The Condominium Authority
Bill 106 introduces The Condominium Authority.
The Condominium Authority will be a not-for-profit corporation that will
be established by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. Its authority and duties are set
out under changes to the Condominium Act, 1998.
The Authority’s full duties are not set out in the Bill, but will
be spelled out later in an agreement between it and the government. It will provide educational materials, be in charge of
the Condominium Authority Tribunal and make recommendations on condo issues to the government.
Funding
The government will provide seed money to get the Authority up and
running and then its expenses will be paid by a combination of user
fees for services and assessments to
be paid by condominium corporations.
It has been suggested that the assessments will be between one and
three dollars a unit but that is just a guess (a deliberate low ball?) and the actual costs
may prove to be far higher.
Accountability
Bill 106 does not call for The Condominium Authority to be subject to
audit by the auditor general nor to oversight by the ombudsman’s office.
Will condo owners have an effective means to complain about and reform
any serious problems with The Condominium Authority once it is up and
running?
Will The Condominium Authority be subject to our sunshine laws? Will
condo owners, the ones who are footing the bill, know which, or how
many employees will receive $100,000 annually or more?
Will the top executives of The Condominium Authority be drawn from the
condo industry special interests or from people who have demonstrated a
strong commitment to consumer protection?
Another Tarion?
That is our fear. Another non-profit corporation that will appear to look after the condo industry's interests ahead of the condo owners interests.
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