Previously we have looked at torrens title lots, which are independent lots, and strata title lots, which are lots that are part of a larger development, now we will look at community title lots
A community title subdivision is somewhat a middle ground between a torrens and a strata title subdivision. Similar to a strata title scheme a community title lot is a piece of land that can be bought/sold that is part of a larger development.
Being part of a larger development, and similar to strata lots, a community title lot will have a responsibility to pay for a proportion of the maintenance costs for infrastructure which belongs the the community association.
Unlike strata boundaries which are generally based on constructed structures (walls, roofs, etc) a community title subdivision sets boundaries off surveyed land dimensions, similar to that of a torrens title subdivision. This means that you own a "lot" of land which you can add further buildings/sheds/etc too or further develop the existing house by extending up or out, subject to Council approval of course!
Community title subdivisions do not have common property, however private roads or land set aside for private recreational use are generally listed as Lot 1 and referred to as Association Property.
One example is, within The Hills Shire Council they allow for a “Rural Cluster” subdivision, which is a community title subdivision of an large rural lot, into smaller lots that are generally accessed of a private road that would connect to a larger Council road. The image attach to this blog is taken from The Hills Shire Council DCP Part B Section 1.
In this example, given all these lots are accessed off a private road, each property owner is responsible for contributing to the maintenance and upkeep of the private road as well as any other works associated with the association property (i.e. vegetation maintenance, etc).
So to sum up the major differences between the different types of property titling/ownership, we have the following:
1. Torrens Title - You pay for everything, there is no larger ownership body
2. Community Title - You pay for your buildings, you maintain your land and you contribution to the community facilities (i.e. private roads and recreational facilities)
3. Strata Title - You maintain the inside of your building (i.e. the airspace) and contribute to the strata body and they maintain your building and the community facilities.
The information within these posts is general in nature and each development may vary slightly. The team at Landcert are experts in property titling and development approvals/certification having worked both inside and outside of Local Government and managed Subdivision Development teams handling the full spectrum of development applications.
Contact the team at Landcert to see how we can assist you with your next project.
