Strata Living: Strata Wants to Charge Me for Certificate of Currency

Llatias9787 on 07/09/2021 - 18:07
Last edited 07/09/2021 - 18:40

Hi,

I am currently refinancing my mortgage as part of this process the bank asked me for a certificate of currency for my apartment from my building strata. However, when it came to requesting this from my strata manager he started quoting me an "admin fee" related to the processing of the document. I then questioned if this was charged by him or the insurer, he said it was standard practice and the money was going to building management. I then asked him if he could provide me who the insurer was and the building's policy number so I could go and request it myself he refused and instead questioned my trust…

Just want to know if this is standard practice as I'm not unwilling to pay but found it strange as I never experienced before with any other strata.

Thanks

Home & Garden

Comments

  • jjjaar on 07/09/2021 - 18:23

    This shouldn’t be standard practice, but I don’t know if it is or isn’t.

    My strata managers have a website where we can access all of these files as needed. Before they put it together they would send it to us as requested (though there is a chance they’d add 10 mins to the bill for our building)…

    • latias9787 on 07/09/2021 - 18:44

      Yea I think it should be like that, he is claiming that there are confidentiality involved and I'm not supposed be able to have direct access to it..

      • jjjaar on 07/09/2021 - 20:56
        +2

        As said below, the insurance is between the owners and the insurer. The strata manager is just an admin role to help organise you all, but not control you.

        Check if your lender has the old CoC on file and from that you should get the insurer and policy number. Alternatively this should have been in the contract of sale when you purchased. It’ll be out of date but all you need is the insurers name right now.

        • latias9787 on 07/09/2021 - 21:54

          Apparently he said they've changed insurers and is no longer with the previous insurer… He is also extremely rude and told me to either pay or don't waste his time

          • jjjaar on 07/09/2021 - 22:02

            @latias9787: Contact other owners, such as the committee, or ideally the Chair.

            Inform them of this behaviour and suggest finding a new manager. That’s just unacceptable.

            There are also only a limited pool of insurers for strata insurance. You could always just cold call each one until you find the right one.

            Also- he might even be lying about the fact that they’ve changed insurers.

  • holdenmg on 07/09/2021 - 18:31

    How much?

    • latias9787 on 07/09/2021 - 18:42

      He is asking for $30 and claimed going to the insurer directly will cost me $40. However with other strata I dealt with they never mentioned an admin fee and sent me the certificate straight through.

      • JMosk on 07/09/2021 - 19:27
        +1

        If you're willing to potentially have to pay $10 more then call their bluff

        • latias9787 on 07/09/2021 - 21:55
          +1

          I'm willing to call the bluff but right now he's not willing to give me any information regarding the insurer

  • Drakesy on 07/09/2021 - 18:52
    +5

    Ooof $30 for forwarding on a policy document that they should have provided to you for free.

    I'd tell them they're dreamin personally, you already pay for their management services in your strata levy and this would surely come under that.

    Another scenario would be would they charge you for querying the certificate of currency? I wouldn't think they would as it's a common strata document.

  • kanad on 07/09/2021 - 19:21

    I asked the same from our owners corp manager just last week, the guy is excellent, emailed me back in an hour, no fee.

  • iampoor on 07/09/2021 - 19:48
    +5

    CoC is free from insurers, sounds like he is lining his own pocket?

    I would keep documentation of his claim it would cost $30, go direct and when it doesn’t cost $40, get his ass fired.

    • latias9787 on 07/09/2021 - 21:56

      Problem is I think he is the boss of the strata agency too… I've managed to get a previous copy when he accidentally gave me the policy number last time. This time he told me they changed insurers and not willing to share any information at all

  • CalmLemons on 07/09/2021 - 19:48
    +5

    Should be free.

    Keys cost $30 which is fair enough.

    "I then asked him if he could provide me who the insurer was and the building's policy number so I could go and request it myself he refused and instead questioned my trust…"

    He is the manager of the building, you are the owner. The agreement is between you and the insurer, has nothing to do with him.

    He's taking you for a ride. The $30 is probably the managers service fee for providing that service - despite them being paid thousands each year to manage the place for you guys.

  • Tiredman on 07/09/2021 - 20:06
    +2

    I doubt so. I always get mine for free. Not sure what they are playing at. You can probably speak to your neighbours or lender (if it's a big building and they have done loans for it before), they probably will have some idea which insurer it is.

  • clover on 07/09/2021 - 21:00

    Mine is free too. Just refinanced recently. Though the first time I asked (two years ago) I was quoted 25 aud. I didn’t pay at the time since I didn’t need it anymore. Same strata manager. Weird.

  • latias9787 on 07/09/2021 - 22:00

    Thank you for all the helpful suggestions, verifies my suspicion that he is pulling a dodgy. However he is refusing to budge and I'll need to give in the document soon…looks like i'll need to pay. Wondering if there is any external parties to complain to, maybe fair trading or similar?

  • Seraphin7 on 07/09/2021 - 22:12

    Standard strata BS tried to gouge you.

    Tell them that given whatever the fee they charge should only be on a cost recovery basis, that by them just giving you the info you need, you can avoid them the cost of needing to do it for you.

    Just assert that as an owner you have the right to be provided with this document when it is issued each year. On the assumption it has not been issued, ask why you should have to pay for something that you should be receiving as a matter of course.

    You may also wish to ask the strata manager what commission they are receiving from the insurer in relation to the policy and what work they are doing (if not providing basic information to owners such as a CoC) to justify the payment of that commission.

  • garetz on 07/09/2021 - 22:51

    The insurer is chosen by the committee not the strata rep, every owner has the capacity to ask who the insurer is, and that is information they must absolutely provide you as an owner who has full voting rights.

    I've never even heard of a strata manager refusing to give this information for any reason before let alone this flimsy one.

    ask him for the quotes that were provided to the committee for the vote of which insurer was chosen by the committee. He has no choice but to provide this info to you. Otherwise he would be breaking the trust the owners corporation has in him as the strata manager.

    If he refuses that's ground to get a new strata manager. You can call an emergency vote and have him removed as long as you get a majority vote.

  • brad1-8tsi on 08/09/2021 - 12:31
    +1

    My strata manager wouldn't charge for that.

    He also doesn't charge for signing documents related to the building or renovations within the apartment fabric.

    I'd be asking if they will supply a receipt as it probably goes into his pocket.

  • yadupinto on 09/09/2021 - 22:29

    I think most of details are listed in AGM document. if you have copy of that then just check.
    Other option is connect with member of exec committee and explain this scenario and ask them to request one for you.

  • latias9787 on 10/09/2021 - 22:14

    Thanks all, after some firm negotiation he gave up and sent me the doc :)

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