YOU HAVE THE POWER TO VOTE FOR LOWER LEVIES
As I did last year, I'm writing to all owners to suggest that they vote NO to a number of motions at the upcoming annual general meeting.
Evidence, that the committee is not financially astute, is portrayed by the admission of the committee, that it had not previously provided sufficient funds for ongoing maintenance. Hence it had to double the sinking fund Levy.
Unfortunately the committee, regardless of my strongly suggesting otherwise, are still taking advice from the management company.
As usually less than half the owners vote at the Annual general meeting (AGM), if those that do not vote were to vote, it is possible that the quite dramatic increase in levies, could be reduced. Read further.
The administrative fund budget includes insurance that is over $11.000 more than it needs to be. See below.
If you vote no to this, and the insurance motion, the committee could be forced to reduce the administrative fund Levy by approximatly $200 per owner.
And also its will send a message to the committee that owners are concerned about ther body corporate levies. If money can be saved it should be.
As I have previously written, the committee, on your behalf have decided to pay over $11,000 more for insurance than necessary.
I strongly suggest you vote NO to this motion, so at least part of the $11,000 can be recovered.
I personally spent a considerable amount of time, including representing the Body corporate, at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, to remove the onsite caretaker. This has resulted in substantial savings compared to what it would have been.
To ensure that the body corporate did not get into the same situation again, I put forward a motion at a previous AGM that the body corporate should not enter into any contracts where the exit clause on the contract was less beneficial to the body corporate, than to whoever the contract was with.
This is not the wording in the proposed contracts with Eagle body corporate, included in the AGM notice.
Having personally dealt with a number of body corporate management companies, I can say ther a better ones to deal with than Eagle body corporate.
As far as I am aware the committee have not got competitive quotes from other body corporate management companies.
Therefore I strony suggest you vote No to both the motions to appoint Eagle body corporate. The committee will then be forced to find another body corporate management company.
The wording of the explanatory notes for this motion in part sais, “Due to advice received from underwriters within the industry,..”. I'm pretty sure this is the wording of the management company. I am not aware of any legal requirement for such a safety assessment to be done or for a motion to be put. According to committee minutes, the committee do a safety and maintenance check themselves. Therefore I see no need to pay for someone else to do it.
Again I strongly suggest you vote no to this motion.
For exactly the same reasons as the above motion I strongly suggest you vote no to this motion.
If you live other than at Gardens do you get your switchboard inspected as indicated in the explanatory notes? I don't because ther is no need to. Unlike what the explanatory notes say I'm not aware of insurance companies rejecting claims because a report has not been produced.
I strongly suggest you vote no to this motion.
As such a valuation is only required every five years, there is no need to do it.
I strongly recommend that you vote no to this motion.
I was previously the Treasurer of the Algester Gardens body corporate.I am currently the Chairperson on another body corporate that has much lower body corporate fees. Part of the reason is that we do not take any advice for the body corporate management company. Other than where legislation explicitly says to do so, we do not put motions such as the above for AGMs.
In the situations where a report is legislated we get competitive quotes. That doesn't seem to be happening with Algester Gardens.
You also have the chance to be on the committee, so as to get them to work in all owners best interests. Ther are more committee positions, than are nominations.
I have over 20 years experience in body corporate engagement and are willing to support anyone that wishes to no how to handle being on a body corporate committee.
If you wish to be on the committee or just no how they operate, you can contact me at this email address or alternatively via phone:
07 3800 5333 0490 958 347
Geoff Greig Owner Unit 35