Strata News
Tower Body Corporate
December Edition

The team at Tower Body Corporate would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We have had a very busy year managing our existing buildings and welcoming new ones. Thank you for all your support and we look forward to working with you all in the new year. Please note that our office will be closed for Christmas from close of business Friday 23^rd December 2016 and will reopen at 8.30am on Monday 9th January 2017.

The holiday season sometimes brings challenges to strata living. Find out how to manage the 'Silly Season' and what is involved if you are thinking of doing a bit of renovating over the break! Have you made the right preparations? Don't forget to have your say regarding proposed changes to Lot Entitlements - submissions close NEXT WEEK - 23rd Dec.

In order to improve the services we provide you, Tower Body Corporate has created a Client Satisfaction Survey. It would be a great help if you could please spend a few minutes completing the short survey. We thank you for your assistance.

This complimentary newsletter forms part of the comprehensive service provided to you - by keeping you informed and up to date with important news, including any changes that are happening in the Strata Industry. It contains news and articles relating to apartment living in the South East Queensland region.

Please let us know if you would like information about a certain topic. Maybe you have some feedback about the newsletter. Either way, we would love to hear from you.

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Kind Regards

The Team at Tower Body Corporate

Noise, Nuisance, Neighbours, the Silly Season and Strata

Allison Benson, Kerin Benson Lawyers
Although the decorations seem to go up earlier and earlier every year Monday 1st December officially marked the start of the silly season. Along with the holidays comes the fact that many of us take advantage of the silly season to go out more, come home later and have friends and family over more often. This and the stress of the season can cause neighbourly tensions to boil over in some cases as small irritants become larger problems with more people at home more often.

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Improving common property and lots

The Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management
The body corporate and a lot owner can both make improvements to the common property, if they are approved.

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Strata Insurance Questions: Garages Used to Store Unknown Items

Ann Farrugia, Whitbread Insurance Brokers
Question: Two owners are allowing their garages to be used for storage and collection of unknown items for a friend's business! How does this impact on our strata insurance and any hazards that may crop up? I have viewed many cardboard boxes taking up most of one garage.

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Q&A Is it a Conflict of Interest for the Chairman to be a Paid Caretaker?

Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
Question: Can a lot owner be both the caretaker and the Chairman of their scheme? They have been appoint for a 12 month period for the last three years. Is this a strata executive committee conflict of interest?

Read More....

At Tower Body Corporate, we continually strive to improve the services we provide to you.

To help us with these improvements, please complete our quick online survey.

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We thank everyone who took the time to complete our short survey last month. If you have not completed the survey as yet, we would really like to hear your thoughts. Thank you!

Latest News

How to get along with your neighbours over the holidays

James Norman, Domain
14 Dec

Engagement with neighbours in apartment buildings can be a tricky, fraught business, and while it can be tempting to keep to yourself, diplomatic and respectful engagement is generally better than no engagement at all.

Sub-Tropical Living: Why Queensland Apartments Should Take Cues From Their Environment

The Urbane Developer
13 Dec

Most of Australia’s multi-residential property developers are in competition to make theirs the biggest and most eye-catching design on the market, with the aim of capturing the attention of buyers and investors alike. But in Queensland, an understated design revolution is afoot. The ethos? To let properties speak for themselves.

This one factor adds over $300,000 to Brisbane apartment prices

news.com.au
7 Dec

HAVING the Brisbane River off the front of your apartment block adds a whopping $308,500 to the price tag for your unit, latest research has found.

What Projects ‘ARE’ Getting Funded In South East QLD?

The Urban Developer
2 Dec

There are a number of mixed messages out in the market place at the moment, and depending on where you sit you could be the busiest you have ever been, or staring at the edge of a rapidly approaching cliff.

Airbnb denies liability after guests plunge two storeys from apartment balcony

Robert Booth & Dan Newling, The Guardian
30 Nov

Airbnb has refused to admit liability for multiple serious injuries suffered by a group of guests who fell two storeys when the balcony of their holiday apartment rental in Brighton collapsed beneath them.

National Property Clock - Dec 2016 Apartments

Herron Todd White
The Herron Todd White team have taken a look at their service areas and identified all the gentrification hotspots throughout the nation worthy of your attention.