Report type 3
Strata Forensic Report
A forensic causation report adapted for strata and owners corporation claims, addressing lot and common property boundaries, repair responsibility, and the distinction between damage and maintenance.
Strata claims require a different lens
A strata or owners corporation claim is not simply a building damage claim with more parties. The physical investigation is the same — cause, consistency with the insured event, repair methodology — but the report must also address questions that do not arise in a standard claim: where does the lot end and common property begin, who is responsible for the repair under the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic), and is the damage the result of an insured event or deferred maintenance? The Strata Forensic Report is structured to answer all of these questions in a single, signed document.
The questions a Strata Forensic Report addresses
Cause of damage
What caused the damage, and is it consistent with the insured event? The same forensic investigation applies as in a standard Forensic Report.
Lot versus common property
Where does the damage sit relative to the lot and common property boundary? This is determined by reference to the plan of subdivision under the Subdivision Act 1988 (Vic) and the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic).
Repair responsibility
Who is responsible for the repair — the lot owner, the owners corporation, or both? The report identifies the responsible party by reference to the Act and the plan.
Damage versus maintenance
Is the item in question damage caused by an insured event, or is it the result of deferred maintenance? This distinction is critical to coverage and is addressed directly in the report.
What is included
- Site inspection with labelled photographs (if applicable to the individual matter)
- Opinion on the cause of damage
- Lot versus common property boundary analysis
- Repair responsibility under the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic)
- Damage versus maintenance distinction
- Signed report on the Meridian Strata Forensic template
Not included: Legal advice on the Owners Corporations Act or the strata plan.
Who instructs a Strata Forensic Report
Strata insurers
Where a strata claim requires an independent opinion on causation, lot and common property boundaries, and repair responsibility.
Loss adjusters
Where the strata-specific questions of boundary and responsibility need to be resolved alongside the causation investigation.
Owners corporations
Where the owners corporation needs an independent report to determine repair responsibility and support its position in a dispute with a lot owner or insurer.
Strata managers and lawyers
Where a strata dispute requires a forensic building opinion that addresses the legal framework of the Owners Corporations Act alongside the physical evidence.
Instruct a Strata Forensic Report
Send us the matter details and we will confirm scope, fee and availability by return.