Over the next 10 weeks we’ll be looking at the revisions to NSW’s model by-laws, which come into force on November 30 2016. They won’t automatically affect existing owners, but it’s a great time to consider updating your strata scheme’s by-laws to take advantage of the changes.
The changes to parking model by-laws are notable, but they’re a big ticket item when viewed alongside the ability for owners corporations to get council in on strata parking enforcement.
The big change to the model by-law for parking is that it now states that an owner or occupier can’t permit a vehicle to be stood on common property without prior approval, as well as retaining the rule for owners themselves.
What does this mean? That owners can be held responsible for their visitors’ and tenants’ parking habits.
As anyone who lives in or manages strata can tell you though, it’s only half the battle. Without the power to identify or strictly enforce parking by-laws they’re weaker than most others.
Unless you run your own car ID database it can be difficult to know who owns a parked car without seeing them getting in and out of it.
Hence the other big change that comes as part of a raft of amendments attached to the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. Owners corporations can now resolve to arrange inspections and ticketing from local councils.
There are catches; mainly that this will only apply to above ground parking, as the safety concerns and scope of trying to police underground parking are too much for council inspectors, and in strata schemes where tensions are already high adding parking tickets to the mix could cause arguments.
But for committees and owners railing against valuable space being taken up by problem parkers; the opportunity provided by both the new model by-law on parking and the local council provisions makes the issue an essential one to consider when reviewing your by-laws after the new laws commence.
BylawsOnline - Rules to live by 