Condo Smarts: Do standard bylaws change? (BC)

Dear Tony: Is there a chance the Standard Bylaws of the Act will ever change? It would significantly reduce the number of agreements we would require for owners to be responsible for the changes owners are making for EV charging, heat pumps, furnace conversions and balconies.  We are a mix of an apartment style building […]

Condo Smarts: Investments for special levies and reserves (BC)

Q:  Our strata corporation has approved a special levy in payments for roofing of our eight- building complex. As a large development, this will be a significant amount. The first due date of the levy is June 1, then Oct. 1, and April 1, 2025, with a planned completion over a year. Total cost and […]

Condo Smarts: Strata faces insurance confusion after cold snap damage (BC)

Dear Tony:  Our strata building was one of the unlucky victims of the extreme cold snap, resulting in an unheated stairwell riser freezing, bursting and damaging our common areas and 11 of our 65 units. To avoid an insurance claim, the property manager and council decided to treat these all as separate claims and advised […]

Condo Smarts: Disruptive ‘shadow council’ undermines strata (BC)

Dear Tony: Our strata is a bare land over 200 units and we have been developing a new set of bylaws over the past year. We have held several information meetings and distributed drafts to our owners.  Unfortunately, a small group of owners have taken it upon themselves to create a serious division in our […]

‘Infuriating’: BC Housing suing 22 people who bought affordable housing units, but allegedly did not meet criteria

Numerous people are being taken to court after purchasing units in The Vivid, a building offering affordable housing units, without meeting the criteria.  Vivid at the Yates is a residential development in downtown Victoria with condominiums at a below-market price. Criteria for ownership stated that buyers had to live in the unit, and could not […]

U-Haul height headache: B.C. strata hit with nearly $3,000 payout

B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal has ordered a Vancouver strata to pay a man who rented a U-Haul $2,940 after the strata’s garage signs indicated the roof was higher than the vehicle.  In his March 7 decision, tribunal member Christopher Rivers said Nicholas Biden rented a U-Haul truck and went to visit strata tenant Jack Morris […]

Condo Smarts: Strata investors need to be aware of potential liabilities (BC)

Q: As owners of an investment property, we hope you will include our letter for other investors and strata councils to read. We owned two condos in Metro Vancouver that were permitted short-term rentals. They were frequently booked and a profitable investment for our retirement.   Read the Q&A………………………………..

B.C. strata must identify off-leash dog complainant

B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal has told a Sidney strata it has to disclose the name of a complainant in an off-leash dog dispute.  In his March 5 decision, tribunal vice-chair Eric Regehr said Lynn MacFarlane owned and lived in the strata lot when another resident complained that her dog was off leash on common property, […]

Will this actually deter developers from scrapping purchase agreements so they can resell condos at higher prices?

A British Columbia court decision last month should be a deterrent to condominium developers who might terminate purchase agreements so they can resell the units at higher prices.  The court awarded a staggering $13 million to 30 condo buyers whose purchase agreements were improperly terminated by the builder.     Read the article…………………………….

Mayor’s Message: Year of the Community Association (AB)

As we embark on the journey of another year filled with opportunities and challenges, I am thrilled to declare 2024 as the Year of the Community Association here in Red Deer. This special designation is a tribute to the remarkable contributions these groups make to the social fabric of our city. Throughout the year, I […]

Condo Smarts: Strata must show details of special levy (BC)

Dear Tony: Our strata corporation has approved a special levy in payments for roofing of our eight-building complex. As a large development this will be a significant amount. The first due date of the levy is June 1, then Oct. 1, and April 1, 2025 with a planned completion over a year. Total cost and […]

Condo Smarts: Strata faces insurance confusion after cold snap damage (BC)

Dear Tony:  Our strata building was one of the unlucky victims of the extreme cold snap, resulting in an unheated stairwell riser freezing, bursting and damaging our common areas and 11 of our 65 units. To avoid an insurance claim, the property manager and council decided to treat these all as separate claims and advised […]

Why is Edmonton’s condo market so weird? (AB)

Bidding wars and rock-bottom prices — is this really Edmonton’s condo market?  While real estate is heating up across the country, Edmonton has remained mostly stagnant. In fact our apartment-style condos remain some of the most affordable anywhere in Canada.  But real estate agents are noticing a shift, and it could be big.   Read the […]

B.C. strata ordered to do gardening, mend fences

B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal has ordered a White Rock strata do the gardening and mend fences after owners filed legal action against the strata.  Owners Celeste and Sean Michaels told tribunal vice-chair Eric Regehr that the strata had failed to repair and maintain common property adjacent to their strata lot.   Read the article…………………………….

Condo Smarts: Investors need to be aware of their liabilities (BC)

Dear Tony: As owners of an investment property, we hope you will include our letter for other investors and strata councils to read. We owned two condos in Metro Vancouver that were permitted short-term rentals. They were frequently booked and a profitable investment for our retirement.    Read the Q&A………………………………..

Burnaby strata sues over concrete repair that allegedly knocked out elevator (BC)

A Burnaby strata is suing a concrete repair company for allegedly slicing through electrical conduits and knocking out the highrise’s elevator.  The Empress strata, located at 6282 Kathleen Ave. in Metrotown, hired JFR Concrete Repair and Waterproofing to repair parts of the building’s parkade where rainwater had been pooling, according to a notice of civil […]

Condo Smarts: How to decide when to file an insurance claim (BC)

Dear Tony: Our strata building was one of the unlucky victims of the extreme cold snap, resulting in an unheated stairwell riser freezing, bursting and damaging our common areas and 11 of our 65 units. To avoid an insurance claim, the property manager and council decided to treat these all as separate claims and advised […]

Condo owners with short-term rental plans should beware (AB)

If you are considering buying a condo to operate it as an Airbnb, beware that even if short-term rentals are allowed today, there is no guarantee the condo board and/or the city won’t eliminate short-term rentals in the future. Yes, it always “buyer beware!”   Read the article…………………………….

‘Extremely complex’ fire breaks out at Victoria condo building (BC)

A fire erupted at a Victoria condo building just north of the downtown core early Wednesday morning.  Photos show flames and smoke coming from the roof of the four-storey Lexington Park condo building, located at 689 Bay St., just after midnight.    Read the article…………………………….

Judge awards Richmond condo presale buyers $13.1 million (BC)

More than 30 people who sued Richmond condo developer Anderson Square Holdings Ltd. and two directors over the cancellation of their pre-sale contracts were awarded $13.1 million in damages by a B.C. Supreme Court judge.     Read the article…………………………….

Condo Smarts: Vigilance required to counter Facebook comments (BC)

Dear Tony: Our strata corporation is struggling with a Facebook page created by an owner that is publishing incorrect information about our major construction project. It has resulted in several potential purchasers walking away from our strata, and a supplier has demanded we pay 50% of our material cost before they will agree to supply […]

Condo Smarts: Even smaller stratas need electric planning report (BC)

Dear Tony: With the new regulations that require strata corporations of 5 units or more to have electric planning reports completed, will this apply to a small townhouse or bare land strata like ours which is only 14 units in Delta? With single detached units where each home has its own panel and meter, why […]

Still haunted on first anniversary of Vaughan condo building mass murder (ON)

John Di Nino still sees the barrel of the gun pointing right at him.  His wife Doreen lies crumpled on the vestibule floor of their penthouse condo, their disgruntled neighbour Francesco “Frank” Villi having just fired at her face, the bullet slamming through her jaw and out the back of her neck, knocking her to the […]

B.C. strata fined newborns’ parents for increasing occupancy

Christina James and Matt Rowland lived in Fairview Village complex, but shortly after their first child was born, the strata board notified the couple they were in violation of its occupancy bylaw and began levying fines for the violation, according to a B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal decision.     Read the article……………………………

New strata development regulations streamline EV charging station installations in B.C.

British Columbia has introduced new regulations that will facilitate the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in strata developments.  Effective Dec. 6, these changes are aimed at supporting the transition to a low-carbon future and adapting to climate change, according to a recent press release from the Ministry of Housing.    Read the article……………………………..

B.C. strata renter denied doorbell camera

B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal has rejected a Langley man’s bid to have a doorbell camera at his strata unit.  Brodie Thompson rents a strata lot and had installed a doorbell camera without the strata’s approval.   ead the article……………………………

Downtown Windsor condo building residents get heat restored after nearly 3 months (ON)

The heat is back on in units at Royal Windsor Terrace in the city’s downtown, according to the building’s property manager.  It’s been roughly three months since a van fell into a downtown hydro vault, affecting the building’s heat because of a large power outage for much of Windsor’s core.    Read the article…………………………….

Condo Smarts: Don’t be deceived by a property owner’s disclosure (BC)

Dear Tony: We purchased our first condo in Richmond back in August 2022. At the time we received the recommended documents by our realtor of a Form B Info Certificate, which included the depreciation report completed in 2022. We mistakenly assumed this was the complete report on building conditions, and did not pursue this any […]

Time’s up for some short-term rentals in B.C. as new housing rules transform scene

Nancy Paine’s short-term rental business is dead in the water.  As co-founder and CEO of Victoria-based Superhost, Paine said she had been at the forefront of the Airbnb revolution for seven years, acting as a “liaison” for homeowners needing help with the logistics of running a listing on the accommodation site.   Read the article……………………………..

Condo Smarts: Surveillance causes concern for condo owners (BC)

Q: I live in a condo building in the Okanagan. There is an ongoing dispute with our strata council over the type and frequency of surveillance imposed on owners, tenants and visitors. Our strata council has introduced a number of cameras, not all of which were disclosed to owners and residents, that record the access to […]