THE freedom of “no payment of service charges” will end with the establishment of the Strata Management Tribunal (SM Tribunal). Any parcel owner or tenant who fails to pay service charges can be produced before the SM Tribunal with the implementation of the Strata Management Act 2013 Read the article…………
Malaysia: Resolving disputes of strata units
SINCE 1985, the strata regime in Malaysia has slowly entrenched itself into our daily lives, more significantly in urban areas such as Greater Kuala Lumpur, Penang island and Johor Baru. From the previous strata concept that was applicable only to high-rise buildings to landed strata units now, owners no longer own “property in the air” […]
Japan: Your home may be your castle, but not all of it is yours
When we were thinking about buying a condominium some years ago, we looked at older units and brand new ones, and one of our least favorite features was pebbled or fogged window glass, which was ubiquitous. Early on, when we didn’t know any better, we asked a real estate agent how much it would cost […]
Malaysia: Strata Management Act an eye-opener
ALTHOUGH the Strata Management Act (SMA) received its royal assent on Feb 5, 2013 and was gazetted on Feb 8, 2013, it was inordinately delayed because of the governing Strata Management (Maintenance & Management) Regulations and a host of other crossed referred laws in the Housing Development (Control & Licensing) Act, 1966 (amended 2012), its […]
Tribunal to ensure implementation of Strata Management Act (Malaysia)
A tribunal to manage the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757) needs to be formed to ensure the Act is run smoothly. Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said this tribunal needs to be formed especially in Selangor, where 50% of the people lived in high-rise units. Read more…….
Bahamas Condo and Homeowners’ Association Fees Subject to VAT
Amid increasing enquiries the Ministry of Finance explained today that maintenance fees for condominium and homeowners’ associations will be subject to VAT if the annual billings exceed the mandatory registration threshold of $100,000. Read more………
Rules are rules: Pets in flats (South Africa)
Pet ownership generally creates problems in sectional title schemes and HOA run estates as many will either have conduct rules which stipulate “no pets allowed” or “one or two pets, of a small nature” but what happens when an owner goes against the rules, the trustees turn a blind eye for a period of time […]
Issues of governance, compliance and disclosure with condo management law (Singapore)
I find the current Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act inadequate in protecting the interests of subsidiary proprietors in areas of governance, compliance and disclosure, except for basic statutory compliances Read more……..