Dear Tony: I am on the first strata council of a new building in metro Vancouver and we are having some challenges trying to determine our obligations. We have a management company that is helping us set up the operations, but we don’t have any type of master plan of operations. Read the Q&A……………………….
Strata rules state the 56yo single mother must move out in Jan (BC)
A couple living at the Pointe strata complex in West Kelowna are disappointed they aren’t allowed to temporarily home a 56-year-old single mother, who will find herself homeless this January. Michal Jansa and his wife met the Indigenous woman through mutual friends, and came to learn that she had arrived in Kelowna to start over, […]
Condo regulation changes (AB)
I thought it was important to highlight a bit of a “Christmas miracle” that happened recently at the Legislature. It should come as no surprise that the UCP and the NDP disagree with one another on many things. But last week, when I announced Service Alberta’s revisions to condo regulations that will come into force […]
Condo Forms About to Get a Lot Simpler! (ON)
Breaking news for anyone who has ever attempted to fill out one of the Government of Ontario’s condo forms! The province has just announced that, as of January 1, 2020, the responsibility for 17 of the forms under the Condo Act will be delegated to the CAO, and will no longer be hosted on the […]
Condo fragrance ban doesn’t pass the smell test (ON)
For the common good, we’re all to be scent-free in public to accommodate those who suffer from fragrance allergies and environmental sensitivities. But surely the scent police shouldn’t be able to invade our private space, as well? Ramesses Kane believes otherwise. Read the article………………………….
Following noise complaint, B.C. condo owner ordered to replace hardwood floor with carpet
Condo owner Derek Pope wasn’t bothered too much before by noise coming from the unit directly above him. The owners of the unit above had removed their carpet floor and replaced it with hardwood. Read the article…………………………
Toronto’s big un-green condo problem (ON)
Marianne Touchie and Helen Stopps have spent a lot of time thinking about thermostats. “Between Helen and I, I don’t know — hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours: it’s hard to put a number on it,” laughs Touchie, an assistant professor in the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering. The tiny […]
Condo Smarts: How to manage the dramatic increase in insurance rates (BC)
Over the past few months across B.C., there has been an industry struggle to renew strata-corporation insurance policies. With renewals, the cost of the insurance has increased anywhere from 50 to 300 per cent. Read the article…………………………
Your condo board can’t let police put hidden cameras in common areas without a warrant, Ontario’s top court rules
Condominium boards cannot consent to police installing hidden cameras in hallways without a warrant, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Monday. Read the article………………………….
Court orders Guelph couple to cease smoking on balcony of condo unit they own (ON)
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has ordered a Guelph couple to stop smoking on the balcony of the condominium they own. The couple had refused to comply with a no-smoking rule of their building and the condominium board took them to court. Read the article…………………………..
B.C. condo owners brace for sticker shock as insurance rates surge ’50 to 300%’
B.C. condo owners are bracing for sticker shock amid surging insurance rates for their homes. “Rates are increasing for people in policies now anywhere from 50 to 300 per cent, and deductibles are going from the conventional $10,000 or $25,000 to $100,000, $250,000 or $500,000,” said Tony Gioventu, executive director of the Condominium Home Owners […]
What to do when you’re told to carry a pet over your condo’s common areas
Q: Is a condominium rule that requires building occupants to carry pets over common elements, enforceable against a resident with a doctor’s note advising against aggravating a back condition? Read the Q&A…………………………..
Op/Ed: Do these Regulation Changes even matter without Enforcement and Tribunal? (AB)
For condo Owners who aren’t aware, advocates over the past several years have been pushing the Alberta government to amend present Condo Regulations to enhance consumer protection in order to swing the balance of scales/power between Condo Boards and Owners and create an equal playing field for both parties. It is/was argued by advocates that […]
New condominium regulations strike the right balance, minister says (AB)
Fine limits, insurance requirements and flexible borrowing rules are among new condominium regulations that will take effect in the new year. Read the article………………………..
Alberta government has ‘not talked about a cap’ on soaring condo insurance rates
The provincial government has heard about Alberta condo owners facing big increases on their insurance rates, but at this time, is not considering a cap. Officials were asked about the issue on Wednesday, at an event announcing changes to condo regulations. Read the article……………………..
Condo Smarts: Consultant can define scope of siding and deck project (BC)
Dear Tony: Is there anything in the Strata Act or legislation that requires a strata council to get three bids for projects of a certain value? Our strata council is negotiating with a contractor to replace our siding and decks, and several owners are raising concerns about the price and reputation of the contractor. Read […]
Condo bed bug infestation a ‘losing game,’ says pest control company (AB)
A Calgary man says he’s losing sleep over the unbearable conditions at the condo he recently vacated while the landlord tried to treat an ongoing bed bug problem. “Every time I’d move anything I’d see bed bugs. They were in my couch. They were in my bedroom. In my clothes. They were even in the […]
Residents evacuated from condominium units in Vanier after carbon monoxide leak (ON)
Ottawa firefighters evacuated people from 53 units of a condominium building on St. Denis Street in Vanier early Friday morning after carbon monoxide spread through the building, apparently from the boiler room. Read the article……………………….
Insurance premiums jump as much as 700% at some Alberta condo buildings (AB)
Insurance premiums at some Alberta condominiums have gone up dramatically in the last year, prompting concern from condo owners who have to pick up the tab on the bills. Read the article…………………………
Condo Smarts: Take steps to limit risks as strata insurance costs soar (BC)
Dear Tony: Our strata corporation renewed our policy in October and, as a result of a number of minor claims in the past three years, our water deductible has been increased to $100,000. Read the Q&A……………………………
Icona condo buyers take developer to court over cancelled project (ON)
Buyers in the cancelled Icona condos are asking a court to find that developer Gupta Group breached its contract by failing to disclose that its Vaughan property was subject to a legal condition prohibiting it from selling homes on that piece of land. Read the article………………………..
Condo Smarts: As insurance costs rise, stratas face deductible dilemma (BC)
Dear Tony: Our strata corporation renewed its insurance policy in October. Our deductible was increased to $100,000 from $25,000 and our policy premiums increased to $121,000 from $69,000. The cost increase will result in an eight per cent increase in our annual budget without any other increases, but we are most concerned about the deductible […]
Stonebridge calls for unity after bitter fight over golf course levy (ON)
Residents of a Barrhaven suburb say a vote on whether to pay an annual levy to buy the area’s golf course pitted neighbours against neighbours, and it’s time for the community to come together again. Read the article……………………….
Stonebridge residents vote in favour of a golf course levy (ON)
Residents of Barrhaven’s Stonebridge neighbourhood have voted by a two-thirds margin in favour of investing in the preservation of their local golf course. Read the article………………………..
Fire rips through units at Oro-Medonte condo complex (ON)
A fire that broke out at a condo complex in Oro-Medonte on Friday morning caused extensive damage to multiple units. Read the article……………………….
Alberta to review Condominium Property Regulation
The Alberta government has prioritized funds to review what it considers “ongoing dysfunction” in the province’s real estate industry, as announced in its recently released budget. Read the article………………………..
Calgary condo cleared after blocked air intake triggers deadly gas buildup (AB)
A Calgary condominium complex had to be evacuated when an ice-blocked fresh air intake caused a buildup of deadly carbon monoxide gas. Fire officials say CO alarms sounded in the four-storey development in the city’s northwest around 7 a.m. Wednesday. Read the article………………..
Condo Smarts: Points to ponder for decisions on charging stations (BC)
Dear Tony: How does a strata council manage a request to install charging stations when the alterations to our electrical will exceed $100,000 and our owners will not fund the cost? Our council are in support of the installation of stations but we may require significant upgrades to support charging stations and the spaces were […]
‘They’re taking my life’: Elderly couple fighting condo board’s order to rip out their garden (ON)
An elderly Etobicoke couple says they’re being victimized by their condominium townhouse complex’s board of directors, which is forcing them to tear up the gardens they’ve tended for 25 years. Mira and Dimitri Ristic have lived at 2-3 Bradbrook Rd. for 45 years, according to their daughter Jelena, but they’d never had a major disagreement […]
B.C. condos granted right to ban Airbnb: Tribunal
B.C. condo boards have the right to ban to Airbnb rentals, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has ruled, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. Read the article……………………….
B.C. looks to Ontario example in growing right-to-charge debate
British Columbia is taking steps to address the “right-to-charge” as tenants and building operators continue to grapple with the issue. Over 40 per cent of British Columbians live in multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs). Unfortunately, rules and rights around home charging of EVs in shared buildings are murky. Read the article………………………..
Condo Smarts: Requirement to accommodate wheelchair trumps bylaw (BC)
Dear Tony: As president of our strata, I am trying to prevent our strata council from taking a position that I am certain will result in either a complaint with the Civil Resolution Tribunal or a human rights complaint. There are two townhomes for sale in our Maple Ridge complex, and in one of the […]
Cogeco cable lines frustrate East Windsor condo residents (ON)
Condo owners in east end development Essex Condo Corp. 3 on Vine Court are frustrated with Cogeco over cables that have been left strung through trees and across backyards for almost a year. “This is just completely unacceptable,” said resident Greg Duguay, who has been fighting with the company since cables were left unburied since […]
Why electronic voting is clicking with condo owners (ON)
An easy solution to the problem of owner apathy in condominium buildings, and a simple way to encourage interest and participation, is to introduce electronic voting. Read the article……………………..
Tarion to add condo cancellation warnings to purchase agreements (ON)
Ontario homebuilder regulator Tarion is adding a new form to pre-construction condo purchase agreements that it says will help alert consumers to the risk that a project may never be completed. Read the article……………………….
Man says condo collapsing after downstairs neighbour went ‘open concept’ (BC)
When cracks began appearing all over his West End condo early this year, Wayne Morrissey didn’t understand what was going on – until a neighbour told him the owner of the identical condo directly below his had removed several walls. Read the article…………………………..
Condo Smarts: What do you do when an elected strata president leaves? (BC)
Dear Tony: We have run into a problem with our strata council executive. At our annual meeting, we elected the president and the treasurer so the owners would have input into the positions. Our president has just sold his strata lot and now we have no president and there is a dispute in our strata […]
Man’s claim of right to barbecue in winter dismissed by B.C. Human Rights Tribunal
Murray Obrand loves to barbecue. He loves barbecue so much that cold weather doesn’t stop him from indulging in this treat. In order to barbecue all year round, Obrand erected a heated gazebo outside his strata property. That’s when he ran into some bit of trouble. A neighbour complained to the strata corporation, and Obrand […]
Just what exactly are condo boards?
Many homebuyers who purchase a condo don’t realize until near closing on the deal that a condo board exists and operates in their potential new home. So what exactly are condo boards and their function? Read the article………………………..
Condo Smarts: Manager should not have deducted fine from account (BC)
Dear Tony: Several years ago, our strata corporation adopted a bylaw requiring owners to provide payments by automatic bank withdrawal. At the time, several owners raised concerns about the strata corporation having access to their bank accounts, but were assured it was only for strata fees and nothing else. To make this simple, I opened […]
Vancouver woman tells doctor she will jump off balcony if her dogs are taken away (BC)
A B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has received medical evidence indicating that a woman is at risk of suicide if she loses her dogs. Stephanie Kallstrom told her physician that she will harm herself if she cannot keep her three dogs at her condo unit. Read the article…………………………
‘How could this be possible?’ Fort McMurray condo board struggles to find insurance (AB)
After the 2016 Horse River wildfire that burned down more than 2,400 structures in Fort McMurray, residents of the 40-unit Winchester Greens condominium building considered themselves among the lucky ones. Their apartment-style units didn’t burn, but the condo board did claim $246,000 of smoke damage on its insurance. Three years later, the condo board is […]
‘If there’s a fire I’m dead’: Quadruple amputee battles condo board for access to her own building
Verna Marzo can’t open the doors to her Calgary condo building without help from her care worker, sister, or willing neighbours. The condo board has plans for new doors, but not for a push-button system. Read the article………………………
B.C. senior fears massive condo levy could force her out of her home
A Fraser valley senior facing an enormous condo levy fears she could be forced from her home if she can’t come up with the money. 86-year-old Mabel Olscamp has been living at Dogwood Manor in central Abbotsford for 26 years. In June, the building’s strata council voted to move ahead with a $1.4-million project to […]
Condo Smarts: Don’t wait for a complaint to improve access to your condo building (BC)
Dear Tony: I live in a condo apartment building that was completed in 1995. We have 48 units in our building on eight floors. Our family has lived in the building since Day One, but our community is rapidly aging and we find ourselves facing some new challenges. Read the article………………………….
ClubLink submits controversial application to pave over much of Kanata golf course (ON)
ClubLink submitted to city hall Tuesday morning its controversial planning application to redevelop 71 hectares of land at the Kanata Golf and Country Club. Read the article…………………..
Frustrated customers file complaints over snow clearing contracts (ON)
Customers of three Ottawa snow removal companies have complained to the Competition Bureau over what they’re characterizing as a dodgy deal that drove up fees, but the businesses say they’ve done nothing wrong. Read the article………………………..
Condo Smarts: Owners entitled to see strata’s information about them (BC)
Dear Tony: Our strata council has engaged in some bizarre activities lately in how it holds council meetings and reports decisions to the owners. Our bylaws have an unusual condition that relates to in-camera minutes. The bylaw stipulates that in-camera minutes are recorded and kept in a secret place unless there is a court order […]
Insure condos inside and out to protect investment (AB)
Sometimes with home insurance, we think we’re covered until we’re not. Condominium owners can be particularly vulnerable to gaps in coverage, believing they’re fully protected by two insurance policies; their personal policy and that of the condo corporation that manages ownership of the common property. Read the article………………
Condo Smarts: Walk the buildings to fix strata lot mix-up (BC)
Dear Tony: We have an unusual problem in our strata corporation. We have 308 units in several buildings. Several owners have approached council with a complaint that their strata fees are not correct and want to know how to change them. Read the Q&A………………………….