The Chair Said Yes. Is That Enough?
A strata committee chair approves an $18,900 garage-door repair by email. Before the strata manager proceeds, where does the authority actually sit?
A strata building has an unreliable garage door. A contractor recommends replacing the motor for $18,900. The strata manager circulates the quote to the strata committee. The chairperson replies, “Approved. Please book it in.” No other committee member responds. There is no immediate safety issue and the garage door remains operational. Does the chairperson’s email provide sufficient authority to proceed?
Which option would you choose?
- AProceed because the chairperson approved it.
- BAssume silence from the remaining committee means agreement.
- CCheck the strata manager’s delegated authority and, if required, obtain a proper committee decision.
- DRefer every repair quote to all owners.
Choose your response before opening the practical explanation.
Reveal the practical explanation
First identify where authority actually sits.
The chairperson holds an important office, but is not automatically the strata committee’s sole decision-maker. One committee member’s instruction is not, by itself, the same thing as a recorded decision of the strata committee. Silence from the other members should not be treated as agreement.
Before assuming the quote must return to the committee, check the strata management agency agreement, current delegations and any applicable financial limits or owners corporation restrictions. The strata manager may already have delegated authority to arrange common-property repairs within defined limits. If that authority applies, the manager proceeds under the delegation—not because one committee member sent an approval email.
If the necessary authority has not been delegated, obtain the decision from the appropriate strata committee or owners corporation process. The proposed resolution, decision, voting outcome, instruction, responsible person and next action should be recorded clearly.
The facts can change the pathway. Urgent risk mitigation, statutory limits, scheme restrictions, available funds or the nature of the work may require additional checks. In this scenario the door remains operational and there is no immediate safety issue, so there is time to confirm authority before committing the owners corporation.
A clear instruction is not necessarily a valid authority.
Checking authority protects the owners corporation, committee and strata manager. It prevents an informal email from being mistaken for a committee resolution, while also avoiding unnecessary delay where the agency agreement already gives the manager the authority to act.
CHECK DELEGATION → IDENTIFY AUTHORITY → GET THE DECISION → RECORD IT → PROCEED
STRATA IQ AcademyHow is easy when you know the why. Check where authority sits before anyone commits the owners corporation to the work.
Turn the explanation into practice.
Open the linked Guide or Academy pathway when you need the complete checks, official sources and practical learning.