There is a necessity to employ a compulsory strata manager to our two lot strata plan. I am uneasy about this. What limitations should I be asking to be imposed upon the strata manager in order to ensure that I am not powerless as an owner and that expensive and unnecessary improvements to the property are not carried out when not required? – Joanne, NSW

Question: There is a necessity to employ a compulsory strata manager to our two lot strata plan. I am uneasy about this. What limitations should I be asking to be imposed upon the strata manager in order to ensure that I am not powerless as an owner and that expensive and unnecessary improvements to the property are not carried out when not required?

– Joanne, NSW

Answer:  By the compulsory appointment of a strata manager, it’s evident things haven’t been running quite as how they should have in the strata scheme. Typically, strata managers appointed in this roll, will do everything necessary to comply with the act, and will not appease one owner over the other. Depending on the actual order from NCAT appointing the manager, this will determine the amount of authority the manger has been allocated. If full authority is allocated, then the two owners will have no input as to what repairs and maintenance are being carried out.