Patterson v. York Condominium Corporation No. 70, 2018 ONSC 3735

Managers are likely familiar with the horror stories of condominium corporations being defrauded and, unfortunately, some of you may have experienced this first-hand. But, my guess is that the vast majority of you have only seen a limited number of examples of fraud, if any. With the enactment of the Condominium Management Services Act, it appears that there is more legislated responsibility being placed upon property managers to be increasingly vigilant for potential improprieties.

The condominium industry has experienced its share of changes over the past few years, however, there is one more piece of legislation that the condominium industry needs to prepare itself for. As of July 1, 2018, the first wave of amendments to the Construction Lien Act (now called the Construct ion Act ) came into force , which will affect all condominium corporations where a person supplies services or materials to an “improvement” to the common elements of a condominium corporation.

The Guild Inn was a historic hotel located in the Guildwood village neighbourhood. The Guildwood Terrace, located at 3231 and 3233 Eglinton Ave. East, is a twin tower residential condominium which was built in 1990.

With summer just barely behind us, what’s the rush in reminding the board it needs to be making paving decisions, now? The reason of course is the board missed the fall deadline for the asphalt plant’s closing last November, and had distractions this spring not allowing early action this year. 

So, what’s it like to be a manager in 2018 under a revised Condominium Act? This is the talk of 2018 for all managers, directors, residents of condominiums and many others in this industry.

While much of the attention in the condominium community over the past many months has been concentrated on the ongoing changes to the condominium legislation in Ontario, the courts continue to release decisions of significance. We will explore two of these recent cases in this article.

The Case: Lori Benedict v. Kemeys Cove Condominiums and Stillman Management Inc., 2013 NY Slip Op 32835

A new regime affecting condo construction projects will arise as a result of modernizing amendments to the Construction Lien Act. Bill 142 (the Construction Lien Amendment Act) was enacted by the Ontario legislature on December 12, 2017. 

As a condo manager, you’re well versed in managing costs within a diverse, operational framework – sometimes known as the bottom line – with the goal of providing a safe and thriving environment for tenants. Nothing gets by you. But did you know that there’s something in your condo that you can’t see, can’t smell, can’t taste – and only know it’s there when you fall unconscious or die?

ACMO’s Manager of the Year award is presented to a Registered Condominium Manager (RCM) who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment and dedication to professional condominium management. 

In a recent case, Omotayo v. Da Costa, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice considered whether a condominium corporation was responsible to prevent an assault at a board meeting by one participant against another participant.

Managers are quite often the first person that owners and residents meet. Along with concierge and housekeeping staff, this team makes up the front facing connection for many owners, residents and guests. It’s important to make them feel welcome no matter if they have a complaint or just want to chat. 

Your residents aren’t the only ones that look forward to summer – pests also come out in droves to enjoy the nice weather. As you show off your property to potential condo owners and work to please current residents, these unwelcome guests can cause quite the disruption.

We work with a condominium corporation in the City of Ottawa that has spent over two years litigating with a particular unit owner, who, in our view, has simply gone rogue. What started out as a dispute over a $450 back charge to remove a flower box, which was an unauthorized alteration to the common elements, quickly spiralled into a convoluted web of litigation – all perpetuated by the unit owner and what appears to be her personal animus towards her board of directors and the property manager.