One of the owners in my building is accusing me of throwing food on her balcony, jamming the locks on her garage and breaking the lock on her screen door. Whenever she sees me or my wife she starts screaming and calling us fu****ing animals. Now she is putting up pictures of what I  have supposedly done in the complex, along with a couple of pages of derogatory remarks. I have not done any of this and she has no proof that I did these things. Evidently, this has been going on for ten years, but she never attends the strata meetings to say anything. Now people in the complex are reading what she put up, and I’m the bad guy. I feel that I am being defamed. What should I do? – Shane, NSW

Q: One of the owners in my building is accusing me of throwing food on her balcony, jamming the locks on her garage and breaking the lock on her screen door.

Whenever she sees me or my wife she starts screaming and calling us fu****ing animals. Now she is putting up pictures of what I  have supposedly done in the complex, along with a couple of pages of derogatory remarks. I have not done any of this and she has no proof that I did these things.

Evidently, this has been going on for ten years, but she never attends the strata meetings to say anything. Now people in the complex are reading what she put up, and I’m the bad guy. I feel that I am being defamed. What should I do?

 

A: In the first instance, it may be best to speak to your strata manager and explain the situation. There are internal mediation processes that can be followed and facilitated by your strata manager and strata committee.

If you are feeling threatened or harassed by a neighbour, however, it may also be worth contacting the police and filing a report.

For more information, click here to download a free guide to managing disputes in your strata.