On 8 and 9 May 2025, based on irrefutable evidence, we made an executive decision that FirstResponseMS work would be a waste of Admin Fund at this stage (record negative balance (deficit) in Admin Fund in amount of -$375,415.62 was listed by Waratah Strata Management on 30 April 2025) and there was no point for their staff visiting our unit yet.
We would love to resolve this issue but not through temporary steps and patchwork (what Australians would call "shonky work"). The quality of FirstResponseMS work is not questionable, but the prerequisite step that needs to be done by others is still pending (finding and fixing the source of water leak).
Here were the reasons:
Waratah Strata Management created a belated "Open Work Order" number 21652 on 29 April 2025.
The work order is as follows:
As discussed, please contact the Owner of U158 to coordinate access and complete the required repairs to the section of ceiling in the sunroom where water damage is evident. Photo will be attached. As for the cause of the leak (from the unit above), we have received confirmation that this has been remediated. Please contact the Lot Owner to coordinate access and notify the building manager once a date/time has been scheduled.
SP52948-waratahstrata-Maintenance-Open-Work-Orders-folder-Lot-158-ceiling-repair-29Apr2025.pdf
The statement that the cause of the water leak (from the unit above) has been remediated is false and void. This is not the first time strata manager made such public comments.
Videos taken today, after light rain in Sydney, proved humidity measurement readings on the sunroom ceiling above 23% (very high):
Historical details of Lot 158 ongoing problems (there are quite a few of them in Lot 158 and Block A building) are part of NCAT case 2024/00454780 and on display at:
SP52948-unresolved-common-property-maintenance-issues-in-Lot-158
This problem was reported to Waratah Strata Management and Uniqueco Property Services (building manager) multiple times.
The first time it was sent to Waratah Strata Management on 29 November 2020 (soon we will "celebrate" fifth anniversary of deliberate neglect and mismanagement of common property). In the request, we said:
During cleanup of sun room this weekend, we found traces of water leaks and damages both on ceiling (near light fitting, creating potential electrical hazard) and on the ground.
We do not know for how long these damages have occurred.
Serious consequences for not repairing the common property and directly causing health and safety risks cannot be overstated.
SP52948-Lot-158-request-for-immediate-sunroom-repairs-29Nov2020
Whilst sunroom repairs at the floor level were completed, the ceiling repairs have not been. Further more, we even warned handyman Warwick about it two times. Strata manager and building manager never replied.
Coincidentally, whilst helping another owner who had similar water leaks in their sunroom, we sent a note about mandatory waterproofing of sunrooms to Waratah Strata Management on 8 August 2020.
SP52948-Waratah-Strata-Management-ignored-warning-about-mandatory-sunroom-waterproofing-8Aug2020
Strata manager never replied.
In 2003, SP52948 was taken to NSW Fair Trading by Lot 45 for serious sunroom damages:
In 2022, there was also NSW Fair Trading mediation case 00707467 for Lot 1 for similar problems. Strata manager refuses to disclose details and outcome of this case.
SP52948 has many fire and OH&S issues, and number of currently outstanding fire safety non-compliance orders by City of Ryde Council. Lot 158 sunroom is just part of a bigger problem.
Sadly, your work in Lot 158 would be fruitless at this stage.
When source of water leak for Lot 158 sunroom is properly resolved (we do not need repetitive repairs which are commonly done in this complex), we can discuss further steps.
On 17 September 2024, after almost four years of keeping Lot 158 sunroom problem unresolved, Waratah Strata Management simply closed Open Work Order not only for our unit but number of other overdue repairs (12 issues in total). The "tragic comedy" of the event was that Lot 158 owners were around 16,500 km away from Sydney at the time and stayed outside Australia until early November 2024:
SP52948-Waratah-Strata-Management-forgery-of-Open-Work-Orders-17Sep2024
Before that despicable event, there were 14 Open Work Orders, of which some were listed since 2017:
On 20 March 2025, alleged committee member Mr. Stan Pogorelsky submitted witness statement to NCAT, in which he claimed that Lot 158 sunroom leak was resolved on 17 September 2024. This false statement was fully supported by Waratah Strata Management and Uniqueco Property Services.
That is not the only false statement made to NCAT. As an example, they claimed Block A sunroom window frames were inspected on 1 December 2020, after terrible third incident with complete window frame being blown by wind in Lot 190 on the seventh floor (and almost causing major hazard to people in the unit and on the ground):
SP52948-third-major-incident-in-complex-blown-window-frame-in-sunroom-29Nov2020
SP52948-update-on-third-major-incident-in-complex-blown-window-frame-in-sunroom-30Nov2020
SP52948-glass-from-blown-window-frame-not-cleaned-in-garden-bed-for-three-months-9Feb2021
Videos of the incident show the seriousness of the event:
Lot-190-sunroom-window-frame-blown-away-by-wind-video-1-29Nov2020 (video)
Lot-190-sunroom-window-frame-blown-away-by-wind-video-2-29Nov2020 (video)
Lot-190-sunroom-window-frame-blown-away-by-wind-video-3-29Nov2020 (video)
Lot-190-sunroom-window-frame-blown-away-by-wind-video-4-29Nov2020 (video)
Block B sunroom window frames were inspected on 21 and 22 December 2020, three weeks after major incident in Block A:
Block C sunroom window frames were inspected on 19 December 2020, three weeks after major incident in Block A:
Block D sunroom window frames were not inspected in December 2020 but with delay of almost two years on 21 June 2022:
Block A sunroom window frames were not inspected in December 2020 but with delay of almost two years on 7 September 2022:
Missing rivets in Lot 158 and 160 show the real risks due to overdue repairs, with emphasis on how much the window frame in Lot 160 was detached from the building:
SP52948-Lot-158-missing-rivets-on-window-frame-in-sunroom-photo-1-7Sep2022
SP52948-Lot-158-missing-rivets-on-window-frame-in-sunroom-photo-2-7Sep2022
SP52948-Lot-160-missing-rivets-on-detached-window-frame-in-sunroom-photo-1-7Sep2022
And for the record, insurance company rejected the claim in amount of $13.497.00 for repairs of Lot 190 sunroom due to "long term fatigue" (poor maintenance of the complex):
Example of Lot 2 complaining about sunroom window frame in 2013 (photos attached):
SP52948-Lot-2-complaint-about-sunroom-window-frame-unattached-from-wall-3Nov2013
