Do you visit your starta properties in your leisure time?

[MsAli]

Hi all,

Curious to know if you tend to "visit" your strata property grounds to see what's happening there?

Of our few strata properties, over the past few years we have only ever been there for inspections arranged by our property manager. Otherwise it never even crosses our mind to go inside the complex to "keep an eye" on other owners or tenants in the complex.

Do you ever do that?

Where we live in a 5 villa complex, the front villa is a self managed property. The owners don't live too far...May be just 5 minutes drive away. However it appears that the husband drops by the complex pretty much every day, comes within the common property area. We've been here almost 3 years and pretty much ignored it for a while as he was the gardening contractor. However later on 2 of the other owners in the complex moved a motion to remove him as they were not satisfied with his work or his nosiness.

Now, although he isn't working here, he still comes over - does the gardens near his property in the common area.

Further we park our car on the street at most times. However lately there have been more cars than usual and at times we have used the visitors parking spot (one present). It is hardly ever used by visitors and infact one of the tenants and owner's family use it depending on the street parking availibility.

Recently he put a note under our wiper suggesting we don't use the parking spot. Which we ignored (as I know that he's had a go at other owners many times in the past prior to when we owned the property and had even put letters under the door at their property). Yesterday we found two letters - one under the car wiper and another in our mail box. These were not in an envelope. These had the strata letter head and a note that we will be sent a fine of $550. However had no date, no signature and the "photocopy job" was pretty poor. It was kind of annoying. Because there are other people parking too there and now we feel kind of compelled to park there because this person just seems to treat that he owns the common area and everybody is his tenant...

I will be looking up the strata trespassing laws as well as contacting our strata manager to ask if they physically came to put this letter under our wiper and in our mail box? I am sure they didn't as why would they not post it?

I also believe that using a letter head of any business/company would be against the law?

Was thinking of posting this under the Legal Advice section but I may get more response here.

What are your thoughts? Ever been in this situation?

Cheers,
MsAli.

 

[Ed Barton]

Weird!

Never been in the situation. Maybe you could talk to his tenants and educate them about their right to quite enjoyment? Get them to get him to stop coming round.

 

[DaveM]

Its called being a helicopter landlord, spending all your time hovering over your property. It happens to people who cant divorce themselves emotionally from "their house". Often these people buy dumb financially properties in the same street/suburb so they can "keep an eye on it".

I was an AGM the other day for an IP (I am an investor and I show up to AGM's, I must be a rarity) and that was the first visit to the complex since I bought it at the start of the year, its about 10 mins from my house. I was at an open house one street away from another a few weeks ago and I did not go out of my way to do a drive by, but I did purely because I took the wrong turn and had to go around the block. I saw it was neat as I glanced at it out the window and kept driving. I have been to that property once in 18 months to drop in a tub of paint for the tenant to patch a scratch in a door they had made.

 

[MsAli]

@Ed, I've barely seen those tenants (a couple in 50's) as they work odd hours. If you asked me to spot them on the street, I won't even recognise them! Funny eh? Shows how much I care about his villa or tenants...

@Dave, apparently the guy and his wife have a few properties. May be just not enough so the focus is on the current one. They bought it brand new for $160k odd in 1995 (expensive I reckon) and now it's worth around $375k....

The other villa that is tenanted - we have never seen the owners and they have never shown up to the AGM's. The only time we heard from them was when the motion to remove this guy as the gardening contractor came up and it seems he actually went to them, drafted a letter and convinced them to sign....strange indeed!!!

 

[Propertunity]

What are your thoughts? Cheers,
MsAli.

Yeah - stop parking in the visitor parking spot.

 

[MsAli]

Yeah - stop parking in the visitor parking spot.

That wasn't my question

 

[travelbug]

I go to AGM's Dave. I even go on the executive committee (just for the first year) if they seem to need some guidance.

I'd write a letter to the strata company with a copy of the letter and get them to sort it out. As it's common property you can't really stop him from coming around I don't think but the letter is going beyond visiting.

It's very strange behaviour. I'm happy if I never hear from my tenants or see the property. If I have to visit it means something needs to be fixed. I have probably driven by most properties once in the last few years.

 

[handyandy]

RE the $550 unless there is a bylaw in the strata then it's a complete fantasy.

We are in one strata where they do fine you but that is only after 2 warnings. Worse thing is that they fine the owner not the tenant. Last one we received we passed on to the tenant.

Re the dude hanging around. What's the problem? At least he takes an interest in the general look of the property, unlike most owners either occupiers or investors, who take no interest in the property as a whole and merrily imagine that somebody is looking after the small things that matter. (or even the larger things) Generally the strata managers would be lucky to get to the block ones a year and that's only if you have onsite meetings.

As far as your question regarding going to the strata properties. I do relatively frequently for the ones where I am on the executive to check on repairs and to coordinate repairs. Just recently I coordinated a $25k concreting job at one block of strata units.

Where I am not on the executive I may go to the meeting or if there are lot of owner occupiers who have an idea of what's going on I won't even attend the meetings. So basically I am on the excutive of 3 buildings where I attend to the buildings at least annually and depending on what's happening more frequently and we own properties in another 5 stratas where I hardly attend except when tenants change over.

Cheers

 

[MsAli]

@travelbug - thanks we do intend to write to the strata company

@handyandy, have no issues with him visiting as long as he keeps to himself and doesn't touch our car as he has twice in the recent times. He did the same cycle with another owner till he had a big fight with them.

My issue is that since the other two cars in the complex (one owner's and another tenant's) are frequently seen in the spot, why stick it on our car? Why not stick it on all cars whenever they are there? In fact the tenant has been parking there for far too long as we stopped parking there initially when we moved here and had received the exact same letter! (now we are just a bit more aware of where it came from).

Also as per strata laws, he shouldn't be doing any works in common areas unless the rest of the exec committee (which makes up all owners) has given consent. What if he injures himself, who bears the costs? What if he "claims" he got injured at the property, who bears these costs?

Further, how could he use the strata company's letter head....that's beyond me and a criminal practice IMHO.

 

[DaveM]

Sounds like he is a few flowers short of a full bunch

 

[handyandy]

@travelbug - thanks we do intend to write to the strata company

@handyandy, have no issues with him visiting as long as he keeps to himself and doesn't touch our car as he has twice in the recent times. He did the same cycle with another owner till he had a big fight with them.

My issue is that since the other two cars in the complex (one owner's and another tenant's) are frequently seen in the spot, why stick it on our car? Why not stick it on all cars whenever they are there? In fact the tenant has been parking there for far too long as we stopped parking there initially when we moved here and had received the exact same letter! (now we are just a bit more aware of where it came from).

Also as per strata laws, he shouldn't be doing any works in common areas unless the rest of the exec committee (which makes up all owners) has given consent. What if he injures himself, who bears the costs? What if he "claims" he got injured at the property, who bears these costs?

Further, how could he use the strata company's letter head....that's beyond me and a criminal practice IMHO.

Your getting all wound up about nothing.

He most probably stuck it on other peoples cars also but they told him to take a hike. Stand up for yourself and he will back off quick time.

I love how people see their car as an extension of themselves. So what that he touched your car and put a note on the windscreen, he didn't' damage it.

As far as criminal practice well you go to the police and tell them see how interested they will be or even the strata.

As far as work - a little bit of gardening in a strata you own is hardly trespass or a case for claiming trespass. So he gets injured you have insurance and in all likelihood you have volunteer workers cover so don't scoot over to that.

As I say simply confront him and he won't hassle you again, appear weak and whinny and he will keep hassling.

Cheers

 

[MsAli]

handyandy, he has been confronted before. Actually I don't think you are reading that he actually has had a go at other owners in the past and from what we are told that resulted in flared up arguments at the AGM's. The question isn't about me getting wound up but about what truly his intention is. We have spoken to the owner who hasn't had this stuck and the tenant next door I will speak to soon.

I feel that you are missing my sentiment that this person has sticky peaked in the past. We have ignored for now 3 years but now he is intentionally trying to engage us as he has done so with others in the past.

 

[chilliblue]

Not to be rude but you were parking in a visitors car spot.

You need to accept that any person can walk onto common property (AVO's excepted). If this is not reasonable for you you will need to move.

Life is far too short to be worried about what goes on in a strata plan.

 

[jim1964]

Your getting all wound up about nothing

I agree,get over it,lifes too short.

 

[Scott No Mates]

I know plenty of owners (of multiple properties) who regularly do the 'sunday drive-by' ie check out the exterior appearance, dwell (in their cars) for a couple of minutes then move on.

Going into the common property is a bit over the top and totally unnecessary - yes it may even breach the tenant's quiet enjoyment (esp if it is self managed).

 

[Rixter]

I havent been to our IP's for years.

 

[MsAli]

I know plenty of owners (of multiple properties) who regularly do the 'sunday drive-by' ie check out the exterior appearance, dwell (in their cars) for a couple of minutes then move on.

Going into the common property is a bit over the top and totally unnecessary - yes it may even breach the tenant's quiet enjoyment (esp if it is self managed).

Thanks Scott. That makes sense!

 

[INVSTOR]

He sounds like a bit of a nutter. I wouldnt deal with him at all. Id go through body corporate. We've had a unit for 7 years. My husband only just saw it for the first time as we were deciding on some expensive maintenance, it was the second look for me. We've only looked at it once from public land when the Brisbane floods were on as it overlooks river and wanted to see if any impact.

 

[MsAli]

He sounds like a bit of a nutter. I wouldnt deal with him at all. Id go through body corporate. We've had a unit for 7 years. My husband only just saw it for the first time as we were deciding on some expensive maintenance, it was the second look for me. We've only looked at it once from public land when the Brisbane floods were on as it overlooks river and wanted to see if any impact.

Yeh, we'd probably be just writing to the body corporate and see what they say.... Thanks Invstor for sharing your experience.

 

[lizzie]

In reply to your original question ... I only glance at my IP's from the exterior "if" I was physically driving past on my way to somewhere else. I don't go out of my way.

On the weekend we sold two units via auction that I had never even been inside. Hubby went into one to sign the contract and that was first time for him.

I think he is going overboard, to much time and nothing else to do with his life - but - I also think you shouldn't park in the visitor carpark either.