Q: At our recent annual meeting, one person registered with 22 proxies. No one knew this person, and there were some strange situations with the proxies. All of the proxies were in the same handwriting, all allegedly signed by each owner, but did not have the name of the assigned proxy entered.   Read the Q&A……………………………….

The Greater Toronto Area-developer behind a collapsed luxury condo project in Welland, Ont., is facing a $10 million lawsuit from residents in another condo in Niagara Falls who say their building is riddled with issues.   Read the article………………………..

An association of Alberta condo owners says the window is closing to address concerns they were unfairly left out of an inflation-fighting utility payment plan by the province.  Since last spring the government has provided between $50 and $75 directly on to monthly residential power bills to offset record-setting electricity costs, and that program is […]

Dear Tony:   Our strata corporation has a guest suite that is part of the common property and is not a titled property. If the strata corporation does not retain a resident caretaker, can we use the suite as a guest suite without triggering a vacancy tax obligation? We no longer require a resident caretaker accommodation, […]

A B.C. woman whose storage locker was reassigned nine years after she bought her condo has lost her bid to sue the realtor for $5,000 for negligence and misrepresentation.   Read the article………………………..

As condominiums face rising insurance rates, some buildings try to keep their rates low by raising their insurance deductible – but that could leave condo owners on the hook if a claim is filed.   Read the article………………………..

Chris Rose says he’s been informed by the province’s Superintendent of Insurance that the agreement for Brookfield Estates was a split policy, and that best-terms pricing — which results in a final premium based on the highest price quoted, even if the majority of quoted rates were lower — was not used in their case, […]

A Garneau-area condo building has been struggling with heating issues, leaving residents to find another place to stay as the complex was evacuated.   Read the article………………………..

For the second time in just over a week, part of a huge condominium that’s under construction in Welland caved in, rattling the neighbourhood around it and people in the city.   Read the article………………………..

The Condo Owners Forum Society of Alberta (COF) says it has initiated a petition and letter-writing campaign to get the attention of the Government of Alberta to address what they say is a flawed electricity energy rebate program first announced in March 2022.   Read the article………………………..

A group of Regina condo owners is upset over the loss of city garbage collection.  Their streets are too narrow and can’t accommodate automated cart pick-up trucks so the city had been gathering trash bags by hand. That service ended abruptly last month.   Read the article………………………..

The Civil Resolution Tribunal has given Andrea and Elijah Beretta four months to replace laminate flooring in their Fraser Hills townhouse. The tribunal found the couple had violated bylaws banning ‘hard surface flooring’ anywhere except in the kitchen, bathroom or entrance hall.   Read the article………………………..

Q: We are a bareland strata of only 24 units. Our common expenses are road maintenance, snow removal, insurance, street utilities and gate maintenance. Monthly fees are only $75 for all units, but two owners have not paid their fees for a year.   Read the Q&A……………………………….

A suggestion that the city and social agencies establish and monitor new homeless encampments has drawn a cautiously positive response from Elevate NWO, an agency that’s provided outreach services to individuals living in tents.   Read the article………………………..

When Gail Jones (not her real name) put an $80,000 deposit down on a pre-construction condo slated to be built in the Dixie Rd. and Burnhamthorpe Rd. E. area, she expected to move into her new unit in 2020.   Read the article………………………..

Home surveillance footage shows the moments a 226-unit, five-storey luxury condo building in Welland, Ont., partially collapsed on Saturday, prompting an investigation by the Ministry of Labour.  A spokesperson for the City of Welland told CTV News Toronto that no one was reported injured in the collapse. All 226 units have already been sold, according […]

A recent ruling by an Ontario tribunal should serve as a warning to condo owners who rent out their units that they could be left with a big bill if they don’t take action against problem tenants.   Read the article………………………..

Question: I am the president of the board of our condominium complex. The board passed a motion to take steps to evict a tenant. The tenant is disruptive and has breached many bylaws. Despite our efforts, the owner of the unit is not co-operating with the board. We do not even know the tenant’s name. […]

Q: Our strata corporation is having a dispute over tax filing and financial reports. Are strata corporations required to file a tax return? What if you live in a small strata? We generated almost $18,000 in interest from our contingency fund last year and have a T5 from the bank.  Read the Q&A……………………………….

Razan Talebian and her husband were overjoyed when they found out last month they were expecting their first child together.  They had finally found a place to live in Maple Ridge, B.C., with their cat and dog in a building that was originally only for people ages 35 and older.   Read the article………………………..

The B.C. government needs to ensure that adequate protections are in place for strata owners and their families where 55-plus age restriction bylaws are implemented.   Read the article………………………..

A Richmond man’s long battle against strata to keep shipping containers in his parking stalls is finally coming to an end after a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled in favour of his appeal.  The story began when Gregory Reid, who lived in a “caretaker’s residence” in an industrial park on Shell Road, moved two shipping […]

Residents of a brand new condo building in North Vancouver are worried about the safety of their building after two glass panels fell at least 30 metres in the last two months.   Read the article………………………..

Repairs outlined in an insurance company’s assessment of damages at a British Columbia condo must be made by the strata, said a decision from the province’s Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT).   Read the article………………………..

A British Columbia condo owner failed to show a strata corporation breached its duty to repair and maintain the irrigation system or the building’s waterproofing membrane.   Read the article………………………..

As Ontario struggles with a significant undersupply of housing, investors are holding onto a marked share of condominium apartments across the province.   Read the article………………………..

When it comes to water damage to your condo unit, you could be on the hook for the cost of the repairs, even if it’s not your fault. Consumer Matters’ Anne Drewa reports on a B.C. couple’s battle to recoup expenses for some water-related repairs.   Watch the news report……………………

Dear Tony: Our annual meeting was Saturday and there was a lot of confusion around our annual budget and our contribution to our reserve fund.   Read the article………………………..

The B.C. Court of Appeal has declined to overturn a ruling that said two Burnaby stratas have to keep sharing the use and cost of a squash court, exercise room, swimming pool, tennis court and other amenities “in perpetuity.”  Read the article………………………..

A group of condo owners in Alberta are petitioning the government to allow them to benefit from more of the province’s Affordability Action Plan.     Read the article………………………..

The city is drafting a letter of support for a local condominium board’s concerns about municipal services and property taxation.  Scott Maclagan, the chairman of the Orillia CEC Committee, outlined numerous concerns about the infrastructure maintenance and services condo owners are expected to maintain without municipal support in a letter considered by council at Monday’s […]

Residents of Rancher’s Rise are paying to maintain amenities like pathways and playgrounds that are being used by the public as a whole.   Read the article………………………..

A Burnaby strata-of-two is back to square one after taking a dispute over a failing retaining wall to the Civil Resolution Tribunal.  George and Audrey Ann Sidney own a duplex unit on Dufferin Avenue attached to a second unit owned by Cheol Hyun Shon, according to a tribunal ruling Monday.   Read the article………………………..

At our recent annual meeting there was a lot of confusion around our annual budget and our contribution to our reserve fund .  The new changes to the Strata Property Act announced last week appear to keep the minimum contribution to 10 per cent, which we have faithfully applied in our 22 years.    Read the […]

Despite the best efforts of one senior, the Cherry Lane Towers condominium complex will be going to a 55+ age restriction.  Toni Russell had been championing a fight against the proposal to change the strata’s restrictions, but the vote on Jan. 25 ended up with a majority in favour of stricter limits on who would […]

A B.C. strata that charged condo owners a fee for having gas appliances has been ordered to strap the practice and refund all the money it charged.  According to a Jan. 19 B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal decision, the case involves a downtown Vancouver condo building that charged $32 a month to condo owners that had […]

Dear Tony: During the massive snow followed by rain over the holidays, our snow removal company piled the driveway and parking lot snow at the bottom end of our building. They really had no other location, but the result was our surface drains were plugged, frozen and the heavy rain resulted in three garden suites […]

Langley City and other defendants in a lawsuit over an allegedly dangerous elevator have responded in filings with the B.C. Supreme Court.  Last summer, lawyers for nine members of a family filed a lawsuit over an alleged incident in which an elevator in a Langley condo plunged and jerked to a sudden stop, leaving many […]

Q: During the massive snow followed by rain over the holidays, our snow removal company piled the driveway and parking lot snow at the bottom end of our building.  Read the Q&A……………………………….