VIC Grounds to reclaim cost through body corporate

Discussion in 'Property Management' started by Chadwick, 12th Feb, 2019.

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  1. Chadwick

    Chadwick Active Member

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    I have an investment property apartment in a building of 6 apartments. Recently the fuse to my apartment and also the fuse to a common area was removed, leaving my tenants without electricity.

    There is a single switch box in a common area containing fuses to all apartments and all common areas.

    My tenants explained that the fire brigade were present the previous night to attend to a fire in one of the rubbish bins and switched off the electricity to the entire building. I believe it is related to the missing fuses but I obviously can't be sure. In any case, even if not related then I consider it a case of vandalism/theft from a common area.

    It cost $250 for an electrician to review and replace the fuse and there was a surcharge as immediate emergency service was required. When I attempted to reclaim this through Body Corporate based on my thoughts above, it was rejected based on the fact that it affected my apartment only.

    I've done the right thing by my tenant and the body corporate, I could easily have taken a fuse from one of the other common areas and just pretend I wasn't aware.

    Is the switchboard/fuse considered common or specific to my apartment only? Do you I have grounds for a complaint?

    I'm deciding whether to just suck it up and make a formal complaint to reclaim the cost.
     
  2. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    I would generally argue that although it is a dedicated power supply to your unit, your responsibility commences at the sub-board in your unit not at the main switchboard. You have no right to rip out or replace the submains as they run from the MSB to your sub-board through common property, so too the fuse would be common property as it is located on the MSB which is common property.
     
    Propertunity likes this.
  3. Chadwick

    Chadwick Active Member

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    Thank you Scott for your reply and wisdom.
     
  4. ChrisDim

    ChrisDim Well-Known Member

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    Anything outside your 4 external walls is common property. It doesn't matter if the issue affects for your own unit or not, the fuses are the Body Corporate's responsibility. If your invoice describes what you said clearly, send it via an email to the Body Corporate and tell them that you will be raising a complaint with the department of fair trading asking for mediation, if they don't reimburse you. Hopefully that would be enough to get your money back...
     
    Michael Mitchell likes this.
  5. Chadwick

    Chadwick Active Member

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    Thanks Chris. Makes sense!
     
  6. Michael Mitchell

    Michael Mitchell Well-Known Member

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    As Chris said, the strata manager needs to take their insurance hat off and remember the BC is still responsible in this instance
     
    ChrisDim likes this.
  7. S.T

    S.T Well-Known Member

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    Does your owners corporation have an emergency repair number? Worth checking for future, then you could have tenant/pm ring that instead. If they don't have one, they should.
     

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