February 2018
A condo corporation is a miniature version of society. It incorporates politics, bureaucracy, business, special interests and crime.
Most condo owners don’t think of their home in this way and this can be a problem.
Once viewed in this way, any problems that may exist in a condo community can be resolved. In fact, there are no unresolvable problems unless one chooses that they remain unresolved.
Condo owners frequently don’t receive enough information about how their money is being spent to manage their home. At times this may be intentional. More often, this results from a board lacking in experience or a shortage of volunteers.
When information is provided to condo owners, some choose to distort or misrepresent this information to support personal or biased interests.
While condo directors and the management they employ are tasked with managing a condo building, condo owners need to remain vigilant. They need to ask questions, make suggestions and follow up when they don’t receive an answer. Too many condo owners choose to remain silent on matters that affect their home and investment.
Condo owners should make a greater effort to educate themselves about their home and the laws which govern it. Read the declaration, bylaws and rules. Review the Condo Act. Read every document and communication provided by management or the board. Only then do condo owners have enough information to make good choices and informed comments about their home.
Condo directors should be transparent in their decision making, willing to justify decisions and stand up against special interests. An opaque condo board leads to mistrust of their decisions and ability to manage.
