We often think that democracy is the ultimate decision-making process in condominium corporations in Ontario. True, but it is not that simple. The first challenge to the general tenet that majority rules the governance of condominiums is that numerous decisions require a varying degree of approval from the owners. For instance:
As demonstrated above, we are far from having the pure rule of democracy dictate the governance of condominium corporations. In practicality, a far lower number of owners truly control the corporation. Indeed, since the Condominium Act provides that the board shall consist of at least 3 individuals and since quorum at a board meeting is reached with a majority of the directors, day to day decisions pertaining to the condominium can really be made by as little as 2 single individuals. Thankfully, both the “current” and the “new” Acts provide that a corporation can adopt a by-law increasing the number of directors on the board. But this only marginally increases owners’ representation and you have to find sufficient candidates to fill these positions.
