In the case of a flood caused by a mice infestation, a B.C. strata unit owner was not allowed to recover her $500 insurance deductible or $273 premium increase from the strata corporation despite having warned the strata corporation about the rodent problem six years in advance of the flood.   Read the article……………………………….

The Hemlock Valley Homeowners Association pulled together to donate $1,000 to the local volunteer fire department.  On Saturday, March 20, the Hemlock Valley Volunteer Fire Department was up near the ski hill on Sasquatch Mountain to raise awareness and funds for the volunteer firefighters.    Read the article……………………………….

Question: We moved into our condominium complex two years ago. Lately, noise from an adjoining unit during the day and night is becoming unbearable, and often we cannot sleep. We have contacted the condo board about this, and were told to talk to the owner directly, which we did. However, the owner denied making any […]

Dear Tony:  We had a dreaded flood in our building caused by a defective washing machine where the pump switch failed to turn off. The tenant had started a load of laundry and left to get groceries. By the time she had returned, we had to access the unit to turn the water off, and […]

Disputes over the unauthorized use of condominium common elements continue to appear in Ontario courtrooms.  One recent case involved Irving and Nancy Kumer, who owned a luxury condominium townhouse on Lower Village Gate, near Spadina Rd. and St. Clair Ave. W., in Toronto. The owners had exclusive access to a small patio that forms part […]

Thornton Place Condominium Corporation (“Thornton Place”), a Condominium Corporation incorporated pursuant to The Condominium Property Act, 1993 (Saskatchewan), today announced that it has purchased 0.4 bitcoin for its reserve fund with $25,000.00 (CAD) in cash at an average price of approximately $62,500.00 (CAD) per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.   Read the article……………………………………….

Most people are familiar with the declaration, by-laws, and rules of condominiums, but many are less familiar with policies in condominiums. This is not surprising as the only references to “policies” in the Condominium Act, 1998 (the “Condo Act”), are for insurance policies. In recent years, condominiums are more regularly creating policies to address a […]

A British Columbia strata unit owner is not liable for their strata corporation’s $5,000 deductible on a property claim arising from a fire, the province’s civil resolution tribunal has ruled.   Read the article…………………………………..

Dear Tony:  Our recent Annual General Meeting was held electronically and had 17 resolutions on the agenda for upgrades and repairs to our buildings.   Read the Q&A……………………………………

he current state of the Prairie Heights condo in Saskatoon is the result of condo owners not properly screening renters, according to the Saskatchewan Landlord Association CEO.  “We’ve all seen pictures of the state of this property and it’s deplorable and something needs to be done,” said Cameron Choquette. “You don’t see this in bigger […]

A condo owner in New Sudbury is appealing to political representatives for support after learning she and other residents will be on the hook for a costly electrical upgrade.  “Out of the blue the insurance company said they wouldn’t be insuring us anymore because of aluminum wiring,” said Lesley Bramah, who resides at the Parkland […]

Question: I am an owner of a residential unit in a condominium complex. I believe that the distribution of unit factors in our building is unfair. What options are available to the owners if they want to change how condo fees and related charges are levied? Please help!   Read the Q&A………………………………..

Three years ago, my washing machine hose ruptured, causing a flood in my unit and the two units below me. It was managed well by the strata insurance provider without any delays, and as expected, I was responsible for the deductible, which at the time was $5,000.   Read the Q&A…………………………………..

B.C. government still unable to provide dates for implementation of reforms promised last summer to bring condo insurance market under control.   Read the article……………………………………….

The signs are still posted on dozens of balconies and windows of the condo building overlooking the Dominion Foundry site: “NO MZO,” “Save the Foundry,” “Stop the demolition.”    Read the article…………………………………

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions that we addressed in our recent Q&A webinar. Question: Where a Board wants to communicate with owners by email, can management give the Board of Directors a list of email addresses for all owners without owner consent?    Read the Q&A…………………………………..

Empty nesters transitioning to vertical living often make the mistake of moving into older condominium buildings because the units are bigger and, on a dollar per square foot basis, they’re priced competitively.   Read the article…………………………………….

Electronic bylaws are not the default and do not replace in-person meetings. They are an option a strata corporation may consider if all the conditions can be met and a prudent back-up plan.   Read the Q&A………………………………….

The property manager of a downtown Toronto condo where bottles were thrown from a unit 35 floors up to the streets below is denying claims by Toronto police that the suite was a short-term rental unit.   Read the article………………………………

Items, including food and water bottles, were reportedly thrown from a Financial District condo building on Monday night, the second such incident in the downtown core over the past two days, Toronto police say.   Read the article……………………………..

According to the latest Home Insurance Price Index report from LowestRates.ca, condo insurance in B.C. rose 18% last year, compared to 2019. Company CEO Justin Thouin discusses insights from the report with host Hayley Woodin.   Watch the video report……………………………..

One in five co-owners does not know that two insurance policies cover condos. This is one of several concerning issues for Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), which would like co-owners and syndicates to be better informed, and better protected.    Read the article…………………………….

Insurance premiums for condominiums in British Columbia have been on the rise for some time – and now, a new report warns that a similar trend could be occurring in Ontario.      Read the article……………………………….

Residents of Etobicoke’s Eau Du Soleil condos along Lake Shore Boulevard have spent much of the past year plagued with issues including being told that they shouldn’t always expect hot water during peak hours.  “This hasn’t been a one month issue, this has been at least six or seven months now,” said an anonymous tenant […]

If owning a condo property in Ontario wasn’t already hard enough – price per square foot on new builds continues to climb, making one of the last “affordable” property types in the provinces even less so; COVID-19’s throttling of tourism has killed many investors’ income streams, leading many market-watchers to speculate around a looming mass […]

Dear Tony: I own a townhouse unit in Surrey that I have been renting out for the past 15 years with a reliable tenant.  I conducted routine inspections, and all seemed well until the tenant gave me notice two months ago. I did a final inspection to the unit and discovered the tenant had installed […]

Altering a strata lot or common property is a condition that is regulated under the Standard Bylaws of the Strata Property Act and any bylaw amendments properly adopted by your strata corporation.   Read the Q&A……………………………….

The vacant home tax that residents have long been calling for in the competitive, overvalued Toronto housing market was at long last formally recommended and then approved by City Council late last year, and it’s already shaping up to impact the landscape as hoped.    Read the article…………………………………

A large increase in deductibles on condo corporations’ insurance is starting to put pressure on individual condo owners’ premiums, a new report from LowestRates.ca shows.  “When a deductible goes up – say from $20,000 a year to $100,000, or $200,000 – and there is a claim, the condo building or strata typically does not have […]

I recently received a call from a CBC listener, Lisa, who is actively shopping for a condo but is concerned about the high cost of strata insurance and this concern is justified.  Over the past year, strata premiums and deductibles have increased considerably in British Columbia, in some cases up to 400 per cent. But […]

Dear Tony: We live in the Okanagan and our strata corporation is located on a higher elevation. We have snow frequently. Up until December of 2020, our strata corporation has contracted a snow-removal service for our roads and walkways for owner safety and access.    Read the Q&A………………………………..

Questions are being raised after condo strata minutes detailing serious concerns about windows possibly shattering were amended with a more muted version at the Shangri-La, Vancouver’s tallest tower, which is known for its floor-to-ceiling views.  Earlier, the building’s two stratas filed lawsuits to recover costs under warranty from insurers and are also suing developers, builders […]

A Summerland hotel strata has lost a lengthy dispute against a condo owner after it tried to force him to rent out his apartment as a hotel suite.  The Summerland Waterfront Resort took condo owner Michael Drance to the Civil Resolution Tribunal in an effort to get him to vacate his apartment and make it […]

Dear Tony:  We live in the Okanagan, and our strata corporation is located on a higher elevation. Naturally, we have snow frequently. Up until December of 2020, our strata corporation contracted a snow removal service for our roads and walkways for owner safety and access. Attempting to save money, our strata council decided to terminate […]

An insurance brokerage has been ordered to pay a fine of $25,000.  The penalty is in connection with an unauthorized insurance coverage of a Vancouver condo corporation.  HUB International Canada was found to have violated the Financial Institutions Act (FIA) by failing to report the unauthorized insurance to the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.    Read the […]

The Summerland Waterfront Resort (SWR), on Lakeshore Drive, has gone through multiple zoning changes and is coming before council once again as permanent residents of the building fight to be allowed to stay in their homes.   Read the article……………………………

A B.C. couple that racked up more than $100,000 in strata fines for allegedly letting out their condos as short term vacation rentals will only have to pay a $200 penalty after the strata council failed on multiple levels to prove they’d done anything wrong.   Read the article…………………………………….

Geoff Wilkie bought a condo at Prairie Heights in Saskatoon’s Pleasant Hill neighbourhood about 12 years ago.  What he thought would be a great investment turned into a constant source of stress.  “It’s like living in a war zone,” Wilkie told CTV News.    Read the article…………………………………..

The 60-day limitation period on giving notice of snow/ice injury referred to in s. 6 of the Occupiers’ Liability Act has now come into force, as of January 29, 2021.  The notice of such an injury must include the date, time and location of the occurrence and it must be personally served or sent by […]

Within eight weeks after the end of its fiscal year, the strata corporation must prepare a financial statement updated to the end of the fiscal year. This requirement was not altered by the emergency orders or regulations.    Read the Q&A……………………….

Two members of the Creekside Condo Association were online participants at the Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee on Tuesday morning.  Creekside association members pay taxes and condo fees but feel they’re not receiving the same level of service as homeowners in the city: like snow removal, for example.    Read the article…………………………………

A house divided against itself cannot stand and sometimes owners of a divided house cannot stand together, either.  Last week, the Civil Resolution Tribunal — a small claims court that also mediates strata disputes — issued its third ruling in as many years to quarrelling Kelowna neighbours, each owning one half of a duplex: Dana […]

Two Kelowna condo owners have found out the hard way that vacation rentals are allowed in their building even though the strata’s bylaws suggest that suites cannot be rented on a short-term basis.  In an effort to get the strata council to take action against owners renting their suites as short-term vacation rentals, condo owners […]