May 2024
Condo Conquest, by Randy Lippert, presents a perspective on condominium living that conflicts with its widespread popularity and reality. Mr. Lippert, professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Windsor, is clearly not a fan of condominium living.
According to Mr. Lippert, “Condos are like sausages” that “are made, sold, consumed everywhere in cities. . . . But, like sausages, little is known about the condo innards, and the less one knows, the better off one may feel.” He describes condominium governance as “a fourth level of government where normal social and community relations are subsumed or even trampled by a profusion of rules, audits, surveillance techniques, and obsessive concerns over resale value.”
His book is not a real or fair representation of condominium living. It presents the absolute worse-case scenarios which fail to exist in even the most poorly managed communities. However, Mr. Lippert is correct when he states that many buyers don’t understand what they’re getting themselves into when they purchase a condominium unit for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
There are good reasons why so many find high-rise condo living so appealing. Some appreciate easy access to parks, malls, transit, entertainment and services. Amenities such as swimming pool, exercise room, concierge and activities are important to some.
Condominiums are often described as an apartment or townhouse that can be owned. They combine advantages of urban living with the high-end features of suburban single-family homes. Common areas include swimming pools, exercise rooms and other recreational spaces more extensive than can be found in other housing.
The first condo laws in Canada were passed in the 1960s. Provincial governments wanted to create a legal structure for what were then called stratas which allowed buyers to acquire an apartment or townhouse as well as a portion of the complex’s common areas which include balconies, lobbies and other spaces. The concept proved to be popular and has only been enhanced over the decades. Toronto, as of 2016, had more condo units than any city in North America except for Miami. From nothing more than five decades ago, more than half of Toronto is now estimated to live in a condo.
There can be frustrations. Some condo boards do a poor job at maintaining the property, encouraging socialization and communication. Nobody is happy when condo fees increase each year despite it costing less to maintain a condo than a single-family home. Where condos have become investment properties, some are frustrated with the impact this has on communities.
Mr. Lippert appears to have an understanding of legislation; corporation bylaws, reserve fund studies and condo rules documents, but little understanding of how this works in practice. He has created a fantasy world that does not exist and argues that condo governance creates conflict. Condo fees are manipulated to facilitate sales. Volunteer directors engage in self-dealing including when they hire property management companies, and delay on necessary maintenance to keep condo fees low.
Mr. Lippert describes condominium community oversight as excessive or over-policed, and dysfunctional. Condo boards and management implement and enforce rules for problems that often don’t exist in response to a chronic fear of litigation among owners, boards and condominium managers. He cites problems with noise, renters and short-term rentals, none of which is unique to condominium living. The elevator, according to Mr. Lippert, is a “site of resistance” prone to traffic jams, construction delays and congestion. It is one of the few places where residents can meet one another casually to discuss condo board incompetence or corruption, construction deficiencies, and motivations behind board decisions.
The reality of condominium living and management is that demands for regulation often come from residents. Most boards, which are comprised of volunteers, try to balance their owners’ conflicting rights while protecting property and peace.
Mr. Lippert succeeds in identifying concerns with condominium governance and other aspects of condominium living. His dystopian and extreme view fails to recognize condo living for its success and presenting what to most are relatively minor concerns that can and should be addressed by those who create the laws which govern condominium living.
One condo director, after reading a review of this book, is likely correct in stating that the approach favoured by Mr. Randy Lippert would probably include armed conflict.
