The owners’ register
This is a simple and often played game where a candidate asks for a
copy of the Owner's Register and the manager refuses to supply one.
Submitting
the request
The candidate has to submit the request in writing and give a reason
for the request. The manager, acting on their own or at the direction
of the board, does not have to state why he or she refused the request.
That can slow the process down so even if the candidate gets the list,
it is often too late to offer much assistance in the election campaign.
Overcharging
for copies
A manager may discourage the candidates from asking for a copy of the
owners list by charging a dollar a page or more for a copy.
One candidate that was running for a position on his board was told
that he would have to pay $25.00 an hour for administration and
handling plus 25¢ a page for the photocopying expenses. When he
complained, he was told this was "industry standard" rates.
A copy of
the owners register for election purposes should be free.
Privacy
concerns
The manager may refuse to give the candidates a copy of the owner's
register by claiming that it would be a violation of the Privacy Act.
This is nonsense as the owners names and addresses are public record
and are available to all for free at your municipal offices.
I describe how to use
the city records to find the addresses of all the registered owners
on this website.
Limited
information
Most of the time, the manager will give the candidates just the owners'
names and addresses. Often, all you get is a copy of the mailing labels
that the management company uses.
The directors and the manager however, may use the phone numbers and
e-mail
addresses in the corporation's records to contact the owners asking for
their proxies.
Old list
The candidates may be given an old list of owners that contains dated
information. How serious this is depends on how many units changed
hands since your list was printed.
Verify
information
I suggest that the candidates verify the information on the owners
register by comparing it with the municipal tax records.
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