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Strata News & Information

Happy New Year
Hello <<First Name>>

Welcome to your first 2016 Strata Newsletter! 

Editors picks not be missed this week:

Article: Carlo Fini, Nexus Lawyers
has provided an article discussing how changes to Australia Post delivery schedule will impact the service of notices and documents in NSW. Please note, these changes will also have a similar effect in other states around Australia. 

News: Join a high-rise crane crew in Melbourne and see what life is like on top of one of Australia's tallest construction sites!

Congratulations: How To Find Units With Low Body Corporate Fees by Lisa Rutland, MyBodyCorpReport.com.au was our most read article in 2015 with over 8,000 views!

 

 
Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Lucky you! Did you know that only newsletter subscribers can participate in our frequent polls? Make sure we arrive in your inbox next edition by subscribing here. That way,  you will never miss a newsletter and you can join in on our competitions and next poll question too!

Our community grows from word of mouth. If you enjoy our newsletters, please forward this email onto others who may be interested, or simply tell them about LookUpStrata. We thank you for your support!

Take advantage of our growing traffic stats & talk with me about contributing an Editorial Post to our blog, becoming a site sponsor or listing a Strata Job.

We are keen to talk with people who are interested in joining industry leaders in contributing quality strata articles to our blog.
Present your strata knowledge to the Strata Community.

Contact me for more information - nikkij@lookupstrata.com.au

Aust post changes

NSW: How New Australia Post Delivery Schedule Will Affect Delivery Times for Service of Notices and Documents


Carlo Fini, Nexus Lawyers 
Most NSW legislation permits documents and notices to be served by post. Under section 76 of the Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), service is deemed to occur on the fourth business day after posting unless evidence sufficient to raise doubt is adduced to the contrary.
 
Read More
overcrowded apartment

NSW: Q&A Overcrowded Apartment Causing Smoke Drift and Noise


LookUpStrata & Allison Benson, Kerin Benson Lawyers 
We recently received this question about an overcrowded apartment in NSW causing problems for a neighbouring lot owner. This issue involves both smoke drift and noise.
 
Read More
Customs house

Brisbane Set to Lose One of its Few Remaining Heritage Precincts


Protect Customs House Precinct 
Brisbane (and indeed Queensland) is set to lose one of its few remaining heritage precincts. The precinct includes Customs House, the Petrie Bight Retaining Wall a 150 metre, 19th century, parapeted stone retaining wall, the former ‘Queensland Country Life’ building façade and the large fig tree. 

 
Read More
recover levy arrears

NSW: Why Leave it so Long to Recover Strata Levies in Arrears?


Bronwyn Smith, Smith Partners Lawyers
I often receive phone calls and emails from desperate Strata Managers and Executive Committees asking me to collect unpaid strata levies that have often been unpaid for years. I always ask “Why have you left it so long to collect these levies?" The most usual response is “I don’t want to upset my neighbour.”
Read More
water efficiency

Improving Water Efficiency in Your Building


Catherine Lezer
Some newer buildings have individual water meters at each unit, meaning those units are charged directly for usage. But this the minority of buildings. In most buildings strata pays for the usage of the common area and the units. Common water bills for these buildings are one of the biggest expenses in the annual figures. So it makes sense to look at ways to reduce this cost to the owners.

 
Read More
Lift contracts

QLD: The Risks With Long-Term Contracts: Lift Maintenance Contracts

 
Wayne Stevens, Unit Owners Association of Queensland (UOAQ)
Many complexes have long-term lift maintenance contracts: often, for 10 years or so. These contracts include 2 big risks to Body Corporate funds.

 
Read More
Vexatious litigants

Vexatious Litigants: What to do When Don Quixote Comes After Your Windmills


David Bannerman and Mark Pollinger, Bannermans Lawyers
One of the many frustrating scenarios faced by strata owners corporations, their executive committees and their lot owners is when a lot owner with a perceived grievance subjects them to seemingly endless litigation about trivial or non-existent issues or repeated litigation about the same issues. Such behaviour can amount to vexatious litigation, in which case the persons subjected to it may have legal rights.

 
   
Read More
Tow a car Q&A

QLD: Can a body corporate tow a car?


Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
Check the comments section of this article for an interesting strata parking scenario:  A friend of mine has just had his car towed from a visitor car parking space at the building I live. There are signs all over the visitors car parking stating that all visitors must park for only 8 hours and saying that all visitors must display in a paper a phone number and the time they parked in. It is also stated that failing to do that would result in having the car towed.
Read the rest of the question and find out the answer......
 
Read More

News of the Week

Car parking fines

NSW: Councils to enforce $550 parking fines for unit blocks in Sydney

 
Adam Bell, Wentworth Courier
DRIVERS who illegally park in visitor bays of apartment blocks could soon face fines up to $550 in many parts of Sydney.

Media

highrise cranes

Construction in the sky: the high-rise crane crew

 
Margie Burin, ABC News
Step into the boots of a crane operator on top of one of Australia's tallest construction sites.

Most read article for 2015

low body corporate fees

How To Find Units With Low Body Corporate Fees

Lisa Rutland,
MyBodyCorpReport.com.au

This article was our top read post on the LookUpStrata site for 2015 with over 8ooo views over the year. It is also our most read article across the site, with almost 11,000 views since it was published in Feb 2014.
Congratulations Lisa Rutland!

Read more

Jan 19:
SCA (WA): Lot Owners Forum

Jan 29:
SCA (WA): New SCA National Accreditation System 2016

Feb 2:
SCA (QLD): Compliance (Brisbane)

Feb 11:
SCA (QLD): Compliance (Cairns)

Feb 12:
SCA (TAS): 2016 Symposium

Feb 20:
Mood Boarding 101 (Sydney)

Mar 2 - 4:
2016 SCA (QLD) Conference

 
Visit our Strata Events Page

Have Your Say

Queensland:

Review of property law in Queensland

The Commercial and Property Law Research Centre of the QUT is undertaking a review of Queensland’s property laws for the Queensland Government. The review includes an examination of a number of important matters arising under the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 and other community titles legislation, including body corporate governance issues.

You can make a written submission about some or all of the matters raised in QUT’s Issues Paper. Your submission will be considered as part of QUT’s examination of options for improving body corporate governance arrangements for Queensland community titles schemes.

Find out more about making a submission hereConsultation closes on 22 February 2016.

Breaking News


For the most comprehensive stream of strata news in Australia - follow us on Twitter.

 

Dubai New Year’s Eve Blaze Draws Attention to Cladding Risks Sourceable


NSW: Better Regulation Minister Victor Dominello backs new building report scheme Domain


Strata laws should take care of children who call apartments home SMH


QLD: Warning That Gold Coast Could Soon Be “Land-Locked” The Urban Developer


VIC: How Can Victoria Make Better Apartments? Sourceable

 

WA: Perth apartment plan could see two towers create $500m suburb in the sky PerthNow


REIWA welcomes changes to the Strata Titles Act REIWA


Unit owners to lose sale veto The West Australian

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