As a first-time owner of an apartment or unit with a Body Corporate, it can be difficult to understand the roles of the different people involved. This article sets out the roles and respective responsibilities of the persons that make up the Body Corporate.

 Body Corporate Member

A Body Corporate is made up of all the registered owners within the same building/complex. Upon your lawyer registering your name as the owner of a unit title property, you automatically become a Body Corporate member.

 Body Corporate Chairperson  

At each Annual General Meeting the Body Corporate must elect a chairperson.

The duties of the chairperson include the duty to prepare the agenda for each general meeting, to chair that meeting, to record resolutions, to keep financial accounts and to sign documents on behalf of the Body Corporate (among other things), however some of these may be delegated to the Body Corporate Committee and/or the Body Corporate Manager.

 Body Corporate Committee

The Body Corporate Committee is a group of Body Corporate Members that are elected to handle any duties or powers on behalf of the Members. The Body Corporate Chairperson will also be the Chairperson of the Body Corporate Committee unless the Committee decides otherwise.

A Body Corporate can decide not to form a Committee in the following circumstances:

• If there are nine or less units in the complex, the Body Corporate can decide not to have a committee, as long as 50% or more of the unit owners agree (ie by ordinary resolution).
• If there are nine or more units in the complex, the Body Corporate can decide not to have a committee as long as 75% or more of the unit owners agree (ie by special resolution).

 Body Corporate Manager

The Body Corporate Manager is usually a third party company contracted to handle the day to day tasks for the Body Corporate, though there may not be one if the Body Corporate is small.

The Body Corporate Manager provides the administration services for the Body Corporate and is the first contact person for anything related to the property as a whole including:

• record keeping eg preparing notices, minutes from meetings and resolutions
• financial services eg paying repair/maintenance invoices, payment of insurance premiums
• confirming an insurance Policy is in place & dealing with any claims
• providing disclosure as required for Pre Contract Disclosure Statements (PCDS) and Pre Settlement Disclosure Statements (PSDS)