When trustees, managing agents or homeowners hear about disputes over levies, it often stirs anxiety: “What can the Community Schemes Ombud Service actually do?”, “Can CSOS rewrite our levy schedule?”
Budgeting for major maintenance projects is one of the most important executive functions of the trustees. Trustees attempt to keep levies low, but this should never be at the expense of saving for future maintenance projects.
Historically bodies corporate did not budget for, or save for the maintenance, repair and replacement projects. So, for example, where the scheme’s lift needed an expensive service, the trustees would need to raise a special levy to fund the expense. T
Over the last ten plus years I have often been asked when and how special contributions (or “special levies”) can be legally raised. There are so many misconceptions and misunderstanding in regard to special levies. I have been told that:
Over the past decade we have seen various provinces in South Africa experience water shortages, with resultant regulations limiting non-essential water uses such as watering gardens, filling swimming pools and ponds and washing cars.
There are a multitude of tasks that trustees need to undertake in order to manage all the legislated responsibilities for running a successful sectional title scheme. There are financial, legal, administrative and physical tasks that need to be planned out and executed
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! This time of year, brings a few additional considerations for members of the body corporate. Here are some things to take stock of over this period of year if you live in a community scheme.
I often get consulting enquiries on who is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the foundations of sections. In this article I will set out the responsibility in regard to foundations.
The trustees stand in a fiduciary relationship towards the body corporate, while the managing agent stands in a contractual relationship towards the body corporate, and is still under the supervision of the trustees who maintain their fiduciary obligation to the body corporate.
In situations where people must cohabit and utilise the same shared space, utilities, facilities or resources, proper management is necessary to ensure that such use is equitable, fair and in line with the agreed standards and shared rules,
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