Dear Auntie
Our building’s onsite manager has written to every owner asking them to vote ‘yes’ for their contract extension (I think it’s called a top up) at the AGM. I think this is outrageous! The onsite manager works for all owners and should be doing what we want, not the other way around. And more than that, I think they already get paid plenty and shouldn’t get more years. Can they really do this, and what can I do about it, if they can?
Regards, Lucretia
Dear Lucretia
Auntie’s short sharp answer is yes: the onsite manager (aka, management rights holder) can indeed ask for a top-up and can canvas support for that. Remember that a management rights holder is not an employee, but a contractor, and it is not the same as an employee/employer relationship: they have invested a significant amount into the scheme, just like you, and the value of their investment is linked to the number of years left on the contract. But remember also, that if they are encouraging a ‘yes’ vote, others could encourage a ‘no’ vote and at the end of the day, how people vote is up to them. Watch this webinar from my dear friend Chris Irons to learn more about that. Auntie thinks the bigger question you should be asking is this: is the management rights holder doing a good job? Is the scheme being well-maintained? The answer to that is the most important thing, not who is asking for whose votes.
Do you have a question for Strata Solve’s Agony Aunt? You can ask it here. While Auntie deeply cares about your strata queries, she regrets she cannot give legal advice or answer every single question, as she is a busy woman