Major stoush at Gold Coast super towers Chevron Renaissance

Residents at one of the Gold Coast’s largest residential towers have been left in limbo as an internal war rages over who should control their $7 million-a-year body corporate fees.

RESIDENTS at one of the Gold Coast’s largest residential towers have been left in limbo as an internal war rages over who should control their $7 million-a-year body corporate fees.

A State Government commissioner is investigating if the election of a new management group at Chevron Renaissance last month was valid.

One of the 726 unit owners at the Surfers Paradise tower complained to the Queensland Body Corporate and Community Management Commissioner (QBCCMC) that the annual general meeting was null and void because the old body corporate committee voted to cancel it, five days before it was set to take place.

The Commissioner has stopped the new body corporate from taking up their management roles until a decision is made.

The old body corporate committee has instead been reinstated and the Bulletin has been told a ruling from the Commissioner could take until the end of the year.

WELCOME TO COOLANGHETTO: HOW SANDTUNES COULD RETURN SUBURB TO BAD OLD DAY

A body corporate fight has broken out at Chervon Renaissance, one of the Gold Coast's biggest residential towers. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Residents paying $10,000 a year in body corporate fees said they were frustrated with the stalemate as they had not heard from the governing committee.

“No meetings have been made since the old body corporate was put back in place, so owners have had no opportunity to ask questions or seek repairs,” one resident said.

OTHER NEWS:

Hire company in ‘unusual’ liquidation

‘Just tragic’: Domino’s Pizza delivery rider, 18, killed in crash

Surf Life Saving boss arrested over alleged $2.7m fraud

“Owners are sick of it, because we voted to change the committee.”

Geoff Hokin, the chairman of the body corporate voted out and then reinstated, did not respond to requests for comment.

Debbie Trussel, a resident and elected member of the “new seven-member committee”, said the situation was “unprecedented”.

“Nobody has the authority to go ahead, they just seem have the authority of the day to day,” she said.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN: $5 A MONTH FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

Residents say they are “frustrated” the old body corporate has been reinstated despite an overwhelming AGM vote last month. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“Simple things need to be done while the Commissioner comes to a conclusion. Not every unit has an electricity metre, so who bears the cost of that while we wait?

“We also have Schoolies coming up quickly, so major decisions do need to be made. It has become a toxic situation.”

Complaints over the election were first made to the Commissioner last month.

The interstate owner who made the complaint declined to comment when contacted by the Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday, due the ongoing nature of the adjudication.

In an application to the Commissioner, resident Karen Blackhurst, who was elected chair of the new committee, sought an interim decision for the AGM vote to be honoured. Residents said it was a majority decision.

Ms Blackhurst argued a new AGM would come at “considerable cost” to residents.

However, the QBCCMC rejected that argument and said it had “serious concerns regarding the validity of the AGM and any motions carried at that meeting”.

A spokesman for the QBCCMC said an adjudicator will make a final order in due course.

“It would be inappropriate and unfair to all parties concerned to discuss the matter while it is ongoing,” he said.