Rod Escayola
ACMO/CCI Conference in Ottawa ‒ May 29
CCI and ACMO Ottawa are presenting their annual conference and tradeshow on May 29, 2015. This is a great opportunity to meet with industry experts, property managers, trades and service providers and, more importantly, to network with fellow condo directors. The program includes the following presentations: The role of the property manager vs. the role of board […]
A Condominium Declaration Can Prohibit Short-term Rentals to Unrelated Students
In a recent Ottawa case, the court confirmed that a condominium corporation can (and should) prohibit the leasing of condo units to unrelated tenants when the condo declaration limits the use of the units to “private single families“. The Facts of This Case In this case involving a 38-year old condominium corporation, two factions faced each other: the owners […]
Condominiums Have a Duty to Accommodate Individuals with Disabilities
Owners and occupants of condominiums have a duty to comply with the Condominium Act, the declaration and the corporation’s other governing documents. In fact, the board of directors has an obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure that all owners and occupants do, in fact, comply with these governing documents. But condominiums also have a duty […]
Is the Insurance Industry Turning Its Back on Condominiums?
According to a recent article in the Globe and Mail, shoddy construction, rising claims for water damage and inadequate regulation is leading insurance companies to refuse to insure condominium corporations. In the meantime, premiums and deductibles are skyrocketing. Not just in Vancouver: in Toronto and in Ottawa too. Worse, in some cases, condominium corporations are […]
CCI’s Spring Directors’ Course: April 18-19 in Ottawa
CCI Ottawa is very excited to present, once again, its much attended Spring Directors’ Course. It will be held on April 18 and 19 at the Hellenic Center, at 1315 Prince of Wales Drive. The course addresses all of the key requirements under the Condominium Act and is sure to equip new or seasoned directors with the […]
When Hoarding in Condominiums Becomes a Hazard for Other Residents
This case involving a housing co-operative provides a good (but sad) example of the difficulties faced by a corporation (be it condominium or co-operative) when faced with a hoarder. In this case, the co-operative appears to have taken all required steps to protect the other co-owners and the corporation. It involved the Police Department, the […]
A Condo Owner Ordered to Pay $790,000 in Legal Fees
When a condo owner and a condominium corporation face each other in court, often the legal fees incurred become the true object of the litigation. There is no point in winning a case if it is going to cost you more in legal fees than what you recovered. For that reason, traditionally, the successful party […]
Welcome to Our Brand New Blog!
We are truly very excited to launch Gowlings’ blog on condominium law: the Condo Adviser. We have designed this blog, both in look and content, to be sleek, modern, uncluttered and very easy to use. We aim to provide you with a one-stop shop where you can get timely and reliable advice on all of […]
Condo Owners Must Pay for the Unlawful Conduct of Their Directors
Who should pay the bill when condominium directors act unlawfully and take justice in their own hand? According to the Court of Appeal it may be the owners having elected them! We blogged already on the Ottawa case where condominium directors were found to be in contempt of court when they decided to ignore a […]
A Settlement to Accommodate a Disability Must Be in Writing
John Taite and his Ottawa condominium corporation were back before the Human Rights Tribunal recently. The take away this time is that, if you are going to reach an out-of-court settlement, you better put the agreement in writing. This is true in any litigation but is actually required if you want the Human Rights Tribunal […]