Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

Reena and I cover: – what building management agreements have to do with insurance claims – how long is too long after mediation to file your Tribunal application – the surprising recommendation from a leading strata insurer – the building that has voluntarily handed over all committee powers to its strata manager

Michael Barnes of Credwell Fire & Risk estimates that owners in up to 40% of residential strata buildings aren’t properly maintaining essential services, putting property and lives at risk. In this chat, we talk about emergency management plans – including evacuation diagrams – and the high cost of failing to have a comprehensive plan in place.

In this solo episode, I’m walking you through the legal framework for access requests and access orders. How far does an owners corporation’s right to access to strata lot actually stretch?

Reena and I cover: the strata subdivision that left an owners corporation with a $70,000 debt, a reminder that strata managers advise, owners decide: especially when it comes to the motions on general meeting agendas, a thwarted adjournment application, and how to handle “general business” discussions at AGMs.

My THREE guests this week are Yolande Nyss, Elizabeth Stewart and Bruce McKenzie, each helping to explain “Project Intervene”: a NSW government initiative for newer residential buildings with original building defects.  We discuss: why litigation about building defects does not produce desirable outcomes for owners why Project Intervene is good for developers too Project Intervene&#821...

The annual CPD requirements for NSW strata managers have changed. Sasha Boe of Real Estate Training Solutions joins me to explain: – why CPD hours have been reduced – the importance of a training plan – a deadline for assistant agents and more.

I’m sharing 3 ways you can learn more about the power of by-laws, including an invitation to take “The By-Law Pressure Test”: are your by-laws about to crack?

When Ada Wong (Lane Cove Council) and Susan Chen (Willoughby City Council) looked at the results of their biennial Community Wellbeing Survey, they saw some interesting data from apartment residents, leading them to produce a “Meet Your Neighbours” toolkit. In this chat, they’re sharing those survey results and access to the free toolkit.

Strata manager Reena Van Aalst and I cover: – whether by-laws that force owners to receive their meeting agendas by email are legal, – the electronic signing of proxy forms, – the “democratic” compulsory management, and – an unexpected win for the minority owner in a 2-lot plan.

Corey Nugent is the CEO of Resilience Insurance, the only insurer currently offering “decennial liability” or “latent defects insurance” in Australia.  Corey shares: – the catastrophic financial and emotional toll that building defects extract from strata owners,  – why insurance was always part of David Chandler’s solution to the building defects crisis, ...

Julie McLean is the current president of Strata Community Association (VIC). In this no-holds-barred discussion, Julie reveals: – how the system has failed at the point of purchase – the unreliable “source of proof” when strata properties are marketed for sale – that in VIC, “anyone with a heartbeat” can be a strata manager, and why that has to change &#82...

I’m taking you inside a member call: an opportunity offered exclusively to members of the Your Strata Property Online Membership Community. In this call, I guide a new strata owner on the process of seeking retrospective approval for the hard flooring they have already installed. I also cover: the installation of child-safety nets on a balcony; a clever way to ‘sell’ the idea of...

Reena and I cover: the legal obligation of an owners corporation to meet “loss of rent” claims: how far does it stretch? double-glazing of windows: is it really minor work? a stunning makeover for an iconic Sydney building, and more.

I’m sharing both the legal and practical steps owners can take to deal with underperforming or misbehaving committee members – including relevant Tribunal cases.

Reena and I cover: – why a lack of office bearer’s liability cover might not be as scary as it sounds – how an owners corporation appoints a representative to the community association – how to extend the term of your strata loan, and – the investor owner who saved $35,000 in interest payments

Continuing our conversation commenced last week, John Trowbridge further explains how he believes strata managers are failing to properly recognise and manage their conflict of interest when it comes to fees and commissions for insurance arrangements, and what an alternate model might look like – for both managers and brokers. John speaks about availability and affordability of strata insura...

In the first part of this two-part episode, John Trowbridge explains why he has been engaged as a private consultant to conduct a review of strata insurance practices (and who has engaged him). He walks us through the history of our strata insurance sector, including how brokers came to be involved and why commissions and broker fees are today so firmly entrenched in our system. John explains why...

For more than 20 years the Owners Corporation Network (OCN) has been the independent voice of strata owners. In this chat, vice chair and director Tom Belsham says that the unique aspects of strata ownership have been poorly understood by our state government for too long. Tom takes us through the ten key issues the OCN is urging government to commit to taking action on, ahead of the NSW state ele...

If you’ve ever experienced a pipe blockage in a building due to “flushable” toilet wipes…this is the episode for you. Jonathan Nykel of The Drain Man joins me to explain how old or damaged drains in residential buildings can be rehabilitated without digging, turning an otherwise major project into a simple fix and saving buildings thousands of dollars.

I’m joined by fellow strata lawyer, Allison Benson. Allison recently appeared in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal on behalf of an owners corporation seeking to enforce its cost recovery by-laws. In this chat, we discuss the Tribunal’s decision, how that decision may impact future attempts by OCs to recover costs from lot owners, and the prospect of legislative reform to better...

In my first chat with Reena Van Aalst for 2023, we cover: – why strata managers need to be checking the ASIC register before contractors are engaged, – just how far the definition of ‘cosmetic work’ might (or might not) extend, – a successful storage cage swap, and – a Christmas win for an unfairly sidelined owner. 

Property owners new to strata are often surprised by the complex rules around renovation approvals. This episode is for those owners (and those guiding them). I reveal how I structure my own thinking about strata renovation work, from internal painting to air conditioning units to complete bathroom renos, and share access to some helpful resources, both for owners corporations and owners, to ensur...

In our first podcast episode for the year, I’m sharing the 5 most popular episodes of 2022 – in case you missed them, need a recap, or are looking for a great place to start if you’re new to our world.

In this, our last podcast episode for the year, Reena and I discuss: the building that can’t get public liability insurance for its heritage property the dangers of strata managers actioning legal matters without instructions or legal advice a few key principles for those managing Building Management Committees (BMCs). I’ll be back with the first podcast episode of 2023 on 4 January. I...

Robin Johnson of Hutch Underwriting joins me to explain how his company’s new offering is delivering better strata insurance outcomes for owners corporations in the middle of a “dysfunctional” market.