Blog
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 […]
What Does the Pre-Delivery Inspection of a New Condo Entail?
I recently bought my first home: a brand new condominium unit. In this post, and in more to follow, I intend on blogging about this experience and about the first year in the life of a condominium corporation. After months of anticipation leading up to the date of occupancy, I recently got to set foot, […]
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 […]
Conflict of Interest: Better Safe Than Sorry
With ethics and governance being such a hot topics in the corporate and political world, you won’t be surprised to hear that condominium corporations are no stranger to these concepts. Directors must be conscious of the standard of care expected from them and of the risk of conflict of interest. Sections 40 and 41 of […]
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 […]
Update on the Condominium Act Review
In September 2013, the Ontario government, in conjunction with Canada’s Public Policy Forum, published a working paper on changes to the Condominium Act of Ontario. The current Condominium Act in use in Ontario was prepared in the late 1990s and brought into force in 2001. It is widely held that a review of the Act […]