Why knowledge is power

In this very competitive world we are living in, the person with the combination of the best qualifications and relevant industry experience will probably get the job. Even though experience is invaluable, a knowledge foundation will allow a person to interpret experience quicker, making him or her the better person for the job.

In a technical field such as the management of sectional title buildings, managing agents are faced with a minefield of issues every day, such as illegal parking on the common property, unauthorised changes to the buildings, difficult tenants who have no regard for the rules of the scheme, the enforcement of the rules, how to make and implement new rules, who may spend the body corporate's money, how to collect money for the body corporate, etc. Wrong decisions can be costly and lead to confusion and resentment amongst the owners. And the longer the problems remain, the more difficult it becomes to restore good relationships and keep the peace and harmony in these densely populated communities.

A managing agent who understands the requirements of the Sectional Titles Act and how to manage a body corporate in general, is a valuable asset for any set of trustees. The more a managing agent knows, the more secure the trustees can be in the knowledge that the scheme is managed in accordance with the provisions of the Act, and that conflict between the owners and the body corporate can be avoided even before it starts. People living in sectional title buildings usually do not have time to concern themselves with the daily management of the scheme, which is all the more reason why a competent managing agent should be employed to assist the trustees and the owners in the administrative and general management of the building.

The more knowledge and experience one has in a specific field, the more confident one is when implementing the management decisions on a practical level. A set of trustees will soon realize if their managing agent does not have enough sectional title knowledge to assist them in their tasks, something which could be to the detriment of the scheme and the managing agent's business.

Knowledge is indeed power and in our small sectional title communities where every owner wants his voice heard, this power in the form of a confident and qualified managing agent is exactly what a scheme needs to function optimally without unnecessary conflict and mismanagement.

If you are interested in learning about the legal aspects of managing a scheme, please contact Christina at christina@paddocks.co.za or on 021 674 7818 for information on the UCT Sectional Title Scheme Management Certificate course.

This part-time course is presented nationally by Paddocks in conjunction with the University of Cape Town. Should you wish to find out whether your managing agent has completed this course and has received the certification, please contact Christina.