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Watch out for more Quick Polls in upcoming editions of Strata News. Got an idea for a Quick Poll? Let us know at [email protected].
Don't miss our comprehensive .... and growing .... list of Upcoming Strata Events + Latest News + Have Your Say - found at the very bottom of the newsletter.
If you enjoy our newsletters, why not forward it onto others who may be interested?
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Join our growing list of Sponsors. Take advantage of our increasing traffic stats. Advertising spots are becoming limited. Lock down your spot ready for a great second half of 2018! Offering you the best way to reach YOUR target audience.
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Our Strata Services Marketplace provides a dedicated database of businesses and services for strata managers and lot owners.
Looking for a strata lawyer, financial advisor, plumber, and electrician or maybe maintenance work is required?
Australia wide - you'll find what you're looking for here.
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NSW: Q&A Can We Avoid Strata Manager Insurance Commissions?
Leanne Habib, Premium Strata and Tyrone Shandiman, Strata Insurance Solutions
Question: Our building insurance is due mid 2019. Is the Owners Corporation able to renew this themselves or must it go through the Strata Management Company? We would prefer not to pay our Strata Manager insurance commissions.
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QLD: Q&A Can I use a box trailer for car park storage?
Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
Question: Can I put a box trailer in my second parking bay and used it for car park storage? Will it comply with body corporate and how do I go about getting approval?
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NSW: Q&A Lockboxes for Emergency Access to Apartments
Andrew Terrell, Bright & Duggan
Question: What is the best way to allow emergency services to access the building without compromising the security of the building? We are looking to install lockboxes.
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VIC: Q&A Expenses Recovery and Benefits of Common Property
Tim Graham, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Question: Is there a recent Victorian ruling related to expense recovery / cost allocation to the effect that the cost recovery of improvements made by the committee must only be allocated only to Lot Owners who benefit from the common property in question?
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WA: Voluntary Work for your Strata Company – Are you covered?
Leonie Milonas, PSC Property Lync Insurance Brokers
Did you know that when you volunteer your personal service with your Strata Company, you can be covered for the voluntary work undertaken should you be injured? However, the benefits available to volunteers via this cover is limited eg there may be age restrictions.
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NSW: Cladding – Do I Need to Register my Building?
Bannermans Lawyers
Find out whether you need to register your building for cladding. What are the guidelines? Make sure you understand what is required as the deadline for registration is the 19 Feb OR, for new buildings, within four months of first occupation.
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NSW: Supreme Court Saves Defective AGMs
Adrian Mueller, JS Mueller & Co
The strata legislation contains a number of requirements which must be met for any AGMs. These include requirements for the AGM agenda to contain certain motions and for the AGM notice to be accompanied by various documents. What happens if these requirements are not met? Is the AGM invalid? A recent decision of the Supreme Court provides helpful guidance on this issue.
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Last Edition's Star Article
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NSW: Q&A Apartment renovations without approval. Oops … What do we do now?
Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Question: We have recently renovated our kitchen without approval from the Owners Corporation. Will have to return the kitchen to the original condition or be fined?
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Selection of Recent Comments
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NSW: Q&A Is piano playing for hours a day a breach of our peaceful enjoyment?
Answer supplied by Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Gary: In the above case, the piano playing was held to constitute a breach of the nuisance provisions on the legislation but the Tribunal would not go so far as to stipulate how compliance with those provisions would be achieved. So, what is the outcome? What happens if the piano playing continues?
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NSW: Q&A Access to the Communal Fuse Box in our Apartment Building
Article by Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Tyrone: Strata Insurance provides cover for Public Liability which is for the owners corporation if someone is injured and takes legal action against the owners corporation.
The lot owner who holds the key should be careful as a legal claim can be brought against them for injury as a result of providing access – such a claim may not be covered by the Strata Insurance as the policy only covers claims against the owners corporation (not individuals).
The committee should always try to manage the risk of potential claims as a large liability claim may effect the ability to get insurance into the future.
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How we turned our apartment block into a community
Flip Prior, ABC Life
"Let's start a social committee and convince the neighbours to come to an event so we can all get to know each other … let's try to make our apartment less of a building full of strangers and more of a friendly home."
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VIC: We can’t afford bill for Victoria’s cladding crisis, pensioners say
Clay Lucas & Maria Bruun-Schmidt, The Age
Apartment owners there face a rectification bill of $50,000 per property – and potentially more, with a bill of around $1.5 million to replace the building's cladding. Mrs Opie said she and her husband were retired teachers, on pensions. “That’s an incredible amount in our age. We simply can’t pay.”
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WA Dog gone: SAT orders Kelmscott couple to remove family pet
Hamish Hastie, The Sydney Morning Herald
The State Administrative Tribunal is generally associated with unpopular service stations or high density developments but the range of its powers was laid bare last week after it ordered a Kelmscott couple to remove their dog from a strata complex unit.
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**Last Chance** QLD: Renting Reform
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Help to open doors to renting reform in Queensland by sharing your experiences as a tenant, property owner or property manager.
How do you feel about renting and how well the system is working?
Complete the survey and help shape the future of renting in Queensland.
This survey closes at 5PM AEST on Friday 30 November 2018.
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**Last Chance**
WA: Have Your Say on Entertainment Noise in the Northbridge Area
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WA Government is seeking input from the WA public about proposed reforms designed to preserve Northbridge’s vibrancy
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, on behalf of the Western Australian Planning Commission, and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation have prepared a joint discussion paper, Planning for Entertainment Noise in the Northbridge Area: Public Consultation Paper. This paper outlines proposed reforms that address the issue of entertainment noise impacts in the Northbridge mixed use entertainment precinct.
The reforms aim to achieve an effective balance between protecting the economic viability of entertainment activities and minimising the impact of entertainment noise from venues on existing and future noise sensitive development.
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