Upgrade or Repairs/Maintenance

We own an apartment where it is so difficult to get repairs and maintenance done, other than works on the garden.

Our chairperson wants to spend $5,000 on plants for the garden. She has obtained approval for this. The garden is well established and does not need more plants. Her intention is to remove existing mature plants and trees and replace them. We have not been given a landscape plan or any details of which plants will be used or where. The garden looks pretty good as it is and just needs pruning maintenance. We do not have a surplus of funds, and there are outstanding repairs which need to be done but she always puts those on hold . It is very difficult to get repairs done as the money seems to be always spent on the garden/

She also wants to spend $2000 on artificial grass on the nature strip in front of her unit and another $2,000 for a couple of metres of latticework for screening. No quotes . As always, most owners are non residents , she is given approval . She has been there for over 20 years.

She claims that the above works are maintenance and they qualify for her to use our annual fees to do them. I think they are upgrades and so the fees cannot be used for this.

Any thoughts?

 

I think you have a attentive chairperson who looks after the grounds.
She probably does it all voluntarily so I suggest in the next committee meeting you propose a one off honoraria for her.
I think it is great you a person like her on the committee ...you are lucky .

 

Like @Beano stated, you are lucky to have a person on the committee who is pro active
Though some of the items you mentioned may not be in the right order of priority
How have you found out about all these details ?

How many members are on this committee ?
Is there any reason why you are not a committee member @peterpan ?
Then you would have more influence
When is the next AGM ?
I would suggest you put your concerns in writting to the strata managers

 

Are these decisions discussed with all owners and made at a meeting? I don't see how just because owners may be non residents that they would approve gardening over repairs and maintenance. How many owners/apartments are involved?

 

Many non resident owners never bother to even attend the AGM and are not on the committee.
Maybe once a year they look at the financials when its sent around the time of the AGM.
It also puts them at a disadvantage if there are problems with the common areas that need to be repaired and are only visable to the owner residents.

 

You could organise prior to any meeting (which requires advance notice !) to obtain the proxies of those who cant attend who agree with you and vote no and have a civilised discussion at the meeting on why you oppose the garden etc plans and ask about the levy position v's the general building maintenance etc. Rules on proxy votes and voting powers etc will be in the Strata rules. Read and know them. If there is a breach then it may be a Fair Trading reportable breach. Be discrete when doing this as she may also try and stack her friends against you.

She may be the strata bully who just needs someone smarter and more concerned with all property to step up.

 

Owners usually receive voting papers on all issues that will be out before the meeting, so all owners can have their say.

Having owners who don’t care or won’t vote to spend money can present a problem if there are enough of them.