“We are very pleased with the Long Term Plans provided by Plan Heaven for the Commercial and Residential Body Corporate properties we manage. Their plans are straightforward, economic and easy to update via the Dashboard.”Ann Woods, Managing Director, Skyway Body Corporate Services, Christchurch
“We've had good feedback from our Bodies Corporate when they have had their LTMPs prepared by Plan Heaven. Plan Heaven produces plans that are understandable, well priced and easy to update and they also support us with great service.”Paul Roux, Senior Body Corporate Manager/Business Development, Strata Title Administration, Wellington
“We have been using Plan Heaven for some years now and have always found their Long Term Maintenance Plans to be concise, accurate and realistic in their scope. We would have no hesitation in recommending Plan Heaven to any Body Corporate or Body Corporate manager.”John Pitcaithly, Pitcaithly Body Corporate Services Limited, Christchurch
"Oxygen Strata Ltd on behalf of bodies corporate we manage has engaged the services of Plan Heaven to provide Long Term Maintenance Plans. John Bradley's knowledge and understanding of not only building elements and infrastructure but the Unit Titles Act 2010 and Regulations has seen him as being one of the go-to companies in Wellington in providing LTMP’s to bodies corporate. Their plans are easy to understand, and they are always willing to go the extra mile to assist our clients."Anita Reinecke, Body Corporate Division Manager, Oxygen, Wellington
At Plan Heaven our plans are specially built for BCs.
What difference does this make? It makes a big difference because as you know, a body corporate is an unusual beast compared to other property owners.
1. We understand how decisions are made
At Plan Heaven, we understand how decisions are made in a body corporate. To the uninitiated it appears straight forward but we know that a BC is a democracy and democracies can be messy because people have different views on things. Especially when it comes to spending money.
2. It's not just the legislation. It's how some people manage to interpret it.
As you will know, while the legislation might appear to be clear, there are many ways people manage to interpret it. Especially when it comes to who pays for maintenance. So we take a lot of time narrowing down those options when we build our plans.
3. Who should pay anyway?
In every plan, with every item that needs maintenance, we first need to determine whether it should be funded by the body corporate, or each individual owner. In most cases this is straight forward because it's obvious and there is little debate.
But with virtually every body corporate, there will be at least one element where there is enough grey, that one or two owners think anyone but them should be paying - and are able to make a decent case.
We don't avoid these questions in our LTMPs, we tackle them head on by using what we call Funding Resolutions.
4. About our Funding Resolutions.
When required, we include Funding Resolutions in our plans, where we imagine what the majority of owners would prefer as BC policy, in regard to the maintenance of any particular item and include this as a Funding Resolution in the plan, so that the owners can discuss it and vote on it.
An example might be "The body corporate will manage and fund all maintenance on all balconies in the development".
So that once the LTMP has been approved, that's the way it's done at that BC from then on.
5. The Long-Term Maintenance Fund
On the front page of each of our plans, there is a statement that declares whether or not the BC has opted out of having a Fund and if it has, when this was resolved. The statement also records if they have chosen to use a Contingency Fund as an alternative.
6. Paid from the Fund (or Contingency, or Reserve) or the Operating Account
There are some items that most BC Managers prefer to have paid for from the Operating Account - such as building washes and gutter cleaning. For those routine maintenance items, we establish in advance with each BC Manager what their preferences are and write up each of their plans accordingly.
7. Working with existing contractors
We are aware that most BC Managers already use a preferred contractor to maintain some of the elements we are going to discuss and schedule work on. In those cases we will ask the BC Manager for the contact details of the contractors and discuss with them what they would like to see the BC set aside funds for.
There's no point in getting a different - and maybe even conflicting recommendations - from someone else, when the preferred contractor who already knows the system, also knows it's limitations.
Summary
The ownership of a Unit Title development is different from other forms of property. They are governed by a democracy that operates under unique legislation. What a BC maintains, how it is to be maintained and who pays, are all up for debate. We structure our plans so that these issues are addressed and so that hopefully, the job of the BC Manager becomes a little easier.
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If you have any questions and would like to know please contact John Bradley, 021 722 786 or john@planheaven.co.nz
The Plan Heaven team.