the SSMA. Then there is the agency agreement which stipulates who will hold the documents which is normally always the agent.
                    <p style=”text-align: left;”>In that case whatever document system the agent chooses is up to them and most large strata companies already have these types of systems in place.</p>
                     

                    #50111
                    Just Asking
                    Flatchatter
                    Chat-starter

                      Surely the time is not far off when a committee would find it hard to justify not following this course? In this day and age there would be many strata residents (probably not Flatchatters) who would be surprised to learn it is not currently standard practice?

                      #50121
                      Banned
                      Blocked

                        The regulations and legislation is crystal clear on what records the Agent MUST hold on behalf of its client.
                        <p style=”text-align: left;”>The point I’m making is the Agent is contractually  bound to hold the records for the strata plan and already have such software systems in place so why would they want to use another software system and why would the strata plan want to hold 2 sets if records?</p>

                        #50124
                        Jimmy-T
                        Keymaster

                          The point I’m making is the Agent is contractually bound to hold the records for the strata plan and already have such software systems in place so why would they want to use another software system and why would the strata plan want to hold 2 sets if records?

                          You have been a visitor to this Forum for long enough to know that one of the most common complaints by Flatchatters is the failure of strata managers to pass on records when they are replaced by another agency. And this is despite the Act clearly saying theyre obliged to do so.

                          Then there are the files that aren’t properly kept, maintained or secured, as well as the files and records that get lost or maybe never existed in the first place.  What the law and contracts require and the reality of how businesses conduct themselves frequently diverge and there is little point in saying what “should” happen when we know from experience that it often doesn’t.

                          Also, this discussion began with a question about not being able to access documents via a digital portal.  That would be hard to do if they were stuck on strata manager’s broken computer or in a shoebox at the bottom of a cupboard.

                          The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
                          #50169
                          Daisy55
                          Flatchatter

                            Vouching for hidden OC records in Victoria. I had 4 stressful attempts at VCAT to see all the Minutes of meetings that were not in the Annual reports. Eventually they emailed me minutes from 4 of the 20 meetings they held since 2014. Their lawyer withheld the rest. I perused them but he would not provide copies.

                            In particular there were 2 reports from their lawyers at those meetings saying the OC manager was unconstitutional! At VCAT they argued they don’t have to divulge anything that would incriminate themselves. VCAT agreed!!!

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