June 2016
Condo corporations can and should consider sending material, including Annual General Meeting (AGM) packages and Status Certificates, electronic methods.
The Condominium Act, Section 47(1)
A notice that is required to be given to owners shall,
(a) be in writing;
(b) be given at least 15 days before the day of the meeting if the notice is a notice of meeting of owners; and
(c) be given to “each owner who has notified the corporation in writing of the owner’s name and address for service” and “each mortgagee of a unit who … has the right to vote at a meeting of owners.”
An Annual General Meeting (AGM) package can include multiple documents; meeting notice and agenda, minutes from the prior AGM, audited financial statements, proposed budget for the next fiscal year and other documents. This can be a large package that can cost thousands of dollars to print and distribute.
The Status Certificate can be an even larger and more complex document. Yardi’s Condo Café Café provides the Status Certificate in electronic format and is responsible for saving many trees. This approach eliminates the printing of hundreds of pages for each Status Certificate while delivering faster response and requiring less effort. It also provides the Status Certificate in a more organized, easier to read and searchable format.
Condo corporations can send most communications via electronic means; a newsletter can delivered in electronic form via e-mail or with condo management software used to communicate with condo residents.
In the absence of written consent, electronic communication of notices should be limited to those not mandated by the Condo Act.
E-mail saves trees, money and time. Eliminating the cost of printing and distribution to hundreds of condo suites can be a potential saving of thousands of dollars.
The Condo Act requires only that certain notices be delivered in writing.
