Recently, in a body corporate that we manage, a lot owner installed solar panels on the roof above his townhouse without approval. Whilst he was totally unaware that permission was needed to make improvements to common property, it is not always easy to work out what is common property in a town house scheme. You must […]
We recently convened an AGM that highlighted the skill and knowledge needed to ensure the votes in a special resolution were correctly considered. Some decorative lights at the entrance to the property had failed. The repair cost was outrageous and the committee decided to disconnect and not reconnect them. Approval was sought and given by the electrical designers […]
We helped a Body Corporate this month that had got a bit confused. They were in the habit of holding a Committee and owners meeting. At the meeting, there were lot owners present who were not on the Committee. Their meetings were informal, and at past meetings there had been general consensus from all attending in relation to […]
There has been a lot of chatter about the recent District Court of Queensland decision (BC for Mount Saint John Industrial Park CTS v Superior Stairs & Joinery Pty Ltd [2017] QDC 245). There is a clause (S145) in the Body Corporate standard module regulations that states – If the amount of a contribution or contribution […]
In April, we helped a scheme of townhouses where the lots were defined by Standard format (pegs in the ground) and not Building Format. Four of the seven townhouses required major structural repairs that were all related due to a structural steel frame that extended across all four lots that formed a garage for each lot. The […]
Cost conscious Committees may sometimes believe an insurance valuation is unnecessary or they believe their insurer is providing this valuation. The requirement under the Act states an independent insurance valuation must be undertaken once every five years. Insurance companies and insurance brokers could be considered independent, but these organisations do not furnish a Body Corporate […]
This month we are working for a new client who until recently owned all the lots in a Body Corporate. The client was not the original owner of the property and the property was at least fifteen years old. In these situations, the existance of the Body Corporate is often ignored and the sole owner manages the […]
Recently we received a new client using three different bank accounts. One for levies, one for admin fund and one for sinking fund. Hundreds of transactions between three different accounts quickly pile up into a complicated tangle that will take ages to unravel come EOFY. This system is both complex and unnecessary! With sophisticated software […]
We started to help prepare information needed by a Body Corporate to complete their tax return. The Australian taxation office has recognised that these tax returns are usually very simple and have developed a short form tax return that is very easy to understand and complete. You can download it from here.
We recently started a new Body Corporate scheme on behalf of a developer. At the first AGM, there were many new owners who had never been part of a Body Corporate in Queensland. There was much confusion about insurance, and specifically about the insurance that a lot owner might have and the insurance that a Body Corporate […]