NOVEMBER 2020: Compliance with the Healthy Homes Act at our Body Corporate

The Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019 became law on 1 July 2019. The regulations include requirements for landlords of rental properties to comply with healthy homes standards. The compliance date for landlords has been changed from 1 July 2020 to 1 December 2020, due to COVID-19. Landlords must include a statement of their current level of compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards in any new, varied or renewed tenancy agreement.

If you are an owner who is a landlord, or plans to be, then this applies to you and it is your responsibility to comply with the standards and to seek an exemption if you cannot comply.

The body corporate committee resolved at its meeting on 11 August 2020 to decline all applications for installation of heat pumps, vented fans and similar installations that go through external walls that are part of the common property. 

The reason for the Committee’s decision is primarily that the body corporate operational rules do not allow for private installations that go through external walls that are common property. This applies to all Starblock units. However, installation in other blocks such as row houses and maisonette balconies or courtyards also require the permission of the body corporate committee as they are external to the building (even though in private property).

The committee has made this decision to assist owners who are landlords to obtain exemptions from the standards and in particular, a partial exemption from the heating standards, if required. Note however, that landlords will still need to take all reasonable steps to ensure the property complies with the healthy homes standards to the greatest extent reasonably practicable. In the case of heating standards, this means by installing other forms of heating (i.e. than a heat pump).

The general exemptions include:

If a rental property is part of a building and the landlord does not own the entire building (for example, if a landlord owns an apartment). The landlord will be partially exempt from complying with parts of the standards if their ability to comply with the healthy homes standards is impeded because:  

–  they need to install or provide something in a part of the building where the landlord is not the sole owner, or  

–  they need access to a part of the building that they are not the sole owner.  

There is also a relevant specific exemption that only applies to the heating standard:

A landlord is not required to install a heater where it is not reasonably practicable to install one.  

The definition of ‘reasonably practicable’ includes it not being reasonably practicable to install something if the body corporate has a rule which prohibits the installation of external heating units on common property without the consent of the body corporate.

NOVEMBER 2020: Rental E-scooters and E-bikes are not to be left within Freemans Park grounds and pathways

The Body Corporate requests that all residents refrain from parking rental E-bikes and rental E-scooters in the common property of Freeman’s Park. Leaving these devices in the common property means they cannot be accessed by other users from the public road side and breaches the rental agreement with the service provider.

The Building Manager has full authority to tow away any rental micromobility devices parked on common property of the Body Corporate. When they are towed the service provider may on-charge the person who rented the device for the cost of the towing fee.

Residents who leave these devices within common property will be in breach of the following body corporate operating rules: 2a, 4 and 6 and owner-landlords are responsible for the actions of their tenants.

The main service providers in Auckland (Beam, Neuron, Lime and JUMP) have been requested to set up a virtual boundary line that would disable any users to park within the property.  Beam and Neuron have already implemented the boundary line and the Body Corporate is awaiting confirmation from Lime who also manages JUMP.

Your cooperation in making sure that the rental E-bikes and E-scooters are parked on  the public road side and not common property is greatly appreciated, as well as that where applicable, your tenants are informed as this also relates to compliance with operational rules.

NOVEMBER 2020: Notices for continued breaches of Body Corporate rules will incur a charge of $350 from 1st January 2021

The Body Corporate receives complaints from time to time about breaches of operational rules and understands the significant and disruptive impact on residents when the rules are not adhered to. This is especially so when the process of requiring an owner to remediate the breach is slow or protracted.  There is also a significant amount of time and cost involved in managing breaches.

Following legal consultation about how to better protect the complex and its occupiers, and adequately manage rule breaches, the Body Corporate will be taking a no tolerance approach to rule breaches and breach letters will be issued for all breaches, including minor ones. With the exclusion of the first breach notice for any particular breach, all further breach letters will incur a fee that is charged to the unit owner under Section 127 of Unit Titles Act 2010. The fee to be charged to the owner of the unit is $350 including GST for each breach letter issued by the Body Corporate Manager, payable to the Body Corporate, effective from 1st January 2021.

Breach letters will be sent even if the breach has passed and no remedy is required or possible e.g. disruptive behaviour, noise, drug use etc but no damage. This ensures there is documented evidence of past issues available if the Body Corporate needs to pursue reoccurring  or serious breaches via the court and can also assist an owner-landlord in managing their responsibilities.

When faced with a tenant breaching the rules, including serious breaches, the Body Corporate may bring a claim against the unit owner and the tenant. The unit owner is ultimately liable for their tenants’ actions and the costs will be sought against the owner.

Unit title developments are about neighbours whose common interest is ownership of units, which come with rights and responsibilities. The Body Corporate committee represents the interests of all owners and is the key player and sole protector of the integrity of Freeman’s Park as a whole. It is vital that the Body Corporate is able to better protect the complex and its occupiers and adequately manage rule breaches.

In the new year prior to the RTA Amendment coming into force from 11 February 2021, a further letter will be sent to owners who are landlords about their options, as over 60% of our units are tenanted

 

SEPTEMBER 2020: YEARLY INORGANIC COLLECTION ON 21/9/20

This year’s collection is booked for the 21st of September with the pick up points being the same as past years. Please use this opportunity to dispose of all inorganic refuse other than car tyres, paints, solvents or chemicals of any kind!

If you have items stored in any of the storage units associated with either the Maisionette or Star blocks please mark items you wish to keep with your unit number. Any items not marked might be removed and disposed of with the inorganic collection.

Marker flags at the three collection points will be placed two weeks before hand in following locations

AUGUST 2020: YOUR NEW COMMITTEE

Following our annual AGM election in July 2020 we are pleased to confirm that the Body Corporate Committee is comprised of following members:  Dianne Barron, Venkat Dheen for Kainga Ora (HNZ), Steve Gray, Lesley Mc Turk (Chair of the Body Corporate and of the Committee), Kayne Michell, Lisa Morton, Warren Olds, Alexandra Tunnicliffe, Christina Van Bohemen, Lies Vandesande for AHA, Michael Wallmannsberger and June Younger.    

SEPTEMBER  2019: REPLACEMENT OF CHERRY TREES  at lining the driveway entering from Beresford Street West alongside the starblock 85 Beresford Street West Bank

The committee will organise replacement of the very oldcherrie trees since  any further attention such as pruning or fertilising will not improve their condition.
The Committee has done considerable research; consulted with our gardeners and arborist.  The decision has been made for the replacement trees to be new cherries.
The replanting will be done in stages over two to three years.  Stage one will be the trees outside block 85 Beresford Street, on the left when entering from Beresford Street and will take place in September after consultation with owners on the proposed replacement.

JANUARY AND FEBRUARY  2019: PAINTING OF STARBLOCK 85 BERESFORD STREET WEST 

With the painting of the row houses at 57A Hepburn finished by Christmas 2018, the paint works of the exterior and interior common areas of star block 85 Beresford Street West are scheduled for January and February 2019.  Scaffolding will be erected on the north and east faces from 7 January and the exterior will be painted like blocks 81, 83 and 87 Beresford Street West but with the contrast colour on the textured panel boards of the exterior in yellow, using Resene California and Resene Gold Tips.  A visualisation of the colours for the north face back entrance of the building is provided below.  Owners can choose the door colour for their unit from one of six selected door colours as can be seen by scrolling further down on this page.

EARLY 2018: PAINTING OF ROW HOUSES AT 57 AND 55A HEPBURN STREET AND STARBLOCK 87 BERESFORD STREET WEST

In line with the Body Corporate’s Long Term Maintenance Plan, the next round of painting of a star block and two groups of row houses is scheduled to start in January 2018.

First off the block will be the row houses at 57 and 55a Hepburn Street. The buildings will first be washed, then painting will be done progressively, with the use of mobile scaffolding.

The row houses will be painted in the same manner as the maisonette buildings at 79 Beresford Street West and 148 Howe Street (textured panels in grey, walls and joinery in white). Scroll down to see photos, and obviously you can go and have look to see these buildings first hand.

Owners can choose the door colour for their unit from one of six provided below. Please contact Eddie Paunovic with your choice by the end of December.

Painting of the row houses will be followed by star block 87 Beresford Street West with painting of the exterior and interior scheduled for late January 2018. Scaffolding will be erected on the north and south faces and the exterior will be painted like blocks 81 and 83 Beresford Street West but with the contrast colour in green, using Resene Limerick Green and Resene Chateau Green. A visualisation of the colours is  provided below.

Door colour selection samples:

Governor Bay

resene_governor_bay

Gold tips

resene_gold_tips

Whizz Bang

resene_whizz_bang

Sensual Red

resene_sensual_red

Dark Slate

resene_dark_slate

Chicago

resene_chicago

A  visualisation of the North side of 87 Beresford West  to give an indication of what it will look like:

FEBRUARY 2017: PAINTING OF STARBLOCK 83 Beresford Street WEST

As part of the Body Corporate’s Long Term Maintenance Plan the exterior and interior painting of starblock 83 Beresford Street West will begin on Monday 20 February 2017. The first stage of the work will see scaffolding erected on the North and South faces of the starblock.

The exterior will be painted as block 81 Beresford St but with contrast colour Red instead of blue. (Resene Sensual Red and Resene Whizz Bang red). The following visualisations give an indication of what it will look like.

83 Beresford St West back entrance web

83 Beresford St West front entrance web

NOVEMBER 2016: OUR NEW BUILDING AND GROUNDS MANAGER

Stephen Connelly, the building manager at Freemans Park for the past 12 years, is leaving us. His last day is 30 November.

Stephen goes with the body corporate committee’s warmest wishes for the future. He has done a wonderful job in maintaining and improving our buildings and grounds, and in helping to create a stable community in Freemans Park that is the envy of the greater community.

Following a comprehensive recruitment process, the Body Corporate Committee is pleased to announce that Eddie Paunovic has been appointed to replace Stephen. Eddie’s appointment takes effect from Thursday 1 December. However in order to ensure a smooth transition, Eddie has already been working with Stephen to get familiar with the workings and complexities of Freemans Park. Please note that the phone number to contact Eddie remains the same: 0800 210 589.

OCTOBER 2016: CONSULTATION ON THE NEW COLOUR SCHEME – FEEDBACK NEEDED BY 24 OCTOBER

The painting of 148 Howe Street is planned as per the Long Term Maintenance Plan, to commence from 17 October with the mounting of scaffolding first, followed by repair works and painting, and the building will be painted in the same manner as 79 Beresford Street West. You can see the building itself and/or you can view photos below in this news section. The door colour of each unit can be chosen by the owner from a select range of six colours, of which two are neutral. This colour selection can also be considered from samples below.

The Committee considers the current maintenance and painting works as an opportune time to invite your feedback as per AGM resolution on the new colour palette.  We would appreciate getting an indication of interest from those who want to view the suggested colour selection for each building so we can organise a time and place to show the colours and provide the opportunity for you to see the overall picture for Freemans Park as a whole. We are hoping to arrange for Penny Vernon to speak to those who are interested, providing the background as how she chose the colours. Please email our account manager at BCA to register interest or feedback by Monday 24 October.

Colours applied on maisonette block 79 Beresford Street West are:

Exterior

Fascias, Barge boards, walls, fibrolite wall panels: Rice Cake

Timber joinery: Black White

Corrugated metal panels, timber handrails and railings: Tapa grey

Door sills: Half Masala grey

Timber joinery to apartment facing stairwells: Black White

Stairwell exterior door: Tapa

Storeroom roof: Zeus

Interior

Interior joinery, walls and ceilings: Rice Cake