Protecting your assets
Services
What we offer
Steadman Williamson Hart provides a variety of quintessential Strata services that focus on the protection and enhancement of the Scheme ensuring the interest of all Lot Owners is respected.
Compulsory Strata Management Services by Direct Appointment
Steadman Williamson Hart personnel are expert in Compulsory Strata Management, offering the following services:
1. All Functions of the Scheme (Full Compulsory Strata Management services) in accordance with Section 237(a) of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.
- Administrative Management: attending to the day-to-day operations of strata properties, including maintenance, repairs and financial management.
- Legal Compliance: ensuring the scheme complies with the relevant laws and regulations as required by NSW Legislation.
- Risk Management: ensuring that all maintenance issues are identified quickly, prioritised and actioned.
- Crisis Management: implementing robust disaster management plans to protect residents and property during emergencies.
- Community Engagement: facilitating communication and collaboration between property owners, residents, agents and local authorities to foster a harmonious living environment.
- Financial Oversight: managing budgets, levies and financial reporting to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Project Management: managing the physical completion of major and minor works projects in relation to the strata property in a timely manner.
Compulsory strata management is for a fixed term in accordance with the NCAT orders, or until a fixed outcome is obtained. Once the issue is addressed, Steadman Williamson Hart delivers the schemes’ management back to the control of the Owners' Corporation to allow for the appointment of a new Strata Manager, which cannot be SWH as we do not manage ordinary strata management appointments.
It is important to note - it is not NCAT’s role to try to fix problems but to evaluate evidence and apply the relevant statutory provisions. Consequently, the order issued under Section 237 of the SSMA will focus solely on the effects of the Owners' Corporation's non-compliance and the resulting issues, rather than their underlying causes.
During its appointment, SWH will address these compliance issues to ensure the Owners' Corporation meets its obligations. Individual lot owners should tackle the root causes before the SWH agreement expires, otherwise the situation will remain unchanged at the end of the appointed term.
2. Project Management
Steadman Williamson Hart can be appointed by the existing s237 Strata Manager to manage key Repair Projects or other functions it deems necessary to assist both the incumbent strata manager and the Scheme.
The services comprised but are not limited to:
- The Definition of the Project: this may include engagement with specialist consultants (engineers, architects town planners and other professionals), liaison with local and state government entities and with other interested parties (tenants, neighbours etc.).
- Pricing of the Project: engagement with contractors who offer the services required by the Project and obtaining of tenders for completion of the defined Project.
- Funding of the Project: the setting and communication of Special Levies (if necessary), working with lot owners and other stakeholders to set up payment options for projects. This may also require the obtaining of financing of the Project from financial entities who specialise in funding Strata Projects.
- Contract based services with defined outcomes and often time periods to support the day today strata managers.
Specialised Consultancy Services
Steadman Williamson Hart are experienced and exceptionally knowledgeable in the roles and duties of a compulsory strata manager and in strata legislation.
Acting as an Expert Witness: Members of the team are well versed and experienced in providing Expert Witness statements detailing key information in NCAT proceedings and other Courts of Law. These can be both written and in person submissions. Members of the team have presented in numerous cases, representing the interests of lot owners and the property successfully.
Strata Audits: Representatives of Steadman Williamson Hart can be engaged to undertake external inspection of a Scheme’s Books and Records and to comment on Schemes management, financials, obligations and activities to provide guidance on issues that may lead to major challenges in the future. The external Strata Review covers all aspects of the Scheme’s operations, including, for example, the holding of Strata Committee, Annual General and Extraordinary General meetings, ensuring that they are all in compliance with the Strata Schemes Management Act, ensuring the correct amount of qualified quotes have been acquired, ensuring the appropriate contractor’s contracts are in place, Lot Owner payment of Administrative and Capital Works funds, compliance of works with by-laws approved by the Scheme, financial and administrative functions and the compliance of communications with Lot Owners regarding all aspects of the building.
Lot Owners can engage Steadman Williamson Hart to undertake a search of the Scheme’s “Books and Records” and prepare a report on any issues identified.
Strata Advocacy: Working on behalf of individual Lot Owners and the Scheme, Steadman Williamson Hart can act to liaise with a range of entities to support the property's wellbeing. These include working with real estate agencies and property improvement companies such as kitchen design and laundry modification services to ensure that proposed work complies with and is supported by appropriate legislation and the creation of correct by-laws. This work might include formulation and the preparation of drafting of by-laws the planned renovation.
Insurance Risk Management and Claims Consultancy Services -
not insurance broking: Steadman Williamson Hart have access to experienced insurance specialists, providing services such as risk identification, claim preparation, property valuation, policy review, and strata insurance analysis. We do not provide insurance broking services and operate objectively on the side of the property and lot owners.
