Ann: 2023 Annual General Meeting Presentation, page-13

AFAIK, JLG offshoot Bright and Duggan has never had this sort of unwelcome publicity.

('Herald Sun' online, Melbourne, Sunday afternoon 10 December 2023):

Residents at the luxury Tiara apartment complex in Soutbank were shocked by their fees. Picture: Supplied

Residents in a luxury complex say they have been slapped with staggering fee hikes of almost 80 per cent in a row with its owners corporation management company it is trying to dump.

Tiara apartment owners, in Southbank, said its committee voted to terminate Network Pacific’s contract, which takes effect on 22 January.

But they claim it has been refusing to hand over bank accounts, a register of who owns apartments in the building and is ignoring the new management company’s requests for information to prepare for the takeover.

A spokesman for Network Pacific denied the claims.

“Network Pacific categorically rejects any suggestion that we are or would ever withhold records that were lawfully due to be handed over to other parties,” she said.

“As a reputable strata management company we would never operate in such a way.”

The 211 apartment owners were in shock when receiving their latest building fees.

One resident, Jennifer Fletcher, said her fees had risen from $4681 a year to $8357 – an increase of 79 per cent.

“We just don’t know what to do. We’re at our wits end,” Ms Fletcher said.

“We feel like they’ve bullied us again and again and they simply disregard any governing body and ignore VCAT orders.

“Now they’ve increased the fees by 80 per cent.

“It’s like we’re dealing with the mafia,” she added.

Network Pacific is one of the biggest building management companies in the country. Its CEO is Stephen Briffa.

Ms Fletcher, who is chair of the owners corporation, estimates 70 per cent of the apartments at Tiara – or 148 properties – are owned by foreign nationals who do not realise what is happening at the building.

A fight over who manages Tiara has been rumbling for years and ended up in two court battles costing $100,000.

A owners corporation manager’s report, seen by the Herald Sun, said the fee hike was due to rising cost of living expenses.

“The Owners Corporation was able to sustain expenses for the 2022-23 year whilst keeping fees the same,” it states.

“However with the rising cost of living as a result of the global pandemic, it is clear the Owners Corporation fees need to increase.

“The proposed increase is approximately 39 per cent for both the admin and maintenance fund combined.

“This has been reviewed and endorsed by the committee for owners to vote on at the AGM.”

Ms Fletcher claims the fee rise was advised by Network Pacific but is much more than what is stated and was never voted on.

“They are pushing this through in the hope of getting to February when the VCAT order ends and voting themselves in for another two years.

“It’s a blatant rort and must be stopped but no one seems to be able to do anything.”

Network Pacific strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

“Operating since 1994, Network Pacific is a leading strata manager in our sector, and we take seriously our legal and professional responsibilities, and the quality of services delivered to our clients,” a spokesman said.