Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

I’m chatting to Sasha Boe of Real Estate Training Solutions about the property industry reforms that commenced in NSW on 23 March 2020 (yes, you may have been distracted by other things!) These reforms impact the way our strata managers operate – from the title they’re allowed to give themselves, to the training and qualifications…

Rob Broadhead of 2020 Fire Protection joins me with an update on the accreditation scheme (almost) in place for fire safety practitioners. * To quote Rob, his industry is now moving from “ragtag bunch of tradies” to “accredited professionals”. When we’re dealing with fire safety, that is indeed a welcome change. We also discuss the impact…

Reena and I are answering the past week’s COVID questions. They just keep coming, and getting more complex… how to hold a meeting with one person present, simply to resolve to conduct electronic meetingswhich council is deferring the fine on late AFSS’sdealing with the increase in noise complaints now that everyone is homereducing levies, waiving…

This week, I’m bringing you the conversation that I had with Heidi Dening over on our Facebook Page during last Friday’s “Happy Hour”. Heidi shared her top tips for building personal and organisational resilience during challenging times, including identifying those who will rise and thrive when the current crisis is over. As you’ll hear, we…

If you haven’t yet checked out the special episode I released last weekend covering off NSW meeting procedures in the face of COVID-19 concerns, head over here now and check it out. In this week’s episode with Reena (recorded before the above special) we’re dealing with: email accounts set up by committees and not shared…

I’m releasing a special edition of the podcast this weekend, answering a question many owners, committee members and strata managers have been asking: Do we have to hold our strata meetings in person? We’re all trying to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Is there a legal way to avoid in-person meetings? This episode…

I’ve recruited Allison Benson of Kerin Benson Lawyers to talk us through the implications of the Pullicin case: the recent NCAT Appeal Panel decision telling us that lot owners should not be applying to the Tribunal if they have a money claim against their owners corporation. There is much (much) more to this case than meets the eye, with…

This week, Reena asks me the question: if the installation of an air conditioner impacts the external appearance of a building, can it still be classed as “minor work” under the NSW legislation? I respond to a listener comment about insurance claims made at the direction of lot owners and Reena explains how the appointment…

This week, I’m chatting to my guest in person for a change:  Frank Higginson of Hynes Legal in QLD. Frank recently welcomed former QLD Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management, Chris Irons, to his team. Frank shares the thinking behind this unusual appointment, including his thoughts on why we must start trying to resolve strata and body corporat...

Happy episode 200!  It has been my pleasure to host this podcast for the past 4 years: bringing you guest experts, answering your most curly strata questions and helping as many people as possible to live more peacefully in apartments.   This week, I bring you Part 2 of YSP LIVE 2020 (head back to episode…

This week I’m bringing you part 1 of 2 special episodes: I’m taking you inside YSP LIVE 2020, a members-only online event which took place a couple of weeks ago. Reena and I are sharing our week’s challenges when it comes to security cameras and email communications, and answering member questions along the way. Part…

There is a little known aspect of strata property ownership that can have BIG consequences should things go wrong. I’m  explaining it this week in my interview with Veronica Morgan and Chris Bates. This interview was originally aired on their property podcast, “The Elephant in the Room” and I bring it to you this week…

Reena and I discuss: what happens when a bathroom renovation goes wrong and why it’s important to double check waterproofing certificates…whether co-owners can serve on the committee at the same timehow to avoid disputes about general meeting coststhe latest ‘pet-friendly’ NCAT case. Links mentioned: Get the transcript here! Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 – Sectio...

In this week’s solo episode, I’m explaining the concept of “legal professional privilege”. What is it, when does it attach to communications and should “privileged” documents be removed from a building’s books and records? I’m sharing the need-to-know court cases, practical tips to protect you and your clients and how to avoid the traps inexperienced...

In our first co-hosted episode of 2020, Reena and I get stuck into these curly questions:  whether an owners corporation should reimburse an owner $5,000 for ‘mouldy clothing’ arising from water ingresswhy you must move quickly when registering changes to a CMShow to deal with illegal installations on common property, anda controversial solar panel installation…

I’m chatting to Daniel Holt – strata lawyer turned strata manager – about how to stay calm in a crisis. And he would know: Daniel was the manager who received the phone call on Christmas Eve 2018, informing him that Opal Tower needed to be evacuated. In this wide-ranging conversation, we also cover: how to…

Happy New Year! In this first episode of the year, I’m bringing you the highlights of 2019, with a nod to 5 value-packed episodes from last year. From pets, to insurance commissions to building defects, these are the episodes I hope you didn’t miss. I’m looking forward to sharing another exciting year in strata with…

In this final episode for 2019, Reena and I cover: smoking: who can suffering residents blame and what rights do tenants have?whether a committee has the power to waive interest on overdue leviesthe 3 months’ notice strata managers are required to give, prior to the expiry of their contract, andthe NSW Court of Appeal’s recent…

This week, Caroline McConnachie of MAX Build walks us through the essentials of remedial building works projects. This is vital listening for anyone involved in this kind of work – whether manager or resident. We discuss: why remedial projects often have a more significant impact than other types of construction workhow owners can take control…

This week, Reena and I are covering: vexatious litigants: what are they and what can be done about them?the ‘stop valve’ question once more: does Fair Trading agree that the stop valve is lot property?how to resolve a BMC cost-share disputewhy simply talking to your neighbours about a problem is the best first step towards…

This week, Natalie Fitzgerald and I are talking about a few things that don’t often get talked about in the context of strata living, including how residents might help a neighbour who is the victim of family violenceexercising discretion when it comes to the enforcement of by-laws anddealing more compassionately with those suffering from mental…

This week, Reena and I are answering these questions:  can a strata manager propose their own motion for reappointment at a general meeting? do committee office bearers need to be appointed within a particular time after the committee election?  We also celebrate a win which involved putting a mediation application ‘on hold’ while owners found a creative…

One of the most common complaints I hear from owners is that they cannot access their building’s books and records (properly, or at all). This week, I’m talking to professional records inspector Michael Ferrier about this problem, which he says has serious ramifications for apartment purchasers, vendors and owners generally. Michael shares with us the substandard…

In this episode, Reena and I are tackling these tough questions: does the owners corporation have to respond to a claim for damages when a leak from one lot has damaged another, but there has been no common property failure? how to stand up to a strata manager who double-charges for records inspections…what does it…

In this ‘mixed bag’ episode I’m sharing my answers to these 3 questions, recently asked inside our member-Forum: who is responsible for replacing water isolation valves (stop valves) at a lot?is it better to use a lease or a by-law when granting exclusive use of common property? why is my strata manager refusing to give…