00:00Rebecca Boehm worked for 11 years to buy a place for herself and her two boys.
00:07It was a big deal for me to purchase my own home for my kids, a huge deal.
00:11So to think about having to sell it makes me really sad, yeah.
00:16The dream of home ownership has been sullied by her experience of living in a strata-managed apartment.
00:22You don't know what's going to come on the next statement or the next invoice,
00:26how much it's going to be or what they're going to be expecting you to pay.
00:29Yeah, it's quite worrisome.
00:32In addition to a quarterly levy of $400, the single mother has been charged multiple miscellaneous levies,
00:39she says, without notice.
00:41In one instance, she was charged a miscellaneous levy of $625
00:46when she asked the strata agent why there was no response,
00:50after which she was charged interest for not paying.
00:54Oh my God, oh my goodness, oh my goodness.
00:57Rebecca Boehm says since she moved into her apartment in April 2021 up until January 2024,
01:04no AGMs were held with owners.
01:07People trust you with their money, they want you to take it and look after it
01:11and be accountable for what you're doing with it.
01:13It seems pretty simple to me.
01:15She's also been charged for gardening, despite there being no common garden
01:19and she's got a gaping hole in her driveway that she hasn't been able to get fixed.
01:24It was about a metre and a half down.
01:26Ms Boehm's strata agency, Cosmic Realty, denies any wrongdoing
01:31but declined to respond to the ABC's questions.
01:34The WA government will invite public submissions next month as part of its review into strata laws.
01:41Owner groups are pushing for the mandatory licensing of strata managers
01:45for the establishment of a strata commissioner so that people like Ms Boehm have somewhere to turn
01:50and for stronger measures to uphold the voting rights of owners.
01:54It's exactly that. It's a toothless saga.
01:56There's no accountability for anybody.
01:59They can do whatever they wish. It's nuts.
02:02We want to hear people's views, but I do know this.
02:05Any measure that you take where there is further regulation,
02:09there is potential for an increased cost on strata owners.
02:13Licensing is essential because otherwise you and I could open up a strata management company tomorrow,
02:17not know the Act, mislead our owners.
02:20A number of states are backing a national inquiry into strata management
02:24to bring consumer protections into line.
02:27But the federal government is yet to agree.
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