Latest articles by Tom Bacon
Don’t expect the government to rescue OCs in the next legislative review
All stakeholder feedback and public consultation has now been completed, and the Expert Panel appointed by the Victorian Government to oversee a review of the Owners Corporations and Other Acts Amendment Act 2021 is due to table their report to Parliament by December 1.
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Proposed Owners’ Corporation Act reforms need to move quickly
Melbourne is a world-class city. It hosts big international sporting and cultural events. It has a bustling tourism industry, excellent shopping and award-winning cuisine, late-night cocktail and whisky bars, theatres and a thriving CBD.
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Why it pays to grant access to private apartments to the owners’ corporation
Lot owners and tenants need to be aware that an owners’ corporation 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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Mere disturbance of the peace not nearly enough for damages claim in VCAT
A bitterly fought VCAT case has concluded, where a lot owner residing in her unit was found to have breached the rules of the owners’ corporation (OC) by engaging in acts of screaming, yelling, wailing and thumping for extended periods of time.
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Overdue levies are reaching tipping point
During the COVID pandemic, the Victorian Government introduced certain legislation that would have the effect of providing relief to those who could not pay their debts on time.
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New legislation to protect owners’ corporations and homeowners slammed by builders’ association
In a move that would surprise no-one at all, both the Master Builders Victoria (MBV) and Housing Industry Association (HIA) have issued a united rejection of the Victorian Government’s proposed new building dispute resolution legislation, describing it as “unfair and unworkable”.
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Sign up today for solar panel grants for apartment buildings
If you live in an owners’ corporation (OC) with between three to 50 residential units, your building can sign up for a grant of up to $140,000 to fund the installation of solar panels on the building’s rooftop.
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Victorian Building Authority dismantling drags on
The last rites of an embattled and ineffective government organisation are still playing out ... and it’s taking too long.
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What to expect from the new Victorian Building & Plumbing Commission
An independent review that exposed serious failures in how the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) handled complaints from homeowners facing years of financial distress over defective or homes was the final straw for the State Government.
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Owners Corporations must not sit on their hands when it comes to building defects claims
There are strict time limitation periods in Victoria’s building laws, which require owners of buildings to file their claims at VCAT or in the Courts promptly.
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Amendments to short-stay legislation a welcome relief to owners’ corporations
The government’s stunning decision to empower owners’ corporations (OCs) to choose for themselves about whether to permit short-term letting in their buildings is a game-changer for owner occupiers and tenants alike across Melbourne.
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When buying an apartment “off the plan”, always check who the builder is too
With news hitting the public domain almost every other week about a prominent building company going into administration, many in the construction industry are now bracing for a ripple effect of smaller contractors and sub-contractors also pulling the plug.
Read MoreVictorian Building Authority a “lame duck”
Following the Victorian Planning Minister’s decision to dissolve the Victorian Building Authority’s (VBA) board back in March of this year, there is still no announcement on the future and direction of the embattled government department.
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Here today, and gone tomorrow
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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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.
Read MoreGot 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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