Financial Management
Who decides whether the condo auditor is to attend the AGM?
Most condo corporations have their auditor attend the AGM to present the audit and answer any questions on same. Other corporations don’t and, instead, have a director or manager present the audit report. In this blog post we explore all questions related to auditors including whether the auditor is required to be present at the […]
Can Condo Boards Take Decisions by Email?
Our last post on whether condo owners could access Board emails triggered quite the reaction from our readers. Many wondered whether condo boards could take decisions secretarially, by email, between meetings. Here’s the answer. In theory, the answer is “no”…. But what about in practice though? Read on. Are your condo fees too high? How do […]
Condo Arrears Include Legal Fees
In a recent unreported Ottawa case, a condo owner sued his condominium to recover the legal fees charged against his unit following his failure to pay his common expenses on time. This case reminds owners of the importance of paying in time the totality of the arrears… including the interests and the legal fees incurred by the corporation […]
The “5 Ws” of a Condo AGM
Fall is often a good time for condominium corporations to hold their annual general meeting (“AGM“) of owners. Owners are back home after the summer holidays and snowbirds have yet to migrate to warmer weather for the winter. My condominium should hold its first AGM in the next few months. People who are new to condo living may not fully understand what an […]
The First Year in the Life of a Condominium Corporation
The first year of a condominium corporation is a big one. In addition to dealing with ongoing construction work, construction deficiencies and perhaps budgetary issues, the board of directors has to take important decisions in terms of management of the building and has to set the tone with the owners and residents. Depending on how the developer/declarant […]
Condo Loses Priority Over $1.3M With Directors Failing to Pay their Condo Fees and Falsifying Status Certificates
We recently blogged on how to ensure condo fees are paid before the mortgage in cases of default and we explained the importance of complying with the strict deadlines and notices imposed by the Condominium Act, 1998 (the “Act”). The recent case of Trez v. Wynford reminds us that the same is true even when condo directors are the ones in […]
How to Ensure “Condo Fees” Are Paid Before the Mortgage in Cases of Default?
The timely payment of common expenses (commonly referred to as “condo fees”) is essential to the survival of condominium corporations. For this reason, the Condominium Act has put in place various mechanisms to facilitate the collection of these common expenses. One of these mechanisms is the corporation’s ability to register a lien on the defaulting […]
Should Your Condo Corporation Pay HST If It’s Not Specifically Included in a Quote?
Have you ever faced a situation where a contractor requested taxes over the quoted price? How much should your condominium corporation budget for if all that the contractor quoted was a flat amount without details as to whether it includes HST or not? HST has to be paid and parties cannot contract out of it. However, […]