How to get opinion from other invisible strata unit owners?

[Superstitionist]

Own a unit in a block of 5, none of these units are owner occupied, and none of these other owners have attended any of the BC general meeting, this means I have never met any of those owners, lets along have their contact details.

Found that the BC manager is quite slack, but before to take any action to replace him, I would like to get some opinions from other owners first to see if they are sharing the same view.

I know I can ask the BC manager to arrange and send out the voting letter to other owners, but found that it is a bit too much as the voting is related to get rip of him.....

Is there any other way that I can get the opinion from other owners?

Super.

 

[twobobsworth]

Ask the tenants who their PM is?

 

[Joe D]

You should be be able to request a copy (or at least view a copy) of the Strata Roll for the property. This is maintained by the Strata Manager / Body Corporate and has all details of owners (contact details and unit entitlements etc).

 

[Superstitionist]

You should be be able to request a copy (or at least view a copy) of the Strata Roll for the property. This is maintained by the Strata Manager / Body Corporate and has all details of owners (contact details and unit entitlements etc).

Thank you very much Joe.

Ummm.....now may have to think up a valid excuse for wanting to see the list.....let me think.....Ah ha, "I am interested to buy all the units in the block" should be good enough.....

Super.

 

[travelbug]

So are you the only one at the meetings? Do they have a quorum of one? Strange.

With only 5 units I would have thought you'd manage it yourselves. But I guess someone has to do the work. Friends with 4 units self manage.

We recently changed BC. We got caught out last year as we didn't read that we had to give notice (forget how long) before the AGM so had to wait a year. We got a prospectus (asked them all standard questions- eg what would you do in this instance?) from 5 places, presented them to the meeting and voted.
It was confusing as each charged differently and included or didn't include stationary etc.

Good luck.

 

[Superstitionist]

So are you the only one at the meetings? Do they have a quorum of one? Strange.

Yeah, turned up 3 times (wouldn't bother after that), I am the only owner with the BC manager and his assistance. Nothing could be resolved in the meeting, every issue still needed to go throught the postal ballot.

With only 5 units I would have thought you'd manage it yourselves.

Don't have the time and skill.

We recently changed BC. We got caught out last year as we didn't read that we had to give notice (forget how long) before the AGM so had to wait a year.

We is the keyword, in my case, only I involved...

Super.

 

[Collector]

How have you come to the conclusion that the strata manager is useless and needs to be replaced?

You said that you are the only one that goes to the meeting and that nothing can be done - decided and have to be done via postal votes etc.


Maybe its not the strata agent that is useless - it is the other 4 owners, i don't think that changing strata manager is going to fix this.

You are the only proactive owner and that would be very frustrating.

I would be trying to work with the strata manager not against him, i would sit down with strata manager and explain to him/her what you would like and together come up with a solution.

Iam sure your strata manager would also be frustrated that no other owners are proactive/not interested - you should get there details and write to them - outlining the importance of these meetings, ie. proactive owners add value to the property etc.

 

[Superstitionist]

How have you come to the conclusion that the strata manager is useless and needs to be replaced?

I think it is the services that I get throughout the years, to list a few:

- no matter how big or small a job is, only do ONE quote, raise the issue a number of times, but the response was that they have close relationship with those handpicked trademen, and the trademan's cost and service are outstanding, and then still stick with that ONE quote rule

- not willing to do quote for certain jobs. At night, the car park, driveway, through to the front door of the units are really dark (can't even see the key hole on the door), I ask him to do quote for the installation of security lights for the common area, but the response was that no one is going to do that if the tenant is not asking for it, the main reason is costing too much. This includes the separate water meter which he doesn't like to quote too.

- some jobs are overly done. There isn't any tree around the block, but the original proposed statement is to have the gutter clean every 4 months, after I totally object to it, now is cut down to twice per year, which I think it is still too much, but I vaguely remember he said we need to clean the gutter by law (I still haven't had time to find out that law yet). This includes the gardening, rubbish collecting (pick up rubbish for common area), etc...

Also other issues that I don't particular enjoy are: lack of following things up, and never return calls.

Since I have never met with other owners, so I really would like to find out what are their thinking, or I am the only one who is too picky...

Super.

 

[Collector]

I think it is the services that I get throughout the years, to list a few:

- no matter how big or small a job is, only do ONE quote, raise the issue a number of times, but the response was that they have close relationship with those handpicked trademen, and the trademan's cost and service are outstanding, and then still stick with that ONE quote rule

- not willing to do quote for certain jobs. At night, the car park, driveway, through to the front door of the units are really dark (can't even see the key hole on the door), I ask him to do quote for the installation of security lights for the common area, but the response was that no one is going to do that if the tenant is not asking for it, the main reason is costing too much. This includes the separate water meter which he doesn't like to quote too.

- some jobs are overly done. There isn't any tree around the block, but the original proposed statement is to have the gutter clean every 4 months, after I totally object to it, now is cut down to twice per year, which I think it is still too much, but I vaguely remember he said we need to clean the gutter by law (I still haven't had time to find out that law yet). This includes the gardening, rubbish collecting (pick up rubbish for common area), etc...

Also other issues that I don't particular enjoy are: lack of following things up, and never return calls.

Since I have never met with other owners, so I really would like to find out what are their thinking, or I am the only one who is too picky...

Super.

There may be good reason behind the service provided, I think you need to find out who the other owners are, you can do this by seeing the strata books or if you or someone you know has access to rpdata.


Senerio 1.

I manage 7 units in a block of 9 all for the same owner, the owner is buying the units as they have come availible for sale (has taken 12 years to get the 7 so far), this owner understandably does not want to spend and money on the building and wants to do everything leagaly to run the building down so they can buy the 2 remaining units. - they plan in knocking the building down - they want the land.


Senerio 2.

I manage a unit in a building where there are 6 other units, one of these properties came up for sale last year and was brought by an existing owner of a unit so this owner now has 2 units out of the 7, this owner has also recently started a lawnmowing/cleaning business, this owner now services this building and charges the earth for cleaning etc, the other owners are not active and don;t seem to care, the strata manager doesn't care as the other owners don't care etc.


Check to see if the other properties are owned by 1 person/group. Try to contact the other owners if indervidually owned and ask how they feel about your concerns.

 

[Superstitionist]

I manage 7 units in a block of 9 all for the same owner, the owner is buying the units as they have come availible for sale (has taken 12 years to get the 7 so far), this owner understandably does not want to spend and money on the building and wants to do everything leagaly to run the building down so they can buy the 2 remaining units. - they plan in knocking the building down - they want the land.

A bit of side track for the quorum. I remember I have seen a thread before mentioned a developer's vote would not count as ONE vote, but that is on a newly built property.

From the above scenario, if the owner has 7 out of 9 units and also run the BC, then would that mean no one can ever sack him...

Super.

 

[Collector]

A bit of side track for the quorum. I remember I have seen a thread before mentioned a developer's vote would not count as ONE vote, but that is on a newly built property.

From the above scenario, if the owner has 7 out of 9 units and also run the BC, then would that mean no one can ever sack him...

Super.

Also manage a unit in a (strata) complex of 24 units, 1 owner owns 1 unit the one i manage, a 1 owner owns the other 23 units.

There was no strata fees as the owners corperation had never been set-up - the complex was built in the 1970's, the owner sold 1 unit years later.

we then listed the property for sale 2 years ago and sold it, at the time it was very hard to sell because the building was a bit tired and needed work, all units were tenanted - no Owner occupiers, no strata fees - i thought it was a terrible buy.

But looking back now it would have been a smart investment, because the property was discounted because of the set-up, the buyer did not have to pay any strata levies and only had to worry about their unit only, things that needed repairing to the common property were all meet by the other owner.

Last year the other owner decided to sell a couple of the units so they renovated the whole complex, rendered and painted, new garage doors etc - and set up the owners corporation raising the market value of the properties considerable.

Now the minor owner CG has shot up from $180,000 to $290,000 in a 2 year period when the general market has done little.

 

[handyandy]

I think you need to get tough with the strata manager. let them know who is boss, you come to the meetings as an owner you have more say than either the strata manager or his assistant.

I own units in strata blocks either one or 2 out of 12 -15 units. In all cases I am on the executive and generally I am the main party to which everything is referred. This is not because I have a super ego but because no one else cares I try to be very even handed and limit all expenses and work towards maintenance and improvement goals. If we are in the area we even look at some of the reported problems to ensure there validity.

This is just to paint the picture.

When I go along to a meeting in a lot of cases its me and another or just me in an adjourned meeting. An adjourned meeting is where the first meeting didn't achieve a corrum in which case the second meeting doesn't need to achieve a corrum.

Ones you are the corrum anything you say goes, regardless of what the strata manager thinks. You should have simply voted to go ahead with the lights and put the strata manager on the spot by putting at follow up in writing stressing the liability issue of not having the light. That will make him sit up and take notice.

Reading through your description of the strata manager's actions I would suggest that he is leading you down the garden path. You are the owner who cares and he is working for you. He is obligated to get any quote that the strata members wish to pursue, that is after all what his job is all about to manage the block on a day to day basis and take instructions from the executive committee .

Just recently I had a run in with a strata manager. At the meeting which he didn't attend we voted (my wife and I as noone turned up) to get the guttering done and for the strata to get further quotes as I wasn't happy with the quotes so far. Upon the return of the SM and forwarding of quotes he mentioned that we will need to send quotes to all owners which simply wasn't true. (not true as excecutve does not have spending limits set) He then proceeded to argue the toss sprinkled with a whole bunch of BS until finally I said I wanted to speak to the principal, at which point he quickly backed down and has been behaving himself since.

As an aside you will find that everything takes 4 times as long and costs more when a strata is involved. Its just the nature of the beast.

In NSW any one owner cannot vote for more than 50% of the strata. So even if an owner has 9 out of 10 units the owner of the 1 units has as much say as the majority owner.

As far as 'Collectors' scenario I suspect that the fact that there was no body corporate meeting was technically illegal. As with all rules as long as no one objects it goes under the radar.

I would suggest that you move to dump this Sm as soon as possible. Immediately get in contact with as many owners as possible, you have every right to see their details as a member of the strata. It will be a bit of work mainly convincing the pathetic but you need to persevere. If you find another strata manager that you are going to be happy with then they should give you all the pointers as to how to move the management. Unfortunately I have found that most SM's are a bit on the useless side showing many of the traits that you have ascribed to your SM but in the end its a matter of keeping them on their toes.

Cheers

 

[travelbug]

If you do manage to track down the owners see if you can get them to give you their proxy vote (no harm in asking). Even if you only get 2 that will give you 3 votes. Then you can go about changing things.

A friend of mine owned in a block with a few elderly people. Nothing had been done for years. They thought he knew what he was doing so handed over their vote to him. He voted on things and got the block back into shape. Everyone was happy as their equity grew.