Latest articles by Tom Bacon
Renewing an owners’ corporation’s policy of insurance just got harder
It is compulsory under the Owners’ Corporation Act 2006 for a strata building with areas of common property to have a policy of insurance for reinstatement and replacement, and must hold a policy for public liability insurance as well, for a minimum of $20 million.
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Keeping watch on your property manager
Choosing the right property manager for your investment property is essential, and a vigilant eye needs to be kept on them too.
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Building dispute resolution centre not in the business of resolving disputes lately
Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (DBDRV) was set up by the state government to provide homeowners with access to a free service to resolve building disputes without having to first go to the courts or tribunals and endure the high costs and long-time frames associated with those jurisdictions.
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Are you a new unit owner? Make sure you attend the first annual general meeting
For a long time in Victoria, it was a common practice for the developer of residential towers to ensure that they arranged their affairs to benefit them before they settled on the lots and handed over control of the owners’ corporation (OC) to lot owners.
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Embedded networks review by Victorian Government not comprehensive enough
The Victorian Government announced back in October 2018 an election commitment to ban embedded networks in new residential apartment buildings, with appropriate exemptions for buildings that use renewable energy microgrids to deliver low-cost renewable energy to apartment buildings.
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Got a remedial works contract coming up? Who’s the super?
During COVID, a number of owners’ corporations (OCs) deferred major remedial works projects that were due to be undertaken.
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VCAT determines that monies paid by an insurer to an OC for a lot owner’s claim are held “on trust”
A VCAT decision released last month confirmed the position that any lot owner in a building may file a claim against the owners’ corporation’s (OC’s) policy of insurance.
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Victoria’s new “Airbnb tax” only benefits Airbnb, and once again unit owners lose out
The Victorian Labor Government has announced a new 7.5 per cent tax on short-stay accommodation, being the first and only Australian state to do so.
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When an owners’ corporation needs to access someone’s apartment
Lot owners and tenants need to be aware that an owners’ corporation (OC) has a lawful right to serve a notice to gain entry to private apartments, in order to carry out repairs, maintenance and other remedial works.
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Joining the electric vehicle bandwagon
In 2022, the sale of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia accounted for only 3.8 per cent of total sales. However, that number is tipped to soar over the coming years.
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Strict time limitation periods for bringing a building defect claim means OCs cannot sit on their hands
An owners’ corporation (OC) owes a strict duty to repair and maintain its common property, and this duty can be enforced by any member of the relevant OC.
Read MoreThink twice and sleep on it before firing off that email complaint to the owners’ corporation chairperson
A Court in Sydney has awarded damages of $120,000 to the elderly chairperson of an apartment block, after a tenant sent an email to him and the other owners in which she asked him to stop emailing her about locking her mailbox.
Read MoreLot owners should choose wisely and seek advice before filing VCAT proceedings
There has been a sharp rise in the volume of cases filed in VCAT by lot owners against owners’ corporations (OCs) and managers.
Read MoreVictoria gets new building laws to clean up the industry
Last month, the Victorian Parliament introduced the Building Legislation Amendment Bill into the lower house, seeking to substantially amend the Building Act and the Architects Act by improving consumer protections for domestic and residential owners.
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Water damage claims expose risk to owners’ corporations
Studies of recent VCAT cases in water damage claims highlight the need for owners’ corporations (OCs) to work faster and work smarter.
Read MoreWet n’ wild comes to high-rise Melbourne
Unfortunately, we are well into storm season in Australia, and the east coast is being battered with its usual fair share of heavy rains and high winds.
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Boom, bust and out of here
More builders and developers will choose to “go bust” instead of being held accountable to owners’ corporations (OCs) for dodgy building defects.
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Sydney’s Mascot Tower and Opal Towers should serve as a warning to Melbourne’s building industry
A downturn in consumer confidence about building standards is the last thing that developers and builders of residential apartment buildings need right now.
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Government’s new legislation to ban embedded networks a welcome move
Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio has announced a ban on developers entering into embedded network agreements in new residential apartment buildings, in a move that has been welcomed by owners’ corporations (OCs) all over Melbourne.
Read MoreTaking the plunge on owners’ corporation plumbing defect claims
Victorian consumers of plumbing services might be surprised to learn that they are protected by the most comprehensive statutory protections in Australia.
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