Condo Smarts: Methods to streamline electronic general meetings (BC)

Dear Tony:   I have appreciated your column in The Province for a long time — it’s very informative and straightforward. I am the president of our building, and last year we successfully used Zoom for our Annual General Meeting, with roughly 100 people attending by computer, tablet and phone. We used the “Raise Hand” for […]

B.C. condo owner wins $2,000 damages for noises by neighbour’s toddler

Around June last year, condo owner Helen Tran left a note on the door of neighbours living above her.  In the note, Tran asked them to keep the noise down.  The woman was specifically concerned about the noises being made by the toddler there.   Read the article………………………………..

Condo Smarts: Sound planning ensures smooth virtual meetings (BC)

Dear Tony: Last year, our strata successfully used Zoom for our AGM, with roughly 100 people attending by computer, tablet and phone. We used the “raise hand” system for voting, and the meeting went quite smoothly (after a lot of preparation).  Last year’s AGM was relatively simple in regards to issues and new board members […]

Condo bylaws should protect against privacy breaches (AB)

Question: I am the president of our condominium. It is the policy of our board that all board members sign a confidentiality agreement. We have a board member who refuses to sign the confidentiality agreement, and we believe that they like to share confidential board information with other owners. Can we exclude this board member […]

B.C. strata insurance market could take years to correct: BCFSA

It may take years before British Columbia’s “unhealthy” strata insurance market normalizes, according to the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA).  In its final report to government, the BCFSA cautioned that there is no simple fix for a market that has seen premiums and deductibles jump by double- and triple-digit percentage increases in a relatively short […]

A Look Back at 2020

Our Top Five Blog Stories from 2020    Read the article……………………………………..

Condo Smarts: Recent ruling affects fee increases (BC)

Dear Tony:  Our strata corporation normally has its annual meeting 60 days after our fiscal year-end at the end of February — this gives us time to review our financials in advance of the next year and provide an accurate report to the owners with our notice.   Read the Q&A…………………………………..

Mississauga residents fight to have pipeline valve removed from entrance to neighbourhood (ON)

The Gordon Woods Homeowners’ Association, whose 350 members work to preserve the character of their neighbourhood, has sent a letter to Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan asking him to review approval by the Canada Energy Regulator that allowed the company to build the valve compound at its current location.   Read the article……………………………..

Condo Smarts: Understanding ‘best pricing’ insurance terms (BC)

Q: Our 78-unit townhouse complex in the Interior renewed its policy in November with no claims for the last five years, and our deductible went to $100,000, and our policy has gone from $55,000 a year to $129,000.  In October, our broker told us that this was beyond their control with the hard market and the […]

Illegal reno threatens West Van townhouse structure: lawsuit (BC)

The District of West Vancouver and a pair of residents are headed for court over alleged illegal renovation work that may be threatening the structural integrity of a townhouse complex at West Royal Towers.    Read the article…………………………………..

Condo watchdogs lack teeth, says Ontario’s Auditor General

Ontario’s auditor general is raising concern about the inspection regime covering retirement homes, fare refunds for GO train users and consumer protection for condo owners.  Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s annual report, released Monday, includes value-for-money audits of 13 government programs and agencies, inlcuding Metrolinx, the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority, and the agencies overseeing the condominium […]

Underinsurance leads to whopping bill after fire at condo building (BC)

After a fire 16 months ago, Derek Wubs still has no home and no answers.  What he does have is a $37,000 bill he’s struggling to pay for his burned-out Chilliwack condo, and a warning for others.  “I was under the belief that paying my strata fees would result in the appropriate building insurance being […]

Couple keeps Christmas display after condo company fight (ON)

Residents at a condo complex in Lagoon City will be able to keep their Christmas decorations up after all.  Diane Beaumont and Ken Marshall had been locked into a dispute with the condo management company over their display of inflatable characters.  On Saturday, Marshall said they’d come to an agreement to move them 100 m […]

Emily Yu, owner of B.C. townhome-turned-hostel, officially moves out (BC)

She had been listing the three-bedroom unit as a hostel that could sleep 15 people through several online platforms, prompting numerous complaints from neighbours. Short-term rentals were allegedly in violation of strata bylaws.  She was found in contempt of court in 2018, and later ordered to pay about $95,000 to the province and more than […]

Insurers in B.C. ditch pricing method linked to skyrocketing condo premiums

Insurance companies in British Columbia have agreed to end a pricing practice that has been identified as one of the key factors in skyrocketing property insurance premiums for condominiums.  Earlier this year, the B.C. Financial Services Authority said premiums have gone up by 40 per cent on average for a number of reasons.    Read the […]

Augustina Condo Association Challenges (SK)

The season of giving is right around the corner.  On November 24th, the Humboldt District Hospital Foundation (HDHF) received $300 from the Augustina Condo Association. Evelyn Sarauer and Joan Hergott dropped off the donation after collecting their recycling refund.    Read the article……………………………….

Illegal reno threatens West Van townhouse structure: lawsuit (BC)

The District of West Vancouver and a pair of residents are headed for court over alleged illegal renovation work that may be threatening the structural integrity of a townhouse complex at West Royal Towers.  In a court petition filed in October, Philip and Raven Garrow accuse the district of unlawfully putting a stop-work order on […]

Condo Smarts: ‘Sections’ are key part of strata (BC)

Dear Tony: We own a commercial strata lot on Kingsway in Vancouver. It’s a typical development where the residential units are upstairs, and the ground floor units are commercial retail.  Our building is over 10 years old and to date has been very well run. The residential owners pay their expenses, and the commercial owners […]

Condo owners face soaring insurance costs in parts of Canada

Home buyers typically consider things like prices and mortgage rates when making purchasing decisions, but often overlook the cost of insurance premiums — which are soaring in parts of the country’s struggling condo markets.  A new report from LowestRates.ca looked at Ontario, B.C, and Alberta. It found insurance premiums for condos were up 3 per […]

Condo Smarts: Airbnb rentals and tenants not the same in condo law (BC)

Dear Tony:  Are strata corporations that are townhouses and bare-land strata permitted to adopt bylaws that limit rentals or Airbnbs? Our townhouse complex in Vernon received a circular from a neighbouring property that advised rental bylaws were not enforceable in a townhouse complex, but we cannot find any legislative changes or notices that verify this […]

Condo Smarts: Request a copy of strata insurance summary before buying a unit (BC)

Dear Tony:  I purchased a 12-year-old strata unit in Vancouver on October 15. My offer was submitted on September 15, and on my agent’s advice, I requested the normal documents of the strata corporation such as minutes and an information form that included the deprecation report and the parking and storage allocations. All the documents […]

Condo Smarts: Always request insurance information before buying (BC)

Dear Tony: I purchased a 12-year-old strata unit in Vancouver on Oct. 15.  My offer was submitted Sept. 15 and on the advice of my agent, I requested the normal documents of the strata corporation, such as minutes and an information form that included the depreciation report and parking and storage allocations. All the documents […]

Sedgwick exec’s Top 4 reasons why condo claim severity is through the roof

As Canadians carry on their love affair with condos, the number of units being built — and the rapid pace of their construction — have indirectly contributed to the severity of condo insurers’ claims costs, says a senior P&C insurance claims executive.   Read the article………………………………..

Tribunal finds strata management company responsible for bike theft (BC)

A B.C. man has managed to hold his strata’s property management company accountable after his bicycle was stolen from a storage locker in his building.  A Civil Resolution Tribunal decision Oct. 20, ordered the property management company to pay $730 to cover the cost of a new bicycle after it found the company had not […]

Noce: Can condo board ditch water loss coverage to save on insurance? (AB)

Question 1: I am on the board of our high-rise condominium building. The corporation’s insurance policy has come up for renewal. The quote on our new insurance policy is extremely expensive for our building. Our building has had a lot of water loss claims. To save costs, the board has decided to forego water loss […]

Condo Smarts: Restricted proxy meeting deemed invalid (BC)

Dear Tony:  Our strata manager has issued notice of our Annual General Meeting and advised their company will only do our AGM by restricted proxy. No one will be able to attend the meeting in person or electronically or be eligible to vote at the meeting. Many of us owners are not satisfied with this […]