BCS Management Co. W.L.L

Trust us for service excellence today & beyond
Corporate Lic No: 862864, (NSW) Memberships:
National Community Titles Institute (NCTI), Institute of Strata Title Management Ltd. (NSW), Community Titles Institute QLD Ltd (CTIQ),
Institute of Body Corporate Managers (VIC), Community Associations Institute (USA), Urban Development Institute of Australia (NSW)
BCS-MENA (FZC), BCS-Bahrain
1 of 4
BCS Bahrain W.L.L.
P.O. Box 669, Manama,
Kingdom of Bahrain
Tel: +973 17 583 155
Fax: +973 17 582 994
Head Office
Level 27, 66 Goulburn St,
Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2000
Tel: +612 8216 0384
www.bcssm.com.au
Wednesday 14th May 2008
We strive to provide the ideal environment for Real Estate investment and consultancy .
Dear Owners,
RE: MIRAGE BUILDING AMWAJ ISLAND
As per our meeting with Al Saraya we have been informed that you are due to form an owners
association by June 8th 2008. Below is some information on our company and the role that our company
plays with regards to the management and formation of your owners association.
We look forward to meeting with you all in near future to discuss the services we can provide to your
building.
Introduction
BCS Australia is one of the shareholders of BCS Management Co. W.L.L a joint venture partnership with
Abdulla Ahmed Nass Group, BCS Australia has been operating for over 30 years and is the most
professional, dependable and accessible strata management company in Australia. We are responsible
for the management of over 140,000 apartments in Australia, ranging from gated community schemes
to mixed use developments which include both commercial and residential towers.
Our core strategy is to develop and maintain long term relationships with our clients. A cornerstone of
this strategy is our commitment to communication and continuity as essential components in owners
association management. In addition to a comprehensive knowledge of the applicable regulations, we
believe a manager needs to develop a thorough understanding of the owners association, its
maintenance and operating history and be readily available to communicate that knowledge to owners
association members.
Our corporate philosophy is to not only provide the owners association with advice and services based
on legal requirements, but also to use our experience and expertise to guide those managing the
community in encouraging harmony and maximizing value for owners.
BCS is industry accredited and an active member of the Community Titles Institute in Queensland, the
Institute of Strata Title Management in New South Wales and the Institute of Body Corporate Managers
in Victoria. BCS is committed and driven to establishing and maintaining professional standards within
the industry.
BCS is currently operating in Bahrain and Dubai and is committed to further development within the
G.C.C.
What is Strata?
In those jurisdictions where strata titling laws are in place the following is a typical definition:-
Collectively a stratum is defined as a number of divisions in an organized system being looked after by a
single entity. Strata titling can enable the subdivision of land and buildings into units and common
property. Strata title properties can be:-
Residential high rise or villa communities
Commercial offices and retail developments
Mixed use -retail/residential
Mixed use -commercial/residential
Mixed use commercial freehold/hotel
Strata is a word not previously used in Bahrain to describe the high rise constructions and villa
communities however it is a term that describes similar developments in countries such as Australia,
Canada and New Zealand.
Common property can be described as that part of the site plan which is not part of a unit. It includes
most of the utility infrastructure (cables, air conditioning ducting, electrical wiring, plumbing, lifts, pools
etc) and structures such as stairwells, entry gates and foyers, pools, gardens, lakes, water features,
drainage systems, car parking entry ramps, median strips and roads.
When a person purchases a unit in a strata-titled development, they acquire the ownership of the
internal area of the unit to the centre line of the boundary of the walls, ceilings and floor. The area
outside those defined areas is common property and its maintenance responsibility is vested in the
owners association.
The Role of a Strata Manager
The strata manager is considered the representative of the owners association. They are appointed
either through the developer or the owners association at a general meeting.
The duties of a strata manager are as follows:
Maintain all accounting records.
Maintain a trust account.
Collect and deposit maintenance contributions.
Organize repairs and maintenance of common property.
Arrange quotations for services i.e. engagement of facilities management.
Engage cleaners, security, and gardeners/trades people.
Convene & hold meetings, attend meetings, take minutes, prepare minutes, dispatch minutes
of meetings.
Attend to harmony problems.
Appoint and assist independent audit of your financial accounts.
Renew insurances.
Arrange insurance valuations.
Arrange sinking fund plan (maintenance schedule to predict future expenditure and prepare
budgets accordingly).
Attend to any correspondence from any owner within the development.
Preparation of by-laws to administer control and harmony within the development.
What is an owners association?
An owners association:-
is legally formed upon the registration of the first sale of a unit in a Jointly Owned
Property with the Lands Department.
the members of the owners association are unit owners and the developer in respect
of any unsold units.
a unit owner s membership shall commence upon the registration of its ownership of
the unit and shall lapse upon the expiry of the registration after sale of the unit.
is a separate non profit legal entity from its members and has the right to own
movable and immovable assets.
has the right to sue Unit Owners and Occupiers and any person who enters the Jointly
Owned Property.
may, in a manner specified in the regulations, attached rights of exclusive use and
enjoyment or special privileges in relation to common areas to a unit and those
privileges are for the benefit of the occupier for the time being of the unit.
has specific association by-laws regulating the use and enjoyment of the units and
common areas.
may delegate all or some of its powers to a person or company it appoints as its
Association Manager.
The Role of an Owners Association
An owners association:-
is responsible for the management and operation of the common areas.
is responsible for the maintenance and repair of those common areas.
may authorize a unit owner to make alterations or modifications to the structure or external
appearance of his unit or any part of the Jointly Owned Property that may materially affect
the Unit or Jointly Owned Property or its external appearance.
must insure on a replacement and reinstatement basis a building the subject of Jointly
Owned Property that contains a unit or part of a unit and any improvements situated on
common property. The owners association is not responsible to take out insurance cover for
the unit owner's unit improvements and contents.
shall procure insurance against liability for damages for bodily injury or damage to property
for itself, the unit owners and occupiers.
shall have a lien on every unit for unpaid service charges and any other obligations levied
against the unit owner in accordance with the provisions of the law or the regulations of the
Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Role of Owners in an Owners Association
An owner who becomes a member of the owners association by purchasing a unit in a strata-titled
development not only enjoys the ownership of the unit but also ownership of a share of the
common property on a proportional basis usually as a percentage of the unit area over the total
area of the development.
The owner has the following responsibilities to the owners association:-
has a binding duty in favour of the other unit owners, other occupiers and the owners
association to comply with any Community Declaration registered on the title of the unit.
An owner may lease his unit on condition that the unit owner and tenant remain under duty
to comply with the Declaration towards the other unit owners, occupiers and the owners
association.
shall pay the owners association his share of the annual service charge to cover the cost of
maintenance, repair, operation and management of the common property.
may not make any alterations or modifications to the structure or external appearance of
his unit or any part of the common property unless authorised by the owners association.
owners, their guests and occupiers must comply with the owners association by-laws and
must use the common property in a way that does not compromise the rights of others to
use or disturb others or put their safety or the jointly owned property at risk.
If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.
Yours Faithfully,
BCS Management Co. W.L.L
Paul Banoob
General Manager
Direct Line: 17 583 155
Email: pbanoob@bcsbahrain.com