Some features of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld) (BCCM Act) that have stood the test of time are the “self-help” remedies to deal with common problems that arise when large numbers of people live together in a dense environment.
It may seem pessimistic, but the drafters of this legislation did not expect people to do the right thing all the time. They expected people to be fallible and, for example, to allow their property to fall into a state of disrepair. When that happened, the drafters put in clear and cost-effective remedies to allow a body corporate to “get the job done” ultimately at the owner’s expense or for those who suffered damage from a neighbour’s neglect to receive compensation without having to join the long line of litigants in front of Queensland’s Courts.
These provisions complimented the stated objectives of the BCCM Act of promoting self-management and establishing an effective dispute resolution process. If you would like to know how you can make a fallible neighbour accountable for the poor condition or their lot or the property damage they have caused, please read on.