Condominium owners who rent out their units without credit and reference checks run the risk of being financially responsible for their tenant’s misbehaviour. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Mishandling of special levy opens door to variety of claims (BC)
Dear Tony: What happens when there are funds left over from a special levy? I sold my unit six months ago and was informed at the time by council, and it was posted in the minutes, that the balance in the special levy fund for the roof was less than $5,000. The result of this […]
Saanich condo owner helps fellow residents get electric-vehicle charging (BC)
A Saanich condo owner has made his building the first multi-family complex in the region to be retrofitted so that residents can have electric-vehicle chargers at their parking spots. Read the entire article……………………………….
Police warn of downtown Toronto condo rental scam (ON)
Toronto police are warning the public about a rental scam having to do with condos in the downtown core. Police issued a news release Friday detailing an alleged scam having to do with units located at 12 and 14 York St. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Storm season is here — is your strata corporation ready?
Q: Our strata corporation was unprepared for the recent rainstorms. We have gutter and roof cleaning scheduled for the first week of October, but several units suffered drywall and flooring damage during the rain cycle as owners had left their windows open for fresh air, and the rain overflowed down the walls into the units. Read the […]
Condo manager faces fraud charges (ON)
A condominium manager in the Kitchener-Waterloo area is facing fraud charges in connection with alleged financial losses over $500,000, of which several condo corporations suffered from. The case emphasizes how seriously the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO) deals with complaints against its licensees and the action that follows. Read the entire article……………………………….
Potential Bradford condo buyers left in the dark about refunds, project status (ON)
It’s been almost two years since potential buyers purchased $500 tickets to a VIP Access event that would give them first dibs on units of the new condos planned to be built on 8th Line in Bradford. But now, the developer and real estate broker involved have gone MIA, leaving residents out of pocket and […]
‘Lawyers called’ as Burnaby strata won’t stop smokers in tower’s hot tub (BC)
Do you live in a condo building that has a pool or a hot tub? I used to and I barely used it because too many other people exhibited weird behaviour – like dudes wearing bathing suits in which all their bits hung out and people who refused to shower before getting in. Read the […]
Noce: ‘Can I sue the condo board for not keeping up building maintenance?’ (AB)
Question: I am an owner of a condo unit in a high-rise condominium building. I am not happy with my board. Our condominium building is falling apart, and the board has failed to do what it is required to maintain and repair the building. There is no reserve fund study. The board wants to keep […]
Cause of Brandon condo fire that caused $11M in damage revealed (MB)
A fire at a condominium complex in Brandon, Man., resulted in $11 million in damage, according to a spokesperson from the Manitoba Government. The fire broke out on Tuesday night at the building in the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue, with firefighters working through the night and into Wednesday to extinguish the fire and put […]
Condo Smarts: Can council ask to see B.C. vaccine cards?
Dear Tony: A notice has been issued by our strata council demanding disclosure of vaccine passports. Council insists this is a safety measure. It has not provided any evidence of where it gets this authority, what it intends to do with the information, how it intends to collect this information, who will have access to […]
‘The cost is all coming back to us’: Thousands in levies proposed to reopen beleaguered Saskatoon condo tower (SK)
Nearly five months after the condo’s closure, Knihnitski said the legal administration Clayton Barry, who was appointed by a Saskatoon’s Court of Queen’s Bench judge to start collecting condo fees and bring order to the affairs of the 44-unit condo tower,held a meeting with the remaining condo owners with a plan to re-open the tower. […]
Brandon condo building engulfed in flames; fire shooting from roof (MB)
Police in Brandon are hopeful that all residents of a four-storey condominium are safe after fire tore through the building Tuesday night, sending flames shooting from the roof. Read the entire article……………………………….
For how long will condo insurance rates continue to climb?
Rising condo insurance premiums will continue at least through the first two quarters of 2022, according to LowestRates.ca’s latest Home Insurance Price Index. Condo insurance premiums are continuing to rise in Canada, sustaining a years-long increase, the rate comparison site said in a blog Wednesday. Condo rates are skyrocketing in British Columbia and Alberta in […]
‘Time to move on’ condo board says after Silveri charges withdrawn (ON)
Silveri proclaimed his innocence in June 2020: ‘I ask the community to reserve judgment and not take at face value all that is rumoured about these charges’ Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo insurance surged in Q2 in B.C., Alberta
Condo insurance premiums are maintaining their elevated pace, which began around a year ago, as a consequence of extreme weather events, says LowestRates.ca. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Drawbacks of deferring maintenance and renewals (BC)
Dear Tony: Our owners approved funds to replace one roof in our complex. We have three buildings, each with 28 units and the roofing is in the same condition. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Create a safety plan for your strata meetings (BC)
Dear Tony: Our strata council has planned to use our local church hall for our annual general meeting. They have advised anyone attending will be required to provide proof of double vaccines more than 30 days prior to the meeting and that everyone must wear a mask if they are attending the meeting, or they […]
Extensive fire damage to Sylvan Lake condo building (AB)
Residents of Rainbow Park Condominium, in Sylvan Lake, woke up to the sound of sirens and a large structure fire early Sunday morning. According to neighbors who witnessed the fire, it broke out at around 4:00 and The Sylvan Lake Fire Department were there right away. Read the entire article……………………………….
Toronto woman posts video exposing living conditions in well-known downtown condo building (ON)
A TikTok video posted by a Toronto woman is going viral exposing the living conditions in a well-known condo building that she said she couldn’t wait to escape. The video, featuring clips taken inside Ice Condos, located at 12 York Street, garnered 300,000 likes on TikTok after it posted last month and was soon shared […]
Condo Smarts: Stratas must be reasonable about election signs (BC)
Dear Tony: Our strata council has sent a notice out to owners advising we are only limited to a small elections window sign shown from our strata lots and no signs on common property. Read the Q&A……………………….
Your strata can’t ‘prohibit’ putting up an election sign, but can limit the size (BC)
With the announcement of a fall federal election, many strata corporations in BC are left questioning what can they control when it comes to election signage and canvassing. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Institutional memory critical to prevent losses (BC)
Dear Tony: Our townhouse complex in Burnaby recently hired a roofing company to correct several leaks identified in the early spring storms. The contractor discovered a number of locations near the caps where the shingling was installed incorrectly. The error was easily remedied but required inspections of all roofs and cost our strata $6,500 of […]
Sandycove Acres residents worried County of Simcoe’s garbage carts are too big (ON)
Sandycove Acres resident Bill Brocklebank foresees a big problem when it comes to the County of Simcoe’s new automated garbage carts, which officially roll out Nov. 1. Residents will receive three universal carts — a 360-litre cart for recycling, a 240-litre cart for garbage, and a 120-litre cart for organics — which are emptied using […]
Condo Smarts: Special levy must meet conditions of Strata Act (BC)
Dear Tony: Our strata corporation had a flood in our 52 unit building almost 2 years ago. It was caused by an owner who renovated their kitchen resulting from a breached water line from mounting screws. The leak was not noticed until the next morning and there was over $75,000 damages to 3 strata lots. […]
Condo Smarts: Funding insurance deductibles by special levy (BC)
Under the Strata Property Act, a strata corporation is permitted to issue a special levy for the common expense of an insurance deductible without requiring a three-quarter vote at an annual or special general meeting. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Lot owners enjoy exclusive use of parking spot in most strata plans (BC)
Dear Tony: Our strata council president recently posted a notice in our building indicating 10 additional parking spaces available for sale at a rate of $15,000 from the strata corporation. Read the Q&A………………………………..
Residents at Surrey condo complex evacuated as firefighters battle blaze
Residents have been evacuated as firefighters battle a blaze in Surrey tonight at a three-storey condominium complex at 70th Avenue and 138th Street. Surrey Fire Service deputy chief Mark Griffioen said when firefighters arrived on scene after the call came in around 5:30, two units were initially on fire. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Strata council can’t change outcome of meeting once it is finished
Dear Tony: At our recent annual meeting, we had 5 resolutions on the agenda that included repairs to our roof to come from our contingency fund. This was a repair that was necessary around the skylights of the townhouses for waterproofing, and it was recommended in our most recent depreciation report. Unfortunately, the writer of […]
Homeowners balk at Royal Bay property tax exemptions, Colwood councillor pushes back (BC)
John English has had no response to a letter he sent Colwood council criticizing a property tax decision, but that might be because the retired government staffer isn’t on Twitter. His letter, sent on behalf of the Royal Bay Homeowners Association, protested a move to exempt five acres of land in Royal Bay from paying […]
Condo Smarts: Consider amending bylaws to permit air conditioning systems (BC)
Climate change is certainly affecting our lifestyles to a greater extent as each year passes and building designs did not anticipate the heat loading and cycles of cooling required to comfortably function for the future. Read the entire article……………………………….
Why condo insurance costs rose by double-digits in parts of Canada over the past year
Prices for condo insurance — or strata insurance, as it’s known in B.C. — recorded double-digit increases in B.C. and Alberta and a nine per cent jump in Ontario in the first three months of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020, according to data published by financial products comparisons site LowestRates.ca. Read the […]
Renovation hell: kitchen makeover causes flood at Vancouver highrise, owner liable for $41,000 costs (BC)
Renovation hell: kitchen makeover causes flood at Vancouver highrise, owner liable for $41,000 costs. But instead of a dream home makeover, the project turned into a nightmare. A work performed during the renovation caused a massive flood at the Vancouver highrise. Read the entire article……………………………….
No relief in sight for condo insurance premiums
Condo insurance rates in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, which have already risen substantially, are expected to keep rising, according to a report from LowestRates.ca. Read the entire article……………………………….
Strata council ordered by B.C. court to release list of all owners to one of its members
The strata refused, citing privacy and safety concerns, and said it was not in the best interests of the strata community. But the law obligates stratas to compile a list and to distribute it when asked, a tribunal ruled Read the entire article……………………………….
Mandatory training, funds among solutions for B.C. stratas
Every strata corporation suffers wear and tear on its capital. To account for that and plan an orderly replacement, each strata needs to have a plan as to the amount projected to be spent on capital replacement each year. In B.C., the Contingency Reserve Fund is intended to fund common expenses occurring less often than […]
Sandycove’s storm response ‘an inspiring example of what community means’ (ON)
One of the things that most impressed observers of the storm damage at Innisfil’s Sandycove Acres adult lifestyle community was the level of co-operation and teamwork while responding to the emergency. As resident Linda Morris noted, “Between the actions of Parkbridge, the Sandycove Home Owners Association, the first-responders and the other residents not affected by […]
‘Our strata is creepy with the surveillance footage,’ says Burnaby condo resident (BC)
A resident of a Metrotown condo in Burnaby is considering filing her own complaint after B.C.’s privacy commissioner told a different strata corporation to stop using security surveillance system data for purposes other than which it was collected, such as viewing people in a hot tub. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Existing buildings can be good investment (BC)
Dear Tony: We are retiring this year and considering downsizing to a condo. We have started looking at both new and existing properties around Vancouver and Victoria, but we encounter challenges with both options. New developments are often available only through presales and the time periods for completion would require us to sell, rent until […]
Strata security raises privacy concerns (BC)
B.C.’s privacy commissioner has told a Vancouver strata corporation to stop using security surveillance system data for purposes other than which it was collected. And, the strata was told, some data collected through its door key fob system was inappropriate. Read the entire article……………………………….
Richmond condo owner shares common wall with music school, complains of noise and wins $2,000 damages (VA)
The owner of the music school says the business was one of the first residents in the Richmond strata development. As for the homeowners who later bought into the condo complex, the proprietor noted that they knew there was a music school in their midst. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Former council member legally obligated to return strata documents (BC)
Dear Tony: Our strata council is attempting to build a website for our council and owners and have hit a roadblock. We have a past council member who is refusing to release all the records of our strata corporation to the new council. She had been on council for the past 15 years, acted as […]
Your condo’s gym and pool may not be opening tomorrow, here’s why (ON)
Ontario is moving into Step 3 of the reopening plan tomorrow, allowing the use of indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities. And although many Toronto condo residents are itching to get back to using their building’s currently shuttered gym or pool, those amenities may not necessarily reopen right away. Read the entire article……………………………….
Woman fined $10,400 for keeping Tequila, a pit bull terrier prohibited by Coquitlam strata pet bylaw (BC)
Ewelina Bednarek no longer lives at the Coquitlam condo she bought in 2018. Neither does her pet dog Tequila, a pit bull terrier mix. Bednarek sold the condo earlier this year, but she has some unfinished business to settle. Read the entire article……………………………….
140 residents forced out of southwest Edmonton condo due to flooding (AB)
About 140 residents were forced out of a four-story, 70-unit building on Windermere Road on Friday after the parking garage flooded due to a water main break. Read the entire article……………………………….
Former manager of Penticton condo strata ordered to pay back $75k in mishandled funds (BC)
The former strata manager of the Tiki Shores condo complex in Penticton will finally have to pay for mishandling the strata’s finances. In a judgement released on June 15, Darone Davis and his company Deri Holdings will have to pay back $74,257.56 after almost 14 years of legal battling. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Smarts: Detailed review recommended every 5 to 10 years for older buildings (BC)
Dear Tony: I suspect many condo owners have emailed and asked this question since the tragic collapse of the condo building in Florida. Are there buildings in British Columbia that could potentially experience a catastrophic collapse or failure that puts occupant lives at risk? Read the Q&A………………………
Surrey condo strata ordered to pay owners over $4,000 because it failed to investigate smoking complaints (BC)
Civil resolution tribunal found that because one of the owners had a disability made worse by second-hand smoke, the strata had a higher “duty to accommodate” her Read the entire article……………………………….
Noisy upstairs neighbour ordered to pay damages, fines in Burnaby strata battle (BC)
A pair of Burnaby condo owners have won a victory over upstairs neighbours who reportedly ruined their sleep with excessive noise at least 16 times last year. Yang Chu and Felix Tan own a 19th-floor apartment at Park 360, a 29-storey apartment highrise in the Edmonds area, according to a recent B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal […]
Toronto nurse told by condominium to get rid of her dog because it weighs too much
A Toronto nurse is speaking out after her condo management company told her she’ll have to get rid of her dog in a matter of days because the animal weighs too much. Lindsay McCarthy, who works at a hospital in the city, rescued Poppy in December 2020 when the dog was just six months old. […]