Any complex trustees on here? Please help.

[Foxhound5366]

1 - Keep a low profile at meetings
2 - Do not disagree with entrenched decisions made by other trustees, even if they are stupid or ill thought out
3 - Avoid being co-opted into tasks that others are avoiding
4 - Do not volunteer for jobs unless you are positive that this is in your area of expertise
5 - Let the talkers waffle on
6 - Find someone in the staff of the Managing Agent that is friendly and interested
7 - See which of the other trustees shares your idea of running things

Is this a guide for how not to be a responsible and proactive trustee? We criticise the ANC parliamentarians for following tips like this: avoid responsibility, don’t speak up, just collect a salary and get out the door. What’s the point doing that as a trustee? My complex is small so we’ve got only seven trustees: sitting back and hoping noone notices won’t be that easy, nor something I intend doing.

 

[Speedster]

Showing up to a meeting once a year is stressful? Dear lord how do you manage to get up in the morning?

Once a year? Our complex trustees have at least one per month

 

[now05ster]

I think it's worth it. Yeah it's a thankless job that's somestimes a pain blah blah blah but in the end I trust myself more to take care of something than I do some randoms; I'd rather put in a little bit of effort here & there to take care of an investment than leave it to the whims of others.

I think that's the part I remember in previous forum threads.

Makes sense, thanks.

 

[longboy]

Thanks for the advice, but I don’t get stressed that easily. Also I’d rather have some input into the big decisions affecting my property value.

Noted. Your enthusiam seems good.

You will need it for dealing with tenants who do not want any levy increases at all! I was in your position once and in the end sold my dwelling and bought a freestanding home. Too much politics in a Complex.

 

[Foxhound5366]

Noted. Your enthusiam seems good.

You will need it for dealing with tenants who do not want any levy increases at all! I was in your position once and in the end sold my dwelling and bought a freestanding home. Too much politics in a Complex.

Our AGM just approved a 10% levy increase without batting an eyelid, after our trustee with the financial portfolio explained convincingly that we were in a financially difficult place due to some big costs. We’ve been fortunate to have reasonably low levies compared to other places, but I totally get why that’s a hot topic.

 

[saturnz]

I was a trustee for five years and now I'm a activist owner, much more fun being the one holding trustees to account.

Know the sectional title act and general governance principles (politics 101 would help) and don't be shy to engage the ombud.

 

[deathduedecay]

Once a year? Our complex trustees have at least one per month

Condolences. Reason number 672 why I only buy in small complexes.

 

[Speedster]

Condolences. Reason number 672 why I only buy in small complexes.

Why condolences? I'm not a trustee

 

[now05ster]

If you want to be a real nerd about it you can get something like this but I've never even picked it up.

View attachment 1788967

(Please don't pm me)

Thanks for the TRACS nudge. It seems to be an informative website.

 

[Foxhound5366]

You haven’t lived life until you’ve typed up a quote request for your complex’s security gate track to be replaced. #TrusteeThings

No other trustees on here?

 

[Lupus]

Thanks for the advice, but I don’t get stressed that easily. Also I’d rather have some input into the big decisions affecting my property value.

As an owner, you already had say in the input of the big decisions of your complex and property, all a trustee is, is the person who is supposed to enact those decisions. They are not the decision makers, the entire body corporate (owners) are the decision makers.
Any big decision is supposed to have an SGM and a vote made to ensure that the body corporate agrees and it can go ahead.

 

[Lupus]

Noted. Your enthusiam seems good.

You will need it for dealing with tenants who do not want any levy increases at all! I was in your position once and in the end sold my dwelling and bought a freestanding home. Too much politics in a Complex.

You mean free hold? Free standing just means it's not attached to anything, which you can get in sectional titles.
South Africans need to learn the lingo

 

[Lupus]

You haven’t lived life until you’ve typed up a quote request for your complex’s security gate track to be replaced. #TrusteeThings

No other trustees on here?

Wife was one, really not worth it. Especially if the owners have no idea how things work in a sectional title, which honestly seems to be most.

 

[Lupus]

Once a year? Our complex trustees have at least one per month

See an example of someone who doesn't know how sectional titles work

 

[saor]

Monthly trustee meeting is hectic.

We have a brief meeting about a month before the annual AGM just to lock everything down and that's about it. If there's anything urgent during the year we'll call a meeting but things generally get resolved via email & whatsapp throughout the year - there's nothing that would warrant a monthly meeting.

 

[I.am.Sam]

biggest stress is money

when people dont pay and nothign gets done ..its a problem

you will get this

and owners not showing up for meetings and then the same decisions get made every time

 

[animal531]

So today I was elected as a trustee of my complex.

I am a bit overwhelmed because it’s a whole new swimming pool, but I’d appreciate being able to network with other trustees to share ideas and best practises.

If you’re a trustee of your complex, please send me a private message and we can connect.

I wouldn't start by building a whole new swimming pool in the complex, that's way too many headaches. Maybe just have then plant some new bushes or something.

 

[Foxhound5366]

I wouldn't start by building a whole new swimming pool in the complex, that's way too many headaches. Maybe just have then plant some new bushes or something.

Well we’re in a lucky space where previous trustees built up a sizeable reserve so we are expecting to initiate some major maintenance and renovation projects this year, but have already got plans underway to have an SGM once the trustees are ready with decisions for the owners’ approval. For now, it’s just the usual PITA of getting the trustees to align their diaries for even our initial meeting … but that’s normal.

 

[saor]

Well we’re in a lucky space where previous trustees built up a sizeable reserve so we are expecting to initiate some major maintenance and renovation projects this year, but have already got plans underway to have an SGM once the trustees are ready with decisions for the owners’ approval. For now, it’s just the usual PITA of getting the trustees to align their diaries for even our initial meeting … but that’s normal.

Do you have a 10-year maintenance plan at your complex? Pretty sure it's mandatory. It's especially useful for determining the amount of money in reserves for your major refurbs - we typically repaint and waterproof the outside of the building every 7-10 years (depending on the state of the building) and this a very big cost so you want to ensure that your levies are able to bring in enough money for your monthly running costs in addition to building up a reserve to deal with those very big maintenance expenses.

Some buildings seem less concerned about levies accounting for these big expenses and they'll do things like keep the levies low but then hit the owners with an emergency levy when major repairs are needed. Imo this is an unfair approach as a new owner now has to cough up a bunch of money for something they've just taken ownership of...I prefer the approach that when you own you're regularly contributing toward the upkeep of the building

10-Year Maintenance, Repair and Replacement Plans for Sectional Title Schemes: What you need to know

A body corporate has the responsibility to plan for the maintenance, repair and replacement of their scheme's major capital assets.According to the Sectional Titles Schemes Management (STSM) Act, all sectional title schemes are required to have a 10-year maintenance, repair and replacement plan...

mirfin.co.za

Or page 371 of the TRACS book.

This should be available from your managing agent as a document forecasting all these costs.

 

[Foxhound5366]

Do you have a 10-year maintenance plan at your complex? Pretty sure it's mandatory. It's especially useful for determining the amount of money in reserves for your major refurbs - we typically repaint and waterproof the outside of the building every 7-10 years (depending on the state of the building) and this a very big cost so you want to ensure that your levies are able to bring in enough money for your monthly running costs in addition to building up a reserve to deal with those very big maintenance expenses.

Some buildings seem less concerned about levies accounting for these big expenses and they'll do things like keep the levies low but then hit the owners with an emergency levy when major repairs are needed. Imo this is an unfair approach as a new owner now has to cough up a bunch of money for something they've just taken ownership of...I prefer the approach that when you own you're regularly contributing toward the upkeep of the building

10-Year Maintenance, Repair and Replacement Plans for Sectional Title Schemes: What you need to know

A body corporate has the responsibility to plan for the maintenance, repair and replacement of their scheme's major capital assets.According to the Sectional Titles Schemes Management (STSM) Act, all sectional title schemes are required to have a 10-year maintenance, repair and replacement plan...

mirfin.co.za

Or page 371 of the TRACS book.

I kinda doubt there’s a ten year plan year, but I will definitely check with the previous trustees. There was all kinds of politics between two years of trustees I’m still figuring out too.