Condos in the news
Growing regulation of Airbnb makes hosts legally vulnerable like never before, say experts
CBC News
Colin Butler Posted: Apr 29, 2022
London, Ont., is proposing a bylaw that would require short-term rental owners to get written permission from their condo board in order to qualify for a licence.
The city is also going further than most municipalities when it comes to insurance requirements, proposing that anyone hosting guests through an online short-term rental service must have at least $5 million in liability insurance to operate.
Toronto condo owner told to remove Ukrainian flag from window
CTV News
Phil Tsekouras Posted 29 April 2022
A Toronto condo owner says she was told to remove a Ukrainian flag from her apartment window by the property management company that oversees operations at the building.
she said she received a phone call from the building’s superintendent asking her to remove the flag due to complaints he had received from other tenants and the possibility of vandalism.
She refused and was informed that she was in breach of a building bylaw. Pioro said she was told she would receive a formal notice of violation from the property management company.
“So then I asked him, ‘who’s complaining and why are they complaining?’ I don’t understand what’s so wrong,” Pioro told CTV News Toronto. “He said, ‘well how would you feel if all the Russians in the building put up their flag?’”
Homeowners sue after finding out their condo tower wasn't built to code
CBC News BC
Rhianna Schmunk Posted 13 December 2021
More than two years after finding out their building wasn't built to code, dozens of condo owners in Surrey, B.C., are suing the developer and contractors behind the project.
Homeowners with units in the building filed a lengthy lawsuit this year against the developer, contractor, construction manager, architect and engineers — just about everyone who had a hand in the tower's creation — claiming their homes have lost value.
"The construction deficiencies and dangerous defects have resulted in continuous property damage and loss to the [strata]," the claim said.
The lawsuit is the latest development in more than seven years of investigations and disputes over the tower which, according to the lawsuit, was supposed to be a "state-of-the-art" home for hundreds of families when it was completed in 2013.
I have received e-mails about my articles on Reserve Fund Studies and other issues.
One
“You left off the option of getting a big loan with 25 year amortization at 6+%.
I didn’t send you the Funding page we got showing 0% for inflation for the next three years they concocted to support their 0% increase budget in 2020.
When have you ever seen a funding plan for just three years with 0% inflation? To my eyes, someone stuck a cutout page made up to look good. The board hid it for over six months and then the manager found it and sent it to owners with the PICs due at the time.
The full version showing the 25-year funding numbers finally appeared when one owner kept complaining and called the auditor and engineers.”
I suppose that taking out a 25-year loan is one way a condo corporation can fund a Reserve Fund and become popular by having 0% fee increases.
—editor
Two
“How ‘bout when the directors admit they don’t understand the reserve fund? Or when loan payments and interest are paid from the Reserve Fund? Or they paid security people to sit in the hallways when the windows were replaced?
How ‘bout the window sills that were not owned by the corporation being replaced using Reserve Fund money?
How many people think the fan coil units are owned by the condo corporation, when in fact other than the filter replacement, the fan coil replacement should be on the owner tab?
Seen this and experienced this. The owners think they are getting a deal. The fan coils are replaced for “free”.
We are presently having a provincial election. We got three political parties promising all kinds of “free goodies” if we vote for them. It is like they are all Santa Claus.
If providing “freebies” works for professional politicians, why wouldn’t it work for amateur condo directors?
—editor
Three
Here is an e-mal that was sent to all unit owners:
Subject: PCC XXX—Lien Policy Letter to Owners
Dear Owners,
Please note that anyone defaulting on Common Element Fees or Back Charges will receive an email with the statement of account attached and will follow up with a courtesy call soon after.
If all the amounts owing are not paid promptly, legal procedures will be implemented. This is a reminder of the actual PCCXXX policy and will be effective immediately.
My Reply:
This is a standard letter sent when there are a few units that are behind on their payments. No big deal. The board is warning people.
It gets very expensive for a unit owner if the condo starts the lien process. If the bank is contacted, the unit owner may have the mortgage cancelled.
—editor
Four
My condo created a long list of “chargebacks”. It cost $100 if you don’t break down your cardboard box before it goes into the recycle bin. They installed cameras to catch the offenders.
You may remember the story here of the $500 cleaning fee that turned into $24,000 in legal fees which the condo attached to the unit’s maintenance fees. They informed the bank (the mortgagee) and got paid. The unit owner lost the unit under the banks’ power of sale provisions.
In Ontario, condo corporations do not have the right to “fine” unit owners. They do in other provinces. They will claim that it costs the condo an extra $100 if the super has to break up cardboard boxes.
It almost never pays to get into a legal battle with your board. It gets very expensive very quickly. It is usually best to pay up, sell your unit and get out.
—editor