I live in an apartment complex of some 300 units spread over 6 buildings. In one of the buildings there is a small gym, 25 metre pool about 3 lanes wide, a spa and a sauna. Each building has a BBQ area on the rooftop which can be accessed by the people who live in each particular building, and the grounds are landscaped with a small playground for kids located near the front of the complex. There are bylaws that the residents must obey, a company employed to manage the strata, and an owners’ corporation. Pretty typical stuff for a residential complex.
Much as I like our flat, I have issues with bylaws. Yes, I know that it’s against the bylaw for residents to install clothes lines or even dry clothes on the balconies, but I think it’s a good way to use the free energy of the sun instead of wasting energy in clothes dryers. Yes, I know it’s against the bylaw for residents to park in the visitors carparks, but when you bring a car home from work (that you don’t own) because you need it for work that night or the next day, then surely that’s grounds for using a visitor space (there is close to no street parking around our complex). And is it really necessary to discuss whether or not it’s allowed for residents to put Christmas lights on their balcony?
If you want to own an animal, do anything to the external part of your property, or basically do anything, you have to ask permission from the Owners Corporation so that the select few on the committee can feel like gods and approve or not allow people to live their lives. Andrew and I went to a meeting several months ago, and it seemed that one of the residents wanted to install a 60 cm dish on their balcony, but the consensus was “oh no, we don’t want to look like NASA”. The people in question were from the Russian embassy and wanted to receive Russian TV programmes. But noooo, that wasn’t allowed. I’m allowed to put a BBQ on my balcony (at least I put one there without asking permission), which is bigger than a satelite dish, so why is one allowed and not the other.
The latest one came in a newsletter yesterday. Someone wanted to have a child’s birthday party somewhere on the complex. I don’t know any more details than that, but it was rejected. Not only rejected, but there was a statement in the newsletter that parties of this kind are not allowed. Hmmm, can someone tell me what kind that is? Is that any sort of party, just a birthday party, just a party for kids? I am well aware that I don’t have the details of the party in question, but surely the resident was asking permission to use a roof top, or maybe even a grassed area (where, by the way, the Owners Corporation have organised gatherings for the entire complex before). Neither of these areas get much use, infact the roof top has a BBQ, sink, table and is an ideal location for a party! Not only that, but noise-wise these places would be good locations to gather at since the noise wouldn’t rebound off the buildings and echo like it can between the buildings. Roof top New Years Eve parties haven’t caused any problems in the past, as far as I know, so why should a kids party?
Yes, living in high density living means that we have to be aware of our neighbours, respectful of them and consider them at all times. But surely there should be some reason in the decision making of the Owners Corporation. And no, I don’t want to be on the committee to try to put some balance back into the decision making, from what I’ve seen of it it’s petty and I would be immensely irritated the entire time.
Just let people live their lives!
