Graeme Macpherson
CCI-EO Ottawa Conference
Ah, September. Back to school. Pumpkin spice. But most importantly, CCI’s Ottawa Conference! That’s right the biggest condo event in Ottawa is happening on September 20, 2024 at the Ottawa Conference & Event Centre at 200 Coventry Road. Sign up now and see the region’s condominium experts present on some of the most important and cutting […]
Smoking in condos does not always amount to nuisance
While lots of condos have become smoke free, many either don’t regulate smoking or granted legacy rights to existing smokers. The result is that, when owners complain about smoke in their units, both sides rely on their nose to argue that the other side is wrong about the degree of nuisance. In a recent case, the CAT ruled on whether a “sniff test” constituted an adequate investigation into a smoke complaint.
Frosty the Boardman (Ode to CondoLand)
Here we are, reaching the end of another year! As most are winding down for the season, we offer our traditional Christmas blog post! As we have done these last few years, we offer to revisit a Christmas classic and adapt it to CondoLand. This year, we present our version of the well-known song Frosty […]
CCI (Eastern Ontario) Condo Conference on November 4!
The CCI (Eastern Ontario) Condo Conference is finally returning!…. and in person! This is a one-stop event! Come meet and network with your local condo community, your condo leaders and service providers! Amazing lineup (if we may say so ourselves) tackling relevant and timely topics such as enforcement, CAT decisions, reserve fund studies, how to […]
What is a condo corporation required to do when an owner complains of noise from another unit?
A decision dealing with a noise complaint between units was recently released by our courts. The facts are as you would expect them: unit below complains of noise from unit above. The unit below sued the condo corporation (but not the owner above). Ultimately, the question in this case was: what are the obligations (and […]
Can the City Assist Condos in Short-Term Rental Bans?
Some major municipalities in Ontario, including Ottawa and Toronto are (or already have) implemented municipal By-laws governing short-term rentals in the cities. These by-laws do a number of things: They define what constitutes a “short-term rental” (less than 30 consecutive nights in Ottawa and less than 28 consecutive nights in Toronto); They mandate that short-term […]
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (in CondoLand)
[Editor’s note : Our traditional Christmas post was drafted just a short while ago, when we all hoped for a more inclusive and festive holiday period. As we’ve seen far too often over the last 20 months, however, the situation is fast changing on us, with more measures being required to slow the spread of the […]
Condo owners cannot dictate when to change the windows
In a recent decision, the Superior Court shed some light on the extent to which a condo owner can dictate when and how the corporation is to maintain, repair and replace common elements. Specifically, this owner was unsatisfied with the perceived delay in changing some of his unit windows and brought the corporation to court, […]