A question about maintenance fees
It is impossible to have monthly condo fees that are completely fair to all owners.
I and a few seniors live in a condo alone where my maintenance fees are over $1,000 a month. Yes it includes everything but it's not fair. I'm paying for the water hydro of a unit that has more than two or three people or rental units that don't care.
I was in a conversation with some people and they couldn't believe what I pay and someone mentioned you. My building has also become more of a rental and they don't care how much water or hydro they use.
I asked my board if there is anything they can do to change the rules like if there are more than two people tacking on an extra $20–$30 depending how many people and such as if it's a rental unit, put a fee on that and lower our fees.
The board said oh we can do nothing, the building is an older building and the way the pipes run. I understand we can't put water meters and hydro meters are a little hard and costly.
If there is anything you can assist me with please do so or what I can tell my board or show them thank you.
from Jose
My reply
Hello Jose;
It is impossible to have monthly condo fees that are completely fair to all owners at all times. Owners of ground floor units resent paying for elevator repairs and updates. People who do not swim do not want to pay to keep the swimming pool open.
In Ontario, it is not possible to limit the number of units that are rented. All owners have the right to rent their units.
It would be very expensive to install individual water meters for every unit. New condos do that but they are new builds and they use individual billing as a selling feature.
The only thing I can suggest is that on a yearly schedule, your condo conducts a water leakage inspections. This is where every kitchen and bathroom tap and every toilet is checked to ensure the taps don't drip and the toilets don't run.
A running shower head or a running toilet can waste up to $800 a month, or more, in excess water bills. A dripping tap also adds to water bills.
The unit owner is then instructed to have the leaks repaired by either the condo's plumbing company (at the unit owners cost) or they can arrange to have it done themselves.
It is possible to install individual electrical meters for each unit. I know of condos that have had this done. Your property management company will know of companies that do this work. I believe that the conversion is done at no cost to the condo corporation.
I trust that you find this helpful.
Jose responds
Sorry if I am disturbing you.
I think you misunderstood me when I was talking about the water. My building already does that every year, actually twice when they do the fire alarm test they come in and check all that.
I mean like all the units below me and above me pay the same $1,025 a month in fees even though I live alone. Above me there are four people in there and four floors below me there's five. That's four and five times the water they use and hydro opposed to me. I take one shower a day, use the dishwasher once a week and two washer loads a week where the others are more.
There is a unit with even more people in it. It's not fair that a person living alone is paying the same amount. That's why I was saying if it's above say three people, tack on a fee.
A person mentioned that there is a way the board can do it and you can explain how.
See I have a building of people on the board that don't try or look in to info we have brought up hydro meters for a few years and its mmmmm.
Enjoy your week.
My second response
Hello Jose:
Don't worry, I am pleased to answer your questions.
I understood your questions about the water bills. Practically speaking, there is nothing you can do about this. (That is why I suggested having annual water leak inspections.)
As long as the number of people living in a unit does not exceed the municipal bylaws, then there is little that can be done.
As far as having a surcharge added to a unit's maintenance fees to pay for extra water usage, electricity, extra garbage costs, wear and tear on the hallway carpets or elevator maintenance, the only way that this could occur is if the corporation's Declaration was changed to allow this.
I believe that to have the Declaration changed, the Board has to have 80% of all the owners agree to the change in writing. Then the corporation's lawyer needs to register the change to the Declaration.
The 80% does not refer to the number of owners that attend the owners meeting but ALL OWNERS, whether they live in the building, live in a different city or live overseas.
It is extremely difficult to get that many owners to agree on anything.
As far as the electrical meters go, that is up to the Board to bring that matter up to the owners.
Follow up on my last posting
Our president announced that he would not be president just a consultant—lol. Many owners are waiting to see if he actually resigns or just don’t show up. They did have a quorum. He quit the first time he was on the board because board members decided to pick another director for president.
Your notes about the so-called budget are interesting, the same questions that owners don’t get clarity on either.
The loan was for new halls with wallpaper, carpet tiles and paint, repairs to the rear garage deck, the windows and asbestos removal, and then rebuilding all the damaged walls and window sills.
The loan was labelled as an “unfunded” charge to the reserve fund for a couple of years. The auditor can’t explain why it does not appear as an operational cost except the declaration and the Act really don’t allow loans.
The board brags about saving us money with surpluses every year. They got the Covid not for profit loan for 40,000 while declaring a surplus but they get to pocket $10,000.
‘I’ll kill you all’: 3 dead after man opens fire during condominium board meeting in Rome coffee shop
A witness said the man opened fire after entering the coffee shop shouting: ‘I’ll kill you all.’ Rome’s mayor confirmed three people were killed. A witness said the man was known to board members and had been previously reported to authorities for making threats against local residents
Published by South China Morning Post
from Associated Press
12 December 2022
Three people were killed and others injured after a man opened fire during a condominium board meeting in a coffee shop in northern Rome on Sunday, authorities and witnesses said.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri called an emergency security meeting for Monday after what he called “the grave episode of violence that has struck our city.” In a tweet, he confirmed three people were killed in the shooting in the working class neighbourhood of Fidene.
“The shooting occurred in an enclosed outdoor seating area of the bar, called Il Posto Giusto, or ‘The Right Place’.”
La Repubblica newspaper quoted witness Luciana Ciorba, vice-president of the condominium board, as saying the man entered the bar shouting “I’ll kill you all,” and then opened fire. Participants managed to disarm him until Carabinieri police arrived.
Speaking in a video interview, Ciorba said the man was known to board members and had been previously reported to authorities for making threats against local residents.