Fundamental to all strata, community and bodies corporate schemes is the need to raise and receive funds to pay for the maintenance of its building and the administration of the scheme (indeed in Queensland it is legislated that a body corporate must commence proceedings to recover any levies which have been outstanding for two years).

All types of schemes raise funds by resolutions passed at general meetings. The resolutions determine the amount of the levies payable by lot owners in the respective scheme.

When lot owners fail to pay levies, the schemes can be left with a shortfall in funds to pay for essential expenses including building insurance, cleaning and repairs and maintenance of the common property. In order to meet its day to day expenses schemes must put in place a debt collection process which ensures recovery of levy arrears in a timely manner.

This is how the Grace Lawyers’ levy recovery team can assist you.

We provide a personalised, responsive and easy to understand levy recovery service for hundreds of strata, community title and body corporate managers in all eastern seaboard states and territories. We act on behalf of a number of managers and schemes who all have particular needs and requirements as to how they would like their debt collection process handled. We work to understand and tailor our recovery process to the individual needs and requirements of the largest schemes and management firms through to the smallest.

When you engage Grace Lawyers you will deal with only one service provider with years of experience in all aspects of strata, body corporate and community title law. This provides you with a key advantage as a lot of levy recovery matters usually involve issues which touch on or extend to issues such as by-laws, repairs and maintenance, insurance, management agreements, meeting procedure issues, building defects and other areas of the relevant legislation. Having a complete understanding of all aspects of the relevant law enables our debt collection team to cut through the debtor’s ‘issues’ to ensure timely recovery of the debt.

Our team consists of over 20 people, including 6 specialist lawyers who deal with all levy collection issues from issuing letters of demand, organising and monitoring payment arrangements with debtors, liaising with lot owners and commencing and enforcing legal proceedings through to conducting defended hearings in all Courts and tribunals. You will be kept up to date and know where your matter has been, its current status and where it is going (with definite recommendations) for each and every matter you refer.

Grace Lawyers’ fees in this area are not normal solicitors’ fees charged at hourly rates. Our fees are fixed at rates which are some of the most competitive in the industry and are recoverable against the lot owner in arrears pursuant to the relevant provisions of the state and territory strata legislation.