ATO Provides Tax Relief for Combustible Cladding Costs

As combustible cladding is fast becoming a major focus for multi-storied buildings in New South Wales, lot owners and owners corporations are now facing a major bill and headache to replace combustible cladding.

The problem with combustible cladding has been further exacerbated by the current pandemic as a number of lot owners are unable to afford a special levy due to having lost employment. Some are even facing bankruptcy.

Despite these difficulties, some relief for combustible cladding costs has now arrived from the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

In this document we explain the recent ATO ruling to assist in rectifying combustible cladding defects… ATO Provides Relief for Combustible Cladding Costs

For all NSW strata legal including by-laws, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.




Pet Owners Rejoice – Are “No Pet” By-laws Unenforceable?

The NSW Court of Appeal has overturned a by-law banning pets in the Horizon building in Sydney.

This decision means that “no pets” by-laws are unenforceable.

This will require owners corporations with “no pets” by-laws to now rethink their approach to the keeping of pets in their buildings and likely result in the replacement of “no pets” by-laws with by-laws that restrict (but do not ban) the keeping of pets in strata buildings.

In this paper we discuss the case and ramifications of “no pets” by-laws and more… Pet Owners Rejoice

Do you need your “no pets” by-laws reviewed’? Contact us here now!

For NSW strata legal including by-laws, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.




How to Establish a Major Building Defect

On 15 January 2015, the Home Building Amendment Act 2014 changed the terminology and definitions for building defects from structural to “major” and from minor to “in any other case” i.e. non-major.

So, what is the new definition of a major building defect?

In these two recent NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) Appeal Panel decisions they have considered the definition of major defect and how to establish whether a defect meets this definition, providing some useful guidance on this topic How to Establish a Major Building Defect.

For NSW strata legal or levy collection advice please contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.




First Collective Sale Cases Hit The Court 

Up until recently, there have been no reported cases of where the Land & Environment Court has dealt with an application to permit the collective sale or redevelopment of a strata scheme under the new strata laws.

That changed on 19 February 2018, when the Land & Environment Court issued preliminary decisions in two cases involving proposals for the collective sale of two strata schemes in Sydney.

So, what can we learn from the first two collective sale cases? To find out download this paper Collective Sales Cases Hit the Land and Environment Court.

For NSW strata legal or levy collection advice please contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.