The Strata Bad Luck Show … on Friday the 13th

It’s Friday and it’s the 13th of the month … so it’s a day of bad luck (or so they say).

No-one’s sure why there is a superstition about days like today but my favourite theory is that it is a modern amalgamation of two older superstitions: that 13 is an unlucky number and that Friday is an unlucky day.

In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Isreal, twelve Apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper of a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners. 

Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century's The Canterbury Tales, and many other professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects.  Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s.  It has also been suggested that Friday has been considered an unlucky day because, according to Christian scriptures and tradition, Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

But how does that apply to strata ?  Not very well … it seems.

Let’s look at the number 13 first.

For many years the average number of lots in NSW strata schemes was thirteen … which may not be so lucky. 

And, 13 lots is the magic number after which NSW strata scheme’s need to vote at general meeting to spend more than $10,000 on legal fees. 

Section 13 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW) is the section that says strata schemes can employ other people (like managers, lawyers, plumbers, accountants, etc) to help it.  Which I also think is pretty good luck.

Plus section 13 of the Property Stock & Business Agents Act 2002 (NSW) specifies what must be included in agency agreements.

And, Friday’s are equally good (in my view) since most strata schemes don’t have meetings on Fridays, managers tend to go home early on that day too, we all get a strata rest on the weekend from things.

So maybe there is no such bad luck in strata on Friday the 13^th ???

More recently Friday the 13^th has been associated with Freddie Kruger … and I’m sure he probably lived in an apartment before his slashing days.  But let’s not go there just in case he still does.

Since I’m not so sure about all this superstitious stuff … I’ll be staying in (no journeys), only having 12 people to dinner and not buying any shares today.  Plus there’s no Freds, Freddies, Fredericas or even Ferdinands allowed.

What about you ?

Francesco …