Apogee pulls shifty on owners

Apogee Strata has been named and shamed by Australian Apartment Advocacy (AAA) for its shifty approach to forcing apartment owners to sign with them for its strata management services.

Clients of the former Property Gallery, which went insolvent in February this year are being hit up by Apogee Strata who claim they purchased the strata roll from the Property Gallery.

The company, which formed on 1 May is serving Property Gallery clients with a novated contract which provides owners the option to decide if they want to proceed with this change of management, or not.

However, despite not providing evidence of the purchase of the strata roll, Apogee Strata is railroading owners into the contracts, against legal advice.  Furthermore, those that are seeking to exit are being told to pay a 3 month exit fee and are required to have Apogee oversee their insurance coverage so that the company can profiteer from the insurance commission.

Samantha Reece Director of AAA stated that this was not the first case of strata managers seeking to overrule owners and consequently breaching the Act.

“The behaviour of Apogee Strata is not only illegal but highly unethical and with a lack of a strata commissioner in WA it falls upon AAA to make it publicly known that companies such as Apogee Strata, B Strata and Oakfield Management are part of our consumer warning alerts,” Ms Reece said.

“AAA wrote to Apogee Strata, then issued legal correspondence and yet they are seeking to still force owners to accept the company as their strata manager because the repercussions in WA are weak.”

The Strata Act review is currently underway with an announcement expected by Minister Carey in May as to the recommended changes.

Ms Reece stated that AAA would issue a consumer warning against Apogee Strata in the coming days and that any other Strata Companies or owners concerned by the company’s bullying tactics should contact AAA immediately.